A State Against Itself
With just one month before the 20th Women’s Volleyball World Championship set to take place in Thailand (August–September 2025), Cameroon once again draws attention not for its athletic performance, but for a full-blown state scandal. A so-called women’s national team, lacking any legal legitimacy, attempted to secure visas through the Brazilian Embassy in Yaoundé. Their backer? Not the legally recognized FECAVOLLEY federation, but the Ministry of Sports itself.
Alerted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), the Brazilian embassy swiftly rejected the attempt, refusing even to accept the visa applications. This refusal is more than an administrative formality—it reveals deep institutional dysfunction at the heart of the Cameroonian state.
The Locker Room Scandal: Promises, Abuse, and Pregnancies
Months before this latest diplomatic debacle, another tragedy shook the Cameroonian Volleyball Federation. Behind closed locker room doors, several young players fell victim to sexual abuse by coaches who promised them a better life in Europe.
More than six girls became pregnant abandoned by a system that had already failed them. No investigation, no disciplinary action, no justice. Only the complicit silence of a leadership determined to protect the predators and sacrifice the victims. In a country where abuse of power has become a management style, these young athletes were met with nothing but exclusion and contempt.
Diplomacy Hijacked: When the Passport Becomes a Weapon
After the Brazilian rejection, the Ministry’s tactics became even more insidious: using official service passports to disguise this illegitimate team as an administrative delegation. The objective? To deceive diplomatic missions and obtain visas under the false banner of state business.
This institutionalized fraud is not only unethical it threatens Cameroon’s international credibility. Embassies are being lured into unintentionally facilitating disguised illegal immigration, echoing recent scandals.
Zurich, Episode 1 – Bangkok, Episode 2?
In January 2025, nineteen fake Cameroonian handball players were arrested in Zurich, while the real national team was competing in Egypt. The mastermind? A senior official within the Ministry of Sports (MINSEP). The outcome: conviction, deportation, and national humiliation. And yet, no lessons were learned.
What we are witnessing today is the cynical repetition of a familiar script with the same arrogance and the same impunity. The scandal is becoming routine.
Institutions Undermined: What Remains of the State?
And yet, the competent institutions have spoken clearly:
But MINSEP, deaf to these rulings, continues to manipulate administrative processes to normalize illegality.
A Republican Warning
Sport must not become a laboratory for state-sponsored fraud. Service passports are not free passes for corruption, and embassies must not be reduced to passive accomplices of a rogue administration.
If foreign diplomatic missions begin to question the authenticity of Cameroonian official documents, the nation’s entire sovereignty will be in jeopardy. Worse still, Cameroon’s international reputation may suffer irreparable damage.
Time to Sound the Alarm
It is imperative that:
The Republic can no longer serve as a haven for betrayal. The honor of the nation, the protection of its citizens, and the integrity of its institutions are all at stake.
