The Anglophone problem that started like a joke has finally reached a critical point with Anglophones set to declare their independence on Sunday, October 1, 2017, despite threats from the Francophone-dominated government that has ruled the country for fifty-six years without regard to the Foumban Agreement that was signed between Southern Cameroons and East Cameroon in 1972. The determination of the English-speaking minority to walk away from the hastily stitched marriage has left the government scrambling for solutions to contain Anglophone protesters who are no longer scared of government intimidation. Even the heavy deployment of Special Forces and battalions of army soldiers is not striking any fear in the minds of disgruntled Anglophones.

To deter Anglophones, the Yaounde government has been flexing its atrophied muscles. A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been declared to curb the movement of persons and the country’s borders with Nigeria have been closed till September 2, 2017, but Anglophones are not listening to all of that. In their view, Cameroon’s borders are the most porous in the world. The inept government in Yaounde has never really developed any real border posts with Nigeria. In places like Akwaya, many Yaounde government officials are already moving out for fear that they will be arrested as instructed by the Anglophone Governing Council. The fear of the unknown is perceptible, as demonstrations across Southern Cameroons on October 22, 2017 informed the government that it really had a sticky situation on its hands.  Last week’s demonstration will surely be reduced to a dress rehearsal, as the young and old will take to the streets to let the beleaguered government understand that they are not being manipulated.

Years of marginalization and mistreatment have hardened the Anglophone and he is determined to change things so that future generations do not have to walk this humiliating path. Over the last fifty-six years, Anglophones have never occupied the ministries of defense, interior, national security, territorial administration and communications. Currently, out of 39 ministers, there is only one Anglophone while the President’s Beti-Fang ethnic group that does not even account for 5% of the population has about 28 ministers and it is running 21 of the 34 state-owned corporations. Out of 34 state-owned corporations, Anglophones only head two. Out of more than 30 army generals, Anglophones have only two full generals, with the Beti-Fang ethnic group taking the lion’s share.  But the really vexing issue is the country’s oil company that is located in the country’s southwest region. The oil deposits are located in the Rio Del Rey Estuary in the same region, but Francophones account for 95% of the refinery’s staff. South-westerners have clearly been cut out of any oil deals and this has been accomplished with the connivance of the region’s so-called elites and colonial governors and administrative officers who have been working hard to inflict pain on the population. In 2016, the government’s investment budget for Biya’s South region with a population of 700,000 was more than double that of the two Anglophone regions that account for 20% of the population. The details of the marginalization are simply revolting. This explains, in part, why Southern Cameroonians will be more than pleased to arrest these officials on Sunday for them to explain why they have been working against the people.

The international community understands the seriousness of the issue. It has been carefully watching and it thinks dialogue will be the right response.The United Nations has not been indifferent to the chaos playing out in Cameroon. It has, on many occasions,intervened, but this time around, it has been calling on both sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that might result in an escalation of tension. The global body has reaffirmed its respect for the country’s integrity, adding that the government should engage with the natives of the North West and South West regions, while the Commonwealth has reiterated its determination and willingness to support efforts at peacefully resolving the issues that have pitted Anglophones against the government.

But Southern Cameroonians are not buying into the UN’s rhetoric. They have been victims of government-orchestrated marginalization and injustice for more than fifty years and they want to live in a brand new republican democracy that respects human rights and freedoms. In many cities across Southern Cameroons, young Southern Cameroonians, who are anxiously looking forward to Independence Day, have been working hard to clean up the environment in preparation for the great day in line with instructions given by the Governing Council’s Interim Leader, Ayuk Julius Tabe. All these activities are taking place in the presence of the army of occupation that has been mowing down demonstrating Southern Cameroonians throughout this crisis.

The Anglophone Diaspora, for its part, is determined to make sure the government pays the price for its irresponsibility and poor policies. Ever since the conflict broke out, the government whose position has been vacillating, has accused the Anglophone Diaspora of all the crimes and sins in the world, lashing out that the Diaspora has been fanning the embers of chaos and enmity. It has also accused the Diaspora of bank-rolling the conflict with its vast financial resources, arguing that the Diaspora has no stake in the country. But the Yaounde-based government that seems to be living in a bubble fails to see that from their quiet abodes abroad, members of the Diaspora have been helping to sustain their families back home, even paying for healthcare and education. Some have built homes for their parents and even helped to purchase expensive hospital equipment for hospitals the government has built but has failed to equip. With such a contribution, members of the Diaspora cannot be accused of not having a stake in the country of their birth. What the Anglophone Diaspora has been doing is exactly what a credible government should do for its citizens.

Members of the Diaspora have been taking the hardship in strides for decades, yet for fleeing marginalization and economic deprivation, they have been stripped of their citizenship and have no way to exercise their citizenship in their country of birth. The Anglophone Diaspora has very high stakes in this struggle, a lot higher than many think. The Diaspora wants to help make the country a better place for all so that it too can know some respite. The constant demands for assistance have been blighting the lives of members of the Diaspora and this cannot come to an end if the despotic government in Cameroon is not held accountable for its actions. The Anglophone Diaspora is also educated and its huge war chest makes some of its members to feel that they deserve to play a key role in the political life of their country and if the government does not acknowledge that role, then they will continue to destabilize the government and the country. This is what is driving the Anglophone Diaspora that has many dollar millionaireswho think this is an achievable goal.

The decision to quit this hastily arranged marriage has already been made. Indeed, an entire region cannot be mad. There is nothing like collective madness. From every indication, the die has been cast. Anglophones are prepared to bite the bullet. They understand that anything short of total independence will never guarantee them a good life. While they agree that dialogue is the best path to tread, they also hold that that dialogue should focus more on how Anglophones can walk away without bloodshed. The Yaounde government is not repentant about the errors of the past. It speaks from both sides of its mouth and it is never as good as its word. In the minds of Anglophones, it will be hard to trust such a government; a government that has run the country aground; a government that is known to burn through money like wildfire, with its president spending most of his time abroad with a large entourage.

As the D-Day approaches, Yaounde government officials have been running all over the place like neckless chicken just to get a solution that can stop Anglophones from walking away, as such a situation will imply walking away with 60% of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, government surrogates have been spreading across the Anglophone region like ragweed just to give the impression that Anglophones can be stopped from leaving the lopsided union. So-called elites have stepped up their fake meetings to give the impression that they are working. That will surely please their Yaounde masters, but will never cut ice with the Anglophone who is in independence mode. They also fail to understand that Anglophones are prepared to lay down their lives just to correct the errors of the past. Their philosophy – one for all, and all for one – is having a huge impact and it is giving the government real food for thought.

Yaounde government surrogates may be all over the region like a bad rash, but Anglophones are not paying any attention to them. Their focus is on the independence they want for themselves and future generations. From every indication, a violent confrontation is in the offing as Anglophones will have to take over government buildings and arrest those who have been aiding and abetting the Yaounde government in its effort to exploit and intimidate Anglophones.  The message of their leaders has gotten across and they will stop at nothing to make that dream come true. They know the government is capable of anything, from shutting down the Internet to slaughtering large numbers of protesters, but that is not stopping them from reaching the Promised Land – Buea – on October 1, 2017.

By the Editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News Group

The Anglophone problem that started with just simple socio-professional demands by lawyers and teachers in October 2016 has today developed into a full blown crisis due to the politicization of the issues and the radicalization of the English-speaking minority by the government via its response. This response has been marked by denial, disregard, intimidation and repression, and it has gone a long way in diminishing trust between both parties. It has also diminished the chances for any meaningful dialogue and Friday’s demonstrations across the entire Anglophone region speak to the severity of the crisis.

The Anglophone problem has never been this serious and those who thought it would lose its steam over time are gradually coming to terms with the fact that they now have a complicated crisis on their hands. Anglophones want out of the unification their forefathers had signed, arguing that it has left them with a sense that their territory is in economic decline following the centralization and dismantling of West Cameroon’s economic structures such as the West Cameroon Marketing Board, the Cameroon Bank and Powercam, as well as the abandonment of several projects, including the port of Limbe, and airports in Bamenda and Tiko, with investments in the Francophone part of the country winning out. The complete take-over of the country’s lone oil refinery by Francophones and the exclusion of Anglophones from key ministerial positions over the last five decades have complicated relations between the country’s English-speaking minority and the government.

This bitterness also stems from the feeling that unification had resulted in a democratic setback, cultural assimilation and a downgrading of their political status. Many Anglophones are clearly convinced that the Francophone-dominated government had followed a strategy to marginalize them and this has run down relations between the government and Anglophones who are today locked in in a battle of wills; a battle that has resulted in the death of many Anglophones and mass arrests, making it hard for any meaningful dialogue to take place. The government’s approach towards this problem over the last twelve months has been characterized by violence and this has only made matters worse and last Friday’s demonstrations clearly tell the international community that the fragile relationship between the two parties has broken down irretrievably. The calls for federalism have now given way to incessant demands for an independent Southern Cameroons, and this is causing many people around the world to be jittery as Anglophones have already scheduled Sunday, October 1, 2017, as that day wherein they will be taking their destiny into their own hands.

If the government still had any doubts about the people’s determination to steer their own lives, those doubts were indeed dispelled last Friday as those demonstrations did provide it with a clear picture of things and a proper response – Anglophones are walking away from the false union that had been hastily stitched together with the connivance of Foncha and Muna. They have also clearly indicated that Mr. Biya, the country’s president, lacks what it takes to run a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural political entity like Cameroon. His management style over the last 35 years has been predicated on corruption and manipulation, enabling him to employ so-called elites to sedate their people with lies and tricks.

While Francophones may still be under the effects of the political sedation, Anglophones, for their part, have found a cure to the manipulation and corruption that people like Peter Mafany Musonge, Yang Philemon, Atanga Nji, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Benjamin Itoe and others have been administering on them. Anglophones have told them, loud and clear, that they belong to the past and that they belong to another political epoch whose hallmark – manipulation – leaves much to be desired.

While the government has been dilly-dallying to sincerely engage Anglophones, the English-speaking minority has, for its part, decided to take matters into its own hands. Anglophones have already decided that October 1, 2017, will be their Independence Day and last Friday’s mobilization was simply a dress rehearsal for the D-Day that many young Anglophones have been looking forward to. Their overwhelming show of unity and strength on Friday, speaks to their ability to come out en masse to let the government and the international community know that the wall of fear has collapsed and that nothing will stop them from achieving their cardinal objective, even if it means laying down their lives for future generations. The wall is down, but they want to push things a little further. They want to live in a new nation; a nation that will be predicated upon political responsibility, fairness and democratic justice. And they have already gone ahead to create the symbols of that nation they think will bring them peace, prosperity and development.

But before they actually get to the business of nation building, Anglophones will want to have a clean break with an ugly past; a past that has brought pain and death to many of their people. They will want to bring to justice – their own justice – those of their fellow Anglophones who have been aiding and abetting the Francophone-dominated government in Yaounde to inflict pain on them. A mass trial is therefore in the offing, especially as there is word out there for Anglophones to arrest those they consider as colonial SDOs, Dos, Parliamentarians, Mayors and Governors who have been enforcing the Machiavellian policies of the Yaounde regime on the D-Day. October 1 will see the writing of a new page in the long story of an Anglophone revolution that has been in the works for many decades. A few more scenes will, for sure, play out before the arrogant government in Yaounde actually thinks that it is time to dialogue with a people it has erroneously tagged as terrorists. Using the anti-terrorism laws for political ends has not intimidated Anglophones. On the contrary, it has emboldened them and it has weakened a government which only understands one language – intimidation.

