In one of the largest civil disobedience campaign launched by the Consortium, hundreds of thousands of parents, students and Southern Cameroons business community are taken part in an Anglophone boycott of all public and private school system reopening activity to demonstrate their support for the full integration of the Anglo-Saxon educational and political values inherited from our British colonial master.

The idea for a boycott began in the early 1990s, when leaders in the Union for Change attempted to oust the 83 year old Cameroonian dictator. Today ghost town operations have return, this time around only in Southern Cameroons. Cameroon Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers Trade Unions have brought parents, teachers, local civil rights activists including the business community together in a coalition called the Consortium.

 The organization’s sole objective is to restore the Anglophone political and educational structure as was stated in the 1961 federal structure and to render the English speaking imbalance of Anglophone Cameroonians in schools and universities in Cameroun.  After years of unsuccessful lobbying and deliberate silence, the new generation Anglophone leaders decided to take direct action against the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime.

Southern Cameroonians have been called to organize a one-day protest and boycott of schools all over the Anglophone territory, but it is now evident, the strikes will continue indefinitely.  With the boycott already achieving great success contrary to what Francophone surrogates like the Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu Division announced earlier this morning over state radio and television, the response from parents and students in Mamfe communities has been overwhelming as thousands of students have refused to attend their respective schools today. (Picture of GHS Mamfe taken some 15 minutes ago)

By Sonne Peter with files from Tabe Carvalho Ako

Biya has secretly requested the release of all Southern Cameroon detainees in order to facilitate the work of the so-called Ad Hoc Committee. The dictator has reportedly given standing orders to the judges at the military tribunal to free the protesters latest tomorrow Monday. CIR has learnt from reliable sources that the process will begin late today in Yaounde .  Anglophone teachers and lawyers whose strike is at the origin of the troubles that rocked the Anglophone part of Cameroon had laid down conditions for dialogue with the Francophone regime in Yaounde.

Among these conditions is the release of all protesters arrested during the riots of 9 December 2016 in Bamenda and 15 December 2016 in Kumba. Of the 54 people (including 3 minors) arrested, Cameroon government spokesman and minister of communication, Issa Tchiroma observed that 13 had been released.

After a Francophone led investigations, the Yaounde military tribunal decided to keep 41 suspects in Yaoundé in preventive detention. In order to save the school year in the South West and North-West Regions, and to allow a resumption of negotiations with the Anglophone leaders, the Francophone Government has decided to release the protesters arrested and transferred to Yaoundé.

Our senior political analyst opined that the Anglophone leaders have reached a point of no return and will not make any concession to the Biya administration as the figures put forward by Minister Issa Tchiroma were not complete because there were other children like some students from the University of Buea who are missing. However, since the minister’s statement, there have been meetings that have resulted in disagreements.

At the time of filing this report, the Consortium confirmed that the ghost town operation including the closure of all schools in Southern Cameroons will go on as announced tomorrow the 9^th of January.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

The ghost town operation and the industrial action by the Consortium of Southern Cameroons teachers and lawyers will go ahead after last ditch talks with the Professor Ghogomu Paul Minglo so-called Ad hoc Committee end without agreement.

Consortium leaders have called on Southern Cameroonians to massively observe a ghost town for tomorrow Monday the 9^th of January 2017.  The leaders have also promised to extend the strike action indefinitely if their demands are not met by the Francophone government.  Schools around the Southern Cameroons nation will be closed tomorrow.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that both sides have agreed that talks will continue and further contacts will take place with a view to arranging more talks next week. Speaking after yesterday’s discussions, the Anglophone leaders said that large differences remain and progress has been slow, “almost static I would say” hinted Barrister Agbor Balla.

He added that the shutting of schools is the Consortium’s decision. The Gogomu Paul Committee earlier issued a circular to school principals dealing with the implications of the ghost town operation scheduled by the Consortium calling on schools to reopen on Monday the 9^th.

