The cash-strapped French Cameroun government in Yaoundé has suspended the salaries of 8,766 civil servants. The decision was made public today by the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform.

The Francophone minister pointed out in his statement written in the French language that the civil servants-a majority of whom are Southern Cameroonians fleeing the crisis in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia are suspended from pay as part of a policy he painted as “Physical Counting of State Personnel” operation, launched in April 2018 by the Ministry of Finance.

In a previous French Cameroun government communiqué, the Minister of Public Service stated that this involves 3721 state employees under the Labour Code and 5045 civil servants. They were accused of “irregular absence”, “resignation” or “death” and asked to contact with immediate effect the ministry of public service.

Biya regime agents say in two years, the physical counting operation of state employees launched in April 2018 has already identified and redacted some 10,000 fictitious civil servants. It led to savings of CFAF 30 billion in 2019, a figure disputed by opposition parties.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde