The soap opera continues in the African Olympic movement. With the same actors. But this time, the roles are reversed.
Twelve months after the events, the Court of Arbitration for Sport annulled the result of the election for the presidency of the Association of African Olympic Committees (ACNOA). The Ivorian Lassana Palenfo (photo above), re-elected in May 2017 for a fourth term, will have to put his position back on the line. His rival, the Cameroonian Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (photo below), can continue to dream.
Recall of facts. Wednesday May 10, 2017, Lassana Palenfo was re-elected by acclamation as president of ANOCA, during the general assembly of the continental organization, in Djibouti. His only opponent, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, was forced to withdraw from the race. The Cameroonian is accused by the ANOCA executive commission of attempted corruption and of having used his government's aid and resources during his campaign.
Unceremoniously dismissed for having violated the code of ethics, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum did not remain without reaction. The Cameroonian leader, president of the African Athletics Confederation, appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have the election invalidated.
In November 2017, at the ANOC general assembly in Prague, the opposition's discontent resonated with such a din that Lassana Palenfo had to take a step back. He was retained in his position, but most of his responsibilities were given to the executive committee.
Last March, new episode. The ANOCA executive committee decides to temporarily dismiss Lassana Palenfo from the presidency. The Algerian Mustapha Berraf, first vice-president, is appointed to act as interim president.
For Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, the wait was long. But after twelve months of proceedings, the CAS experts ruled in favor of the complainant. In particular, they considered that there was no sufficient proof of any attempt by the Cameroonian to buy votes. Mustapha Berraf informed his peers this week via a letter. “ I have the honor to inform you that the election of the President of ANOCA in Djibouti is canceled and that new elections must be organized for the above-mentioned position, open to all.", wrote the Algerian leader.
In its verdict, the CAS also annulled the sanctions taken by ANOCA against the Cameroonian. The organization must pay him, as compensation, the sum of 8.000 Swiss francs to cover the expenses incurred during his appeal procedure.
Mustapha Berraf will therefore have to extend his interim period. A new vote will be organized in the coming months. Will Hamad Kalkaba Malboum be a candidate? Likely. But he has not yet expressed his intention.
Lassana Palenfo, for her part, will have to choose between two strategies: appeal the CAS decision, or prepare for a new election. Unless the Ivorian leader decides to put his thumbs up. A possible scenario, its position seeming increasingly fragile since the tumultuous extraordinary general assembly of ANOCA last November in Prague, where a majority of the members of the executive commission turned their backs on it.
In any case, the very chaotic situation of the African Olympic movement comes at a time when challenges arise one after the other for the continent. The IOC recently completed a visit to Senegal, Botswana and Nigeria, three of the four African countries in the race to host the 2022 Youth Games. The event is promised to Africa, provided that one of his applications meets the standards.
Furthermore, ANOCA has still not awarded the organization of the African Games in 2019. However, it has finally obtained control and management, for the first time, after a long standoff with the African Union.