The Anglophone leaders described the move as very provocative and reiterated that the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime no longer has legitimate authority in Southern Cameroons. Roman Catholic Education Secretaries including those of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches have all described it as a normal approach if teachers withdraw from core duties until the Anglophone issues are resolve. Wilfred Tassang noted that the action is going ahead because there is no offer on the table from the Yaounde regime.

By Rita Akana in Bamenda

Tassang Wilfred is one of the leaders of the largest teachers’ trade union in Cameroon. In a short post released to the public, he has asked West Cameroonians to believe in God, remain steadfast for victory is at the corner.  “..Now it is written in the Book of (Exodus) that when the Lord wanted to show His power, glory and destroy Pharaoh, He told Moses “but I will harden his heart so that he will not let my people go.”

Our people in their time-tested wisdom also say, “He the gods want to destroy, they, first of all, make mad”. The Word of God quoted above, and the wisdom of our people referred to above explain succinctly what is happening to Yaoundé. Yaoundé’s resorting to forgery, lies and unprofessional blackmail, the Head of State sending an old and frail Garga Haman to come and bring us to reason is indicative of Yaoundé’s desperation.

The blood of the Lamb is already written on every West Cameroon door post. This is the reason why everyone has received the spirit to discern fake and fraud, forgery and lies. These are signs that don’t lie. A little more determination and Yaoundé’s back will be on the floor. And we shall, like we did in Njindom village during my primary school days, pin Yaoundé to the ground and feed him fists full of dust, apply the same all over him so that when Yaoundé gets up, there will be no lying what happened. The Captain of the hosts of heaven Himself is on the battle field. Just “be still” and know that He is God…”

Praise God.

Deacon Tassang Wilfred

NESG CATTU

Members of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, have revealed that they are much ready to dialogue with the government to break the deadlock that has existed since the strike action in the North West and South West regions began.

In a Press briefing on the developments of events and their stance, they said, “We are willing to dialogue and solve problems which have beset the NW and SW regions, but Government seems to have other priorities. We still believe that a return to two-states Federation remains the best guarantee or institutional safeguard for the protection of our legal, educational, social economic and political in Cameroon.” They also said only a press conference will be convened to announce any strike suspension and not a Press release.

The announcement comes a day after a fake Press release presumably from a government agent said the strike had been suspended and called on students and pupils to go back to school on Monday, it was later found out that the release was not from the Consortium. The Consortium equally observed with regrets governments plan to undermine the dialogue process by making several moves to non members of the ad hoc committee by trying to coerce Chiefs, Fons, Principals and Elites. Members of the Consortium have given the Parliamentarians One week to secure the release of youth ‘abducted’ in Bamenda without which they will face difficulties in upcoming elections. They maintained the ghost town on Monday the 9th.

Culled from CIN

The controversial Chairperson of the so-called Ad Hoc Inter-ministerial Committee tasked with examining and proposing solutions to the concerns raised by the Anglophone Teachers’ Trade Unions, Professor Ghogomu Paul Mingho has issued a release admitting more members into the committee.

Ghogomu who attempted invoking the North West/South West divide to please his Francophone master has finally settled with the recommendation of the North West members of the committee.

The eight new members admitted into the working group include;

1-    Mr. Njie Samuel Kale, PCC Education Secretary

2-    Mr. Ntoko Ntuba Wilfred, Cameroon Education Forum

3-    Mr. George Ngwane, parent

4-    Ms. Louise Ebenye Ikome, Principal G.B.H.S Tiko

5-    Mr. Mbete William, Principal G.T.H.S Muyuka

6-    Mr. S.T Mbu, Education Secretary Lay Private

7-    Fr. Ebiaga Peter Paul, Mamfe Diocess

8-    Mr. Motanga Hilary Hamza, Islamic Education Secretary Buea

It is widely believed that the admission of these members by Ghogomu Paul Mingo, Chairman of the committee will bring more serenity to future discussions. The decision was made following pressure from members of the committee during their first meeting that more representatives from the South West Region be incorporated into the committee.

CRTV