This is a devastating blow to proponents of violence. It has not met their expectations. It has unfortunately dumped the country in a more complicated crisis with both parties sinking further into their dangerous positions. Even those who thought it will help to address this issue are today losing sleep. Time is rather acting as the minister of justice, given Anglophones the means and resources they need to achieve their goals. Old ways are failing the old guard and the defiance staged by Anglophones seems to herald the end of an era; an era that has brought pain and death to many Cameroonians, especially Anglophones. Those who thought the revolution will fizzle out are in total bewilderment as Anglophones keep on proving that they have the capacity to mobilize their people and enforce their own laws. Ghost town operations have been a total success and the closure of schools intended to give the government a black eye have told the world that the government is helpless and incapable of handling tricky situations.

But all hopes are not lost. Cameroon can still be spared the agony of a man-made catastrophe. Dialogue is incontestably the right tool to address most of the issues that have soured the relationship between Anglophones and the Yaounde-based government. This is a complicated job and the government must approach it with a big and proper tool box. Many moderate Anglophones, who are for a federal structure, still think that all is not lost. Proponents of statehood, for their part, argue that any measures taken by the government at this stage will be coming a little too late. The horse is out and it will be wasted effort to shut the barn. They assert that it is difficult to envisage any credible dialogue with a government that has never taken any conciliatory measures, adding that until trust is rebuilt between the parties, it will be hard to dialogue with the government. They contend that the presence of a neutral third party will be vital as the government has never complied with its own policies and recommendations. They point out that a discourse of tolerance, openness to dialogue and recognition of the Anglophone problem by the head of state would constitute a first important gesture.

They further posit that such recognition in the humblest of languages should be immediately followed by several measures such as releasing all those who have been arrested during the crisis; inviting exiles to return home; opening legal proceedings against security forces responsible for abuses; reshuffling the government and increasing the political representation of Anglophones and replacing senior officials whose actions have caused tensions to escalate. They say the government has been ignoring the dissatisfaction and anger of a fifth of its population and this may be detrimental to a government that is already dealing with Boko Haram in the Far North and militias from the Central African Republic in the East.

They argue that it will be hard for the government to change its ways, pointing to the ongoing militarisation of the Anglophone region, especially after Friday’s demonstration of courage and determination by the country’s English-speaking minority. They however point out that no militarisation will deter Anglophones from righting the wrongs of the past and that if the government does not change its mind on the issue of sincere dialogue before October 1, then the world should be ready to welcome a new nation.

By the editorial desk
Cameroon Concord News Group

It is heart-rending to see Cameroon go down the path of chaos and conflict. Many African countries have walked this path and their experience has been anything but pleasant. Their different experiences indicate that it is not an honorable path that any responsible government should design for itself. Cameroon has been the oasis of peace in a desert of chaos for many decades, but things are gradually spiraling out of control as Anglophones are increasingly becoming restive in a union that has felt more like a prison to many of them than a smooth family relationship. Injustice, disrespect, discrimination and outright government-orchestrated marginalization have pushed the Anglophone minority over the edge. They now feel they are on a wire without a safety net. Their anger derives from many reasons and they hold that no matter how hard they try, they will never cohabit peacefully with Francophones whose perspective of life is diametrically different.

They point to injustice, arguing that the errors of the past have been intentional. They argue that no Anglophone has ever been appointed to head the ministries finance, defense, territorial administration, communication and foreign affairs and this cannot be considered an error after fifty-six years. They also argue that Francophone ministers such as Fame Ndongo, Laurent Esso and IssaTchiroma are clearly to blame for the escalation of the problem. Their public declarations have given Anglophones the feeling that they do not belong to Cameroon. They hold that Anglophone Cameroon accounts for more than 60% of the country’s wealth and the citizens of this region should be treated with respect like their Francophone counterparts. It should be recalled that Cameroon’s oil and gold fields are lodged in the country’s Anglophone region, precisely in Ndian division, where poverty – that which dehumanizes and robs people of their dignity – has taken root. But the most vexing issue is the fact that 95% of staff at the country’s lone oil refinery, SONARA, are Francophones who have the nasty habit of treating the locals with disdain and this has fueled the anger that is currently boiling over.

To many Anglophones, the time has come for a rethink of the union. It is time to come out of the 56-year jail term; a period during which the government has reduced them to second-class citizens. Years of complaints have never really resulted in any improvement as the Francophone-dominated government has always argued that there is no Anglophone problem and any Anglophoneswho talk of an Anglophone problem are immediatelyconsidered as a handful of trouble-makers who need to be taught a lesson, using outdated and intimidating laws. To them, Cameroon is one and indivisible, but the country’s indivisibility has been tested over the last year. Only the blind cannot see the cracks on the wall. Anglophones are honestly not part of that Cameroon that is one and indivisible and they have clearly demonstrated that over the last year.

Friday’s (September 22, 2017) demonstrations in almost every Anglophone city are confirming that the foundation on which that one and indivisible Cameroon is built is not solid. The demonstrations are unfortunately throwing up a grim reality that will be hard for the indolent Francophone-dominated government in Yaounde to handle. The government has clearly lost its authority over the English-speaking minority. Friday’s demonstrations have taken place in the presence of the police and gendarmes and the massive attendance clearly points to the fact that the wall of fear has collapsed. The people want to take charge of their own destiny, as the government has failed to deliver prosperity and opportunities to the ever growing and increasingly demanding youths of the Anglophone region.

The trend towards statehood appears to be irreversible. Southern Cameroons’ flag is all over the place though the government had proscribed its use. This is testimony to the fact that there is a limit to what a people can take. Anglophones are defying the government and they are ready for any consequences. Years of marginalization have not only sent two million of them out of the country, they have also emboldened those who have been taking the brunt. Anglophones are sick and tired of the government’s lies and manipulation. Thirty-five years of Mr. Biya’s ineffective rule and his presidence over a permanently ailing economy have left many young Anglophones desperate and hopeless. To many of them, the best option is for them to head out of the country, but in the absence of such a possibility, they are prepared to lay down their lives to make sure future generations do not have to walk down the same path of desperation, hopelessness and unemployment.

