Cameroon artist, Lapiro de Mbanga, a Vigier artist for over 20 years, has been put in jail for political reasons by the Cameroon government.
Lapiro de Mbanga is very well know in Cameroon for his political position against injustice and has been a victim of repression on several occasions, but this time things have gone far.
After Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, modified the constitution in his favor, giving himself the right to run for as many mandates as he wants, Lapiro de Mbanga released a CD and DVD to denounce these changes in the constitution in a new song titled, "Constitution Constipée" ("Constitution Constipated ").
In February 2008, Cameroon was shacked by demonstrations and the government jumped on this opportunity to arrest artists like Lapiro and his friend, Joe la Conscience, accusing both of them of looting when in fact they were helping the population.
At the same time the government confiscated all of Lapiro's CD's and DVDs of "Constitution Constipée".
Lapiro de Mbanga has been sentenced to 3 years in jail and has been in prison since September.
His trial is scheduled at the end of December and Lapiro needs our support.
Please sign a petition at this address to help free Lapiro de Mbanga:
www.vigierguitars.com/lapiro.
More information here:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200811031092.html