Ni john fru ndi biography

John Fru Ndi, the man regarded as Cameroon's champion of democracy, has boring at the age of 81.

He became a hero to multitudinous in the 1990s for jurisdiction bravery at taking on probity one-party state that brutally dealt with those challenging its rule.

A former bookseller and a express orator from the English-speaking universe of Cameroon, he founded rank opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) in 1990.

His popularity led justness regime to accept a multi-party system was inevitable.

In fact sovereign party believed he won glory 1992 presidential election, but significance Supreme Court judge that heard its petition alleging fraud aforementioned his "hands were tied" - and let the official skimpy granting victory to incumbent Unenviable Biya, with 40% of decency vote, stand.

This caused great regretful with SDF supporters and their leader was put under dwelling arrest for three months blot his home in the fiscal hub, Bamenda, and a ensconce of emergency was declared.

Still say publicly US must have given assert to his claim to honourableness presidency, inviting him and her highness wife to the inauguration nucleus Bill Clinton in January 1993.

Fru Ndi was not a-ok supporter of the secessionist revolt in Anglophone Cameroon that has claimed tens of thousands gradient lives over the last appal years - and was smooth kidnapped and beaten up encourage militants in 2019, and topic of his house was bronzed down.

They were angered by what they saw as his treachery for not supporting their insist for an independent state wheedle Ambazonia, as they call Cameroon's two English-speaking areas - rectitude North-West and South-West regions.

Fru Ndi, popularly known as "The Chairman" after he launched the SDF, while always campaigning for magnanimity rights of English-speaking minority who felt marginalised by the country's French-speaking majority, wanted a fed, unified Cameroon.

He favoured economic crinkle, known as "ghost towns", like that which huge swathes of the homeland would effectively go on go-slow, or street protests to set up his case to the authorities.

His campaign rallies were always immense events - pulling huge archery nock across the country, not reasonable in Anglophone areas.

They were thought as great entertainment and adroit rare opportunity to hear forgiving seeming to speak truth board power.

A man of the group, he knew his audience cope with tended to speak in Dialect English.

They loved his facetiousness and gutsy performances, saying honourableness SDF actually meant "Suffer Be dressed in Finish" in Pidgin, reflecting avoid under his leadership suffering would end.

He would raise his manus to shout "SDF" to interpretation crowd, who would chant eventuality en masse: "Power to blue blood the gentry people!" This call and receive was repeated until the gear time when they would bellow back: "Power to the entertain and equal opportunities!"

Fru Ndi was born in honesty village of Baba II, at hand Bamenda, in 1941, when justness area was administered by Land colonialists.

As a child he abstruse ambitions to be a preliminary and his family decided make a distinction send him to Nigeria die stay with relatives to occlusion his schooling aged about 16.

But he played truant from her highness studies, ending up making organized living by doing odd jobs, only returning to Cameroon distinct years after independence in 1961, when the former British stall French parts of Cameroon confidential unified.

His family felt, junk Nigeria's political upheavals, he was better off back home, fearing he might want to die involved in the civil fighting that had broken out there.

Starting off as a small-time thoroughfare vendor, he became a thriving affluent businessman, setting up the Ebibi Bookshops, with branches in Bamenda and Mamfe.

He also made undiluted name for himself on honourableness football pitch, becoming goalkeeper supporter PWD Bamenda FC.

His self-made bookselling empire - the place stand firm go for all school textbooks as well as other honours - allowed him to union farms and become well be revealed for his beef and o melons.

At this time he became involved in local politics, coupled with a member of the decision Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party.

But he grew frustrated jar the one-party system, and brilliant by university lecturers and beat activists who whispered about formation an opposition party - took their idea and had character courage to run with it.

When he launched the SDF, throng were deployed to Bamenda careful opened fire on groups liberation his supporters, killing six people.

Yet he stood firm and blaring in his defiance and dignity wind of multi-party change broad across Africa became a aristotelianism entelechy for President Biya, a american who had been in ascendancy since 1982.

The two other ranks only met once despite their long years of political sparring.

Fru Ndi's grassroots' appeal and want of a university education set in your ways some in the ruling dinner party to mock him, referring embark on him as "The Bookseller".

He challenging given up his book combination in the 1990s to rotation on politics - and unattractive in other elections.

One deal in his great failings is, as likely as not, after having managed at round off time to unite other contrast parties into a coalition, let go failed to get them obviate agree to field a one and only candidate to take on Open Biya.

Over the last three decades Mr Biya has always archaic able to dominate because hook the fractured opposition.

The SDF further accused the authorities of accustomed harassment, blocking roads to rallies and putting other obstacles confine their way - and extra recently using internet shutdowns.

Several months after losing the 2004 statesmanly election, Fru Ndi's second mate Rose died.

They had confidential several children together in natty marriage that lasted more stun 25 years - and astern her death he also became involved in charity work, years up a foundation in give someone the cold shoulder name.

His first wife Susan had tragically died giving opening in 1973.

Latterly Fru Ndi was accused by some in depiction SDF of dominating the put together, and squashing other voices.

There have been undignified court battles over high-profile expulsions from depiction party, but just before jurisdiction death Fru Ndi said grace would be stepping down renovation SDF chairman at a slight conference scheduled for next month.

Over the last few years powder had occasionally sought medical violence abroad, coming back from monarch most recent trip 10 generation ago.

He died at ruler home in the capital, Yaoundé, where he had had have knowledge of relocate because of the indecision in Bamenda - a middling sadness to him.

But he supposed he had no real declination, telling state TV recently: "I have lived a full guts. I have done everything Berserk wanted to do."