Pro-Government Militias
President Biya's Youth (PRESBY) (Cameroon)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 581 |
| Country: | Cameroon |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1996 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | PRESBY was founded in 1996 by Philomon Ntyam Ntyam as the successor of the ‘Committee for Self-Defence’ that had been operating at the University of Yaoundé. The group was created by the government as an attempt to transform a local, most exclusively Beti militia into a nationwide militia who is supposed to fight opponents of the regime. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | There is no information of the group being terminated. The last mention of activity was reported in 2003. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | political party |
| If link to party, name of party: | RDPC (CPDM) |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; former rebels; students |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Yaoundé, nationwide |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 127900] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Beti (Cameroon) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Since its foundation, PRESBY has been used by the Francophone-dominated state to counteract the activities of Anglophone movements and parties such as the SDF, the SCNC and particularly the SCYL. The group has been set up to fight opponents of the regime and is closely connected to the ruling party RDPC [CPDM Cameroon People's Democratic Movement] (Rassemblement democratique du peuple camerounais). It regularly engaged in violent disruption of opposition meetings, rallies or demonstrations and terrorised individual members. The group has been openly requested by the ruling party to crackdown on Anglophone secessionists. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | no information |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | PRESBY members belonged to the majority Beti ethnic group and 75% of the militia’s leaders furthermore belong to the Bulu tribal subgroup to which President Biya belongs. |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | In 2001, it was estimated that PRESBY comprised 120,000 members and 7,900 officials. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group is armed and receives active and open support from the security forces. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Leadership positions are highly contested as was demonstrated by the power struggles in 2000 and 2003. PRESBY’s founder and president is Philomon Ntyam Ntyam who belongs to the Beti ethnic group. Other members of this group occupy three-quarters of the seats in PRESBY’s National Bureau. The group enjoys widespread support and patronage from the ruling party’s elite. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.