The writing is clearly on the wall, of course, in both English and French. Only the blind will not see how Cameroon is slowly, but surely heading to the brink after years of mismanagement and marginalization. The current crisis calls for a total overhaul of the system and a change in management style. The leaders who are supposed to be social engineers should start thinking of reengineering the country. The old model has failed. Continuing to pursue failed policies and tricks of the past will only go a long way in radicalizing Anglophones who are gradually coming to terms with the fact that their only option is independence. Though many are yet to agree to the name of their new country, that is, if it will ever see the light of day, there is a plethora of names being floated out there – Ambaland, Ambazonia, Southern Cameroons, West Cameroon and others that are still in the closet.

Despite the variance as to how their country will be called, they all agree that the union with East Cameroon has been anything but pleasant. They are gradually coming up with structures and symbols that will enable them to run their country whenever it comes to being. Their flag is floating all over the country and a governing council has been set up with its interim leader, Ayuk Julius Tabe, crisscrossing the globe to drum up support for an independent Southern Cameroons. In the minds of young Anglophones, their independence will be declared on October 1, 2017. This is certainly not an illusion. Friday’s demonstrations should inform the government that Anglophones abroad and at home are working hand in glove to achieve their goal.

After a year of demonstrations and a long battle of wills between the country’s president and Anglophones, things are on the decline, with independentists gradually winning the war on all fronts. The government’s indifference has given them a lot of time to persuade Anglophones who have been sitting on the fence. Today, they clearly hold sway over the population, especially as many members of the Diaspora are those who are running things in their families financially. While there are still a few diehard federalists among Anglophones, the government’s refusal to listen to advice and its inability to sincerely call for a national debate on the issue of reforms is pushing federalists onto the side of independentists.

The Anglophone crisis will surely not be addressed through any cosmetic reforms. The issues are real and the people are determined to change the status quo ante. It will be foolhardy and preposterous to think that sending a few self-seeking politicians to the region will help calm tempers. There is a disconnect between these self-seeking politicians and the people they claim they represent.

Anglophones have clearly rejected their so-called leaders. Peter Mafany Musonge, AtangaNji, Yang Philemon, AchidiAchu, Tabetando, Victor Mengot, Benjamin Itoe, Dion Ngute, Ako Edward and others hold no sway over the Anglophone population. Keeping themwithin the corridors of power will certainly not address any issues. They clearly belong to the past and it will be hard to resuscitate them politically. This also applies to people such as Shey Jones and Fai Yengo Francis who are being rumored to be part of a government that will soon be announced. These people have no constituency and it will not be in the interest of the country and the Anglophone population in particular, to bring back these people who have never displayed any sympathy with the people’s cause.

While Mr. Biya himself has over-stayed his welcome, it could be said that he had been voted and could be given the benefit of the doubt to finish his term. His failure to address key issues such as infrastructure development and unemployment will forever haunt him. He has reduced the country to an open air landfill wherein the ordinary Cameroonian has been reduced to a sorry spectator of events in his country. He should see the writing on the wall and should make the honorable decision – that of not running in 2018.

Cameroon has been pushed to the brink. The country has been caught in a downward spiral. To pull the country out of this quagmire will be a tough job. Using those who have driven this country to the brink to pull it out will be the wrong decision. If Cameroon has to stay one and indivisible, then there must be a change of mentality. The current unitary system has shown its limits. It has brought untold hardship to the people. Anglophones may be bitter but they will surely want to negotiate and they insist that such a negotiation should take place in the presence of a neutral, third party like the UN or the African Union. The writing is on the wall. The country’s authorities should make an effort to see it before it is too late.

The Editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News Group

For some time now, Cameroon has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Over the last five years, Boko Haram militants have been sowing terror with their home-made bombs in the country’s northern region, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Many have been internally displaced and the cost of managing these refugees is spiraling out of control. Redeploying troops to the hotspot is taking a huge bite out of the government’s budget and many patriotic Cameroonian soldiers have unfortunately lost their lives in the process. To be fair to the government, it has been struggling to restore peace in this region, but all its efforts are not yielding the right results as the war is not conventional and the criminal group’s strategies and modus operandi are more of “shifting sands”. This has kept the government on its toes for more than five years and it appears there is no light at the end of the tunnel for a government that is already showing signs of fatigue.

But over the last year, it is the Anglophone crisis that has stolen the show from Boko Haram. A strike by lawyers in October 2016 was unfortunately allowed by the government to spread like a bad rash and this has left it with no choice but to scramble for solutions, most of which are inefficient and do not seem to reflect what English-speaking Cameroonians have been asking for. The Anglophone minority has been dealing with marginalization for more than five decades and it really wants this to stop. Its call for a federal structure to check some of the issues the unitary state was generating was met with ferocious brutality by the government while the region’s political elite looked the other way. The Anglophone region’s political elite is fraud with self-seeking politicians and attempts to draw the elite’s attention to this worrying situation have always met with tricks and intimidation.The elite has been very effective, using all means, including unfulfilled promises and, where necessary, threats of imprisonment or death for those who dare speak out about the pain and suffering marginalization is inflicting on the peace-loving people of West Cameroon.

But after fifty-six years of frustration, West Cameroonians feel it is time to break the chain of silence and face a monster that has been spreading death and destruction in a region that holds more than 60% of the country’s wealth. Cameroon’s oil and gold fields are lodged in the country’s Anglophone region, precisely in Ndian division, where poverty; that which dehumanizes and robs people of their dignity, has taken root. While the country’s refinery may be located in Limbe, Anglophone Cameroon’s coastal city, the oil fields are in the Rio Del Rey estuary in Ndian Division,while localities around Mbonge in the same division are home to large gold deposits. Manyu Division, which is also in the south-west region, is blessed with huge and dense equatorial forests that have been hiding some of the finest timber on the continent, but the people of this region have been reduced to sorry spectators of the destruction that is taking place in their forests, as this ageless timber is cut and shipped to East Cameroon.

Five decades after the UN-staged reunification, the frustration of the English-speaking minority has boiled over and Anglophones are seeking a way out of this relationship. The strikes that started in October 2016 were aimed at drawing the government’s attention to the angst that has been inhabiting the Anglophone mind. But faithful to its intimidation strategy, the government dispatched its armed forces – known today by Anglophones as “Harm Forces” due to their killing and maiming of innocent civilians – to quash the strikes and send home a strong message to all those who thought they could change the status quo. The military actions have succeeded, unfortunately, to radicalize the already frustrated Anglophones who are determined to put an end to the status quo ante. Anglophones hold that their call for federalism has been upgraded to the restoration of statehood and discussing federalism is like solving the wrong problem. Today, the country is divided along linguistic lines and the consequences of this conflict go well beyond what many observers had predicted. Anglophones are no longer in love with the country they called theirs for fifty-six years. Injustice and oppression are making it hard for them to live with their Francophone counterparts whose lack of courage is obliging them to take the mistreatment their leaders are serving to them in stride.

Things actually came to a head when the government arrested the leaders of the Consortium and jailed them for close to eight months when hastily organized discussions came down crashing in January 2017 like a pack of cards. The government’s tricks and threats had not yielded the results it wanted, so it had to resort to the law to break down the leaders so as to kill the demonstrations that had become region-wide, with Anglophones organizing ghost towns and keeping their children away from school. The ghost towns are really hurting the economy while the disruption of the school year is causing the government to lose sleep. Its reputation has been hurt so badly and it will take a long time for it to re-establish peace and stability in the North West and South West regions of the country.

Today the government seems to be at its wit’s end. Even its release of Barrister Felix Nkogho Agbor Balla, Justice Paul Ayah Abine and Dr. Fontem Neba does seem to deliver the outcome it was expecting. Schools have remained closed and many institutions of learning have been burnt by members of cloak-and-dagger organizations who are on the prowl for any institution that is violating their rule. They have decreed that the region will go through another blank year, that is, if the government does not engage Anglophones in frank and fruitful discussions. Anglophones had called for a federal system which the government had promptly turned down, but this request has since been upgraded to restoration and this has made the possibility of a real dialogue to be very remote. Both sides are frozen in their positions and it will take a lot of external pressure and forces to help both camps to narrow their differences if peace has to return to this once-upon-a-time oasis of peace in a desert of chaos.

In recent weeks, a few bombs have been going off in the two Anglophone regions. Many schools have been destroyed and many people now live in fear, as the potential for things to escalate is high. While the government still hopes that time will resolve this issue, it will be preposterous for it to keep on using a strategy that has clearly failed. Its silence over the deteriorating situation is more like paving the way for a full blown terrorism. What might seem like a joke might lead the country down a dangerous path. Silence could be golden, but it is not in this context. The country’s leaders must come out of their silence to reassure peace-loving citizens that they are capable of dealing with thorny issues with tact and efficiency. It should be recalled that the cost of conflict is always high and conflict does not benefit anybody.

The government has to play its part and it must start listening to its citizens. It must stop muzzling up its citizens so that new and innovative ideas can flourish in the country. No nation has ever attained its full development potential without its citizens being able to express their minds. If Cameroon has to check the cost of this conflict, government authorities must embrace new ways. They must acknowledge that old ways have failed.

Dialogue is an idea whose time has come and it is not a weakness to embrace it. The country’s leader must also understand that there cannot be a president without a people. The president must shed his cocoon of self-importance to talk with the people. Quitting his Ivory Tower will be a good thing to do at this moment when the country is at the cross-roads. A full blown conflict will not be in anybody’s interest.

The editorial desk.

Blood and tears dropping from the eyes of Southern Cameroonians – Biya the devil’s favorite demon?

By Gerald Atem Asong

Michigan – USA.

 In our modern world; the twenty first century to be precise, we tend to see governments as protectors of the rights and freedom of their people. Just as this is seen in many countries around the world and even some African countries, Cameroon is and has always been a country wherein the government is more of a monster or an agent of evil. The government of Cameroon which is headed by Biya who has been in power for more 30 years knows nothing but evil. Is he the devil’s favourite demon? His contribution and total involvement in the killing and murdering of Southern Cameroonians in a fierce and cruel manner earns him a place at the devil’s right hand. It is not surprising to coin this government and all those involved with it as the devil’s favourite demons.

The ongoing crisis in Cameroon didn’t start last year 2016. This is a problem that has been accumulating for more than 50 something years (56). For about 56 years, Southern Cameroonians have seen nothing else but carnage, bloody killings and murdering of Southern Cameroon and Southern Cameroonians. Before you ask me when these took place, let me explain. There is no better way of explaining or describing the eradication of the culture of a people;the institutions of a people. Before Southern Cameroons joined La Republique in February 11, 1961 after the plebiscite, we had a way of life. We had a language, an educational system, banks, airports, agricultural institutions that helped the people sustain life but after we joined La Republique, everything vanished. Our people have been rendered helpless for all these years. No sound education because at the end of it all, there are no jobs. French teachers are teaching in English schools, our law system has been adulterated. Institutions like the marketing board that helped poor farmers is non – existence. Anyone who decides to speak up and speak out is dragged to jail without trial. So many have been killed for fighting for freedom. What an agenda to wipe out a people from the universal? When people like Adolf Hitler set out to ethnic cleansed the Jewish people, there is no other way to quantify his actions because that was outright demonic. The plan of Biya and his predecessor Adhijo has been to exterminate or obliterate a people (Southern Cameroonians) and their culture. Southern Cameroonians live in a country with little or no voice, they beg for everything from Biya’s regime as slaves. They are mistreated, maltreated and silenced when they raise their voice. This is happening because the goal is to get rid of these people (Southern Cameroonians) and the government isn’t going to stop until it achieves its goals.

When Southern Cameroonians cry, blood drops because the pain is severe, they are hard pressed on every side and they have nowhere to go. Southern Cameroonians have been abandoned, they have been crying for more than 50 years to be liberated from the chains, shackles, fetters and dungeon of Biya’s regime. Those who couldn’t stand the heat for too long travelled abroad for greener pasture. How green are the greener pastures abroad? When Southern Cameroonians abroad are being treated as slaves in Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and you name the rest. When these brothers and sisters are being, brain drained in America, Britain, Germany, France and other western countries. I know someone will be quick to say not only Southern Cameroonians are running away from the hardship and absent of fundamental human rights in Cameroon. But it is well documented that, majority of Cameroonians out of Cameroon are Southern Cameroonians. This is telling; it is a clear evident of marginalisation, it is a clear proof of an attempt to assimilate a people into another culture and way of life. It is a clear indication of a master plan orchestrated by the devil himself and passed down to his favourite demon (Biya) for execution. Southern Cameroonians love their country (Southern Cameroons), they want to go back to their country but with the status quo, they have no future, their children have no future. When a government sets out to do away with everything a people (Southern Cameroons) have as a country, then the intention of that government is to colonise or enslave the people of that country. This is what Biya has been doing since he took office.

Some Southern Cameroonians who decided to protest even before October 2016, have been arbitrarily arrested, jailed and accused of terrorism; isn’t that laughable? Where in the world are people being arrested and tortured, maimed for calling out an evil and barbaric government? Only in countries like Cameroon.The cosmetic release of some of the Southern Cameroons leaders is widely known. Everyone is aware of the fact that it is just window dressing. Because the government wants schools to reopen after almost a year of no school – the decision by the government to release some of our leaders with the aim of appeasing Southern Cameroonians is a farce, a masquerade in its finest. The government’s placatory worked in the past but the people have caught on with the demonical manipulation of the government. Southern Cameroonians are aware of the diabolic and hellish scheme of Biya. They know you Biya so well; you don’t have a heart, love doesn’t exist in your dictionary, you don’t care about the people of Southern Cameroons. Southern Cameroonian have been bleeding for so long, you have seen themcry with blood dropping from their eyes but you choose to inflict more pain and suffering on the people of Southern Cameroons. They are ready to take this to the end, they want their freedom, they want to be liberated and they want to be happy and they want to smile again. The crying for far too long by these people (Southern Cameroonians) is coming to an expected end; and there is always a time for people like you (Mr. Biya) to be shut down once and for all like your friends who caused untold evil in our world (Idi Amin, Charles Taylor, Sani Abacha, SekouToure, Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong II) and many others.

The cause to liberate Southern Cameroons from the fetish and devilish power you (Biya regime) and your cronies have been using isn’t going to slow down, the Southern Cameroonians are just getting started. They are more than resolved and resolute to fight on until the freedom song can be sung in their homeland.

NB: Published unedited

This period is always a difficult one for the entire North American continent, especially the United States and Mexico who are always in the eyes of a storm. Recently, Harvey hit the US, like a ton of bricks, leaving Houston totally under water. Many thought it was all over and that Americans could heave a sigh of relief. But that was not going to the situation as Irma, another dangerous hurricane had been preparing to hit Americans where it hurt the most. This time around, when it touched down, it left a trail of death and destruction in the Sunshine State of Florida, after having battered Cuba on Saturday with deafening winds and relentless rain, pushing seawater inland that flooded homes and knocked out power across a wide area.

Meanwhile, in other Caribbean islands, the story has been heartbreaking. Islands already reeling from Irma had to prepare for a second pounding from another hurricane called Jose.The twin Category 4 storms had desperate residents seeking shelter across the region. In Cuba, high winds from Irma brought down trees, utility poles and made a mess of the streets with debris strewn all over the place. On the French overseas islands of St. Martin and St. Barts, Jose was expected to bring torrential rains and dangerous currents to their shores.

If the Caribbean islands and North America think they have been hit by any strong hurricanes, then they are clearly mistaken. Hurricane Biya which has destroyed everything in Cameroon over the last 35 years remains the strongest hurricane to have visited any people in recent times. It has killed many Cameroonians and left millions in very challenging circumstances. Cameroonians are out of tears. They are sick and tired of crying. Hunger, health issues and a dangerous government have reduced them to sorry spectators of events in their own country. The international community will surely be taking a good decision to help them check the fury of Hurricane Biya if Cameroon will continue to exist as a country.

By the editorial desk.

The government of Cameroon has been in the business of gambling for a long time and it has been successful in many cases. In the 1990s, it played and won in the game of democracy that was supposed to reduce the president’s power, and this has given it the impression that it will always win. Its appetite for political victory is permanently on the rise and its weapon of choice has been manipulation and it has been effective over the last thirty-five years. Due to this growing confidence, it seems to have forgotten that its role is to settle issues facing the population and not winning arguments or wars against its own people. But this time around, the government’s charm is failing it. It is also suffering from senility and it is simply not producing the right impact. Anglophones both at home and abroad have united in their purpose and are giving the government a good run for its money. Schools have remained closed in many cities in the Anglophone region and ghost town operations in most cities and towns in the region have exceeded expectations.

Last week, Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, felt he would break the back of the Anglophone struggle by releasing Anglophone leaders and others who had been wrongfully arrested within the context of the Anglophone problem that has hurt the country’s economy and dealt a severe blow to the government’s reputation. The crisis has not only demonstrated that Anglophones are sick and tired of the mistreatment they have suffered for more than five decades, it has also illustrated that the government is out of touch with reality and it is too inefficient to deal with some of the tricky issues that a well-organized democracy can easily handle.

The president’s act of “magnanimity” hailed by many regime surrogates has not really cut ice with Anglophones and many,such as Barrister Harmony Bobga,hold that “Our Colleagues and Compatriots, Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla and co. committed no offence to warrant abduction, incarceration and dehumanization for 195 days as of date.” He adds that “the discontinuance of proceedings before the military Tribunal of Yaoundé against them is of no legal moment, it is neither a Nolle Prosequi nor finding of not guilty. There is therefore no guarantee of their future pursuit so long as our nation is not restored.” He argues that “If it is a recognition of an error on the part of Mr. Paul Biya and his Government, it must be accompanied by an unqualified apology and due compensation.” Barrister Bobga further contends that “the avoidance of clear statistics of how many persons were arrested, detained, forced to disappear of purely and simply extra-judicially executed is a matter that raises concern. It is suggested that there must be a census from point of arrest or abduction to the point of release so as to ensure accountability.” This argument seems to be gaining traction among Anglophones who consider the release of their leaders as a well-orchestrated ploy to derail the struggle that has been playing out for more than ten months and whose objective is to compel the government to engage them in a discussion on the form of the State; an argument the government has vehemently refused to buy into. This is a government that is wont to manipulating and intimidating its people. Many of its members are frozen in time and the only language they understand is an iron fist.

As Anglophones and the government stick to their positions, the possibility of pulling the country out of the political quagmire looks really slim and this is no good news to the students who have unfortunately been caught in the fight that is likely to drag on for many months, except the government decides to come down from its Ivory Tower to understand that its first duty is to attend to the people and address their concerns in a democratic manner. The government needs to look for a way to retire this issue before it gets out of control. The problem has been a millstone around its neck for a long time, but from the look of things, it could spiral out of control, transforming the country into the continent’s newest hotspot.

Hopes of schools resuming today, September 4, 2017, had been very high last weekend following the release of Anglophone leaders, but the delay in releasing many others and the government’s refusal to propose a calendar for the discussion of the form of the state made many analysts to be skeptical about the resumption of schools and their fears have actually come through, leaving many students and parents heartbroken. The agony of the students is expected to continue and the consequences of the failure to find a long-lasting solution to this crisis will linger for a long time. Many girls are already pregnant and teachers are leaving the country in droves. Cameroon, the once-upon-a-time oasis of peace and stability, is gradually carving out a bad name for itself. Its reputation has been dented.

But it is the economy that is taking some of the most dangerous punches. Today, the economy of the Anglophone region has taken a nosedive and poverty is gradually taking root, especially in rural areas where agriculture is the mainstay. In cities, things are deteriorating at a very fast pace. Buea, the Southwest region’s capital is a ghost of its former self. Its popular Silicon Mountain has simply disappeared, and many locals are unemployed. This is causing many people to ask if the government and its leader actually understand the depth of the anger and frustration that inhabit the Anglophone mind.

A little strike that was supposed to have been dealt with in a democratic manner was allowed to escalate due to the government’s ill-advised decision to use brute force to cow Anglophones into silence. Anglophones have been nursing grudges for too long and the government has been behaving as if it was not aware of the long list of things that were gradually sapping the English-speaking minority of its love for the country. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for the worse, the possibility of the government winning this war through military action is very slim. Civil disobedience seems to be working and many government officials are losing sleep over this mess created for them by Anglophones. Neither the Prime Minister nor his collaborators have been good enough to come up with solutions that can calm flaring tempers. Even ministers like Issa Tchiroma, Atanga Nji, Fame Ndongo and Laurent Esso who thought the problem would fizzle out, are today marveled at the unity of purpose Anglophone Cameroonians across the globe have displayed. Their determination is worthy of admiration and commendation, but many conflict management experts advise that Anglophones should be willing to meet the government half-way if the crisis has to be laid to rest. That is, if the government will walk away from the unitary state that has been spreading death and hardship across the country.

But the government has a long to-do list if Anglophones have to be part of a country they want to walk away from. The current elites of the region need to be retired. They have not only demonstrated their inefficiency, they have also proven that they lack the respect and credibility to bring their people behind them. Anglophone leadership needs to be renewed. The current leadership is ineffective. The elites, especially the ministers, have only worked hard to feather their personal nest. The people are angry and have clearly rejected them. If Mr. Biya wants a speedy resolution of this conflict, he has to retire some of the people who have been around him for too long, especially the hardliners, as they are no longer relevant. If he does not take actions that will help calm down tempers, Cameroon will continue to be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and the agony that is clearly visible in the country will continue for a long time.

From the Editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News

In a bid to defuse tension in the country and ensure that schools effectively resume on Monday, September 4, 2017, in the country’s Anglophone region, Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, ordered that legal proceedings against those arrested within the context of the Anglophone crisis be discontinued, thereby paving the way for their release. In a typical Biya approach, the decision was crafted to make the 85-year old ruler to appear as a magnanimous leader who has his country’s best interest at heart.

As Anglophone leaders and activists continue to analyze the release decree signed by the secretary-general of the country’s presidency, many regime surrogates and praise-singers are working very hard to portray the senile leader as an astute politician whose love for his fatherland is second to none. Many of these surrogates and spin doctors argue that with the release of those wrongfully arrested in the country’s English-speaking region, students in the region will therefore have an opportunity to return to school. The issue of school resumption has been a millstone around the government’s neck for a very long time and it is expected to enable the country’s leaders, especially the ministers in charge of education (Cameroon has several ministers of education), to have a good night’s sleep after more than nine months of political chaos. The decision comes after several futile attempts by the government to find probable cause to deliver long jail sentences to Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba, Lord Justice Paul Ayah Abine and Mr. Mancho Bibixy whose release is still pending due to the court’s outdated processes that were never designed to serve the country’s citizens.

Despite the government’s heavy deployment of troops across the Anglophone region to provide much-needed security to students, parents who had also joined the strike last year, have not been courageous enough to let their children to return to school, as members of cloak-and-dagger organisations have been threatening to burn down schools that dare to open their doors during this moment considered as the appropriate time to right the wrongs of the past. And they have actually delivered on their promise on many occasions. Many schools have had to face their wrath and their hit-and-run tactics have remained a puzzle to the ill-equipped and poorly paid Cameroon Defense Forces.

It should be recalled that schools and courts in Anglophone Cameroon have not been operating for ten months following a strike by Anglophone lawyers and teachers, calling for better working conditions, quality education for children of English expression, withdrawal of Francophone judges and magistrates from jurisdictions wherein common law is practised, among others. But it was the government’s ferocious and Kafkaesque brutality that ensued that made a bad situation worse. Students and members of other socio-professional groups promptly joined the strike as a protest against what they considered to be an oppressive move against the Anglophone minority and this unfortunate situation has put the country and its government in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

But can the release of these wrongfully imprisoned Anglophones douse the fire? While Anglophones across the globe hail the release of their leaders and fellow compatriots, many have been quick at giving the government the rough edge of their tongue. Social media has been awash with disparaging remarks indicating that the government is once more up to its old antics. The regime, many critics argue, is noted for having a reputation for distracting the population with decrees and activities that are not related to the main issues facing the country.

Anglophones hold that the release of their fellow compatriots has brought some relief, but it has not addressed the issues that had triggered the crisis pitting them against the country’s government. More than 95% of Anglophones hold that they have been victims of government marginalization and they want this to be addressed forthwith. While some see extensive federalism as the ideal solution that will grant the regions greater power to address their development issues, others feel that it is time to walk away from the pseudo-union that Foncha and his team entered into with “La Republique”. Proponents of restoration think that it will be hard to bring Francophones and their leaders to reason, as they erroneously think that the English-speaking minority does not deserve to hold any strategic positions in the country’s government. It should be recalled that Anglophones have never held portfolios such as defense, communication, internal security, territorial administration and finance since Southern Cameroons and East Cameroon agreed to merge to constitute a single political entity in 1972. To many Anglophones, this implies that Francophones do not consider them as citizens in their own right.

But the Biya regime is not buying into any of the governance ideas being sold by the various Anglophone groups. Despite his declining health and the impact of age, the country’s president is not backing down and is prepared to take the heat that Anglophones are turning on him. He is hell-bent on pursuing his unpopular decentralisation program that has stalled for twenty-one years. For Anglophones, they are no longer interested in the decentralisation program that is enshrined in the country’s 1996 constitution. They hold that the program is an ill-wind and it will not address any of the issues they have put forth to the government.

While the moderates are still calling for a federal system, the independentists are gradually winning hearts and minds, as many moderates are gradually thinking that it is hard to live in the same country with Francophones whose vision of life compels them to take their hardship and suffering in stride. They hold that their philosophies of life are, unfortunately, at variance and fifty-six years of a tumultuous cohabitation have not helped them to narrow their differences. The separatists point to the militarization of the Anglophone zone that has been characterized by the raping of women and molestation of innocent citizens by the country’s defense forces as testimony to the fact that the government is not repentant and regretful of its errors of the past.

With the government and Anglophones still locked in their different positions, it is clear that finding a common ground will be a distant tomorrow affair. The government’s intransigence is not helping matters and the refusal of many Anglophones to meet the government half-way is unfortunately complicating things for the students whose future looks very bleak. Schools will surely not resume on September 4 and this is bad news for many students who have been looking forward to going back to school after ten months at home. While Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho Balla and Dr. Fontem have been released, their refusal to hold a press conference in Yaounde on Thursday, August 31, 2017 to announce that schools will resume on Monday, September 4, 2017 is robbing government officials of the victory they thought they would score following the president’s decree to release Anglophones arrested within the context of the Anglophone crisis.

Barrister Agbor Balla holds that it is not incumbent upon him and his fellow leaders to announce the end of the school boycott, especially as the government has not yet implemented any of the measures it had taken to appease Anglophones. In his view, some of those measures are too cosmetic and Anglophones will not settle for such a ruse which has brought untold hardship to them. Messrs. Balla and Fontem hold that the wishes and aspirations of the people must be met and it is up to Anglophones to determine if the government has met its obligations vis-à-vis them. This explains why their trip to Buea was delayed, though they finally left Yaounde at 11 pm on Thursday. But the failure to release Mancho Bibixy and others will be a bitter pill for many Anglophones, especially North Westerners, who are noted for their mercurial temperament. This is surely going to further diminish confidence in a government whose credibility has been called into question on many occasions.

If the government wants to defuse the current tension, it must be prepared to bend over backwards to appease Anglophones. It must understand that its job is not to oppress its people or win arguments, but to serve and protect the people by listening to them and implementing mutually agreed decisions. It must understand that there cannot be a government if there are no people. As the government keeps on dilly-dallying, it should understand that the gospel of restoration is quietly gaining grounds and before long, all Anglophones will be looking forward to living in a country that will only be a neighbour to “La Republique”.

By the editorial desk

A Cameroon Intelligence Report Production

Wednesday’s announcement of the release of Anglophone leaders by the Cameroon government has been hailed by many as a major step in the right direction and many observers think that such a measure by the country’s head of state could pave the way for genuine and sincere dialogue about the country’s political future. Cameroon is central Africa’s major economic power, but over the last ten months, the country has been caught in a dangerous political storm following complaints by Anglophones about their marginalisation for close to sixty years. Many government praise-singers are already marketing the country’s leader as a visionary and a man of peace. Some hold that he is a leader who has the interest of his country at heart and will stop at nothing to promote peace and unity.

But critics have been fast at pointing out that for a man who has the country’s interest at heart, such a major decision could have been taken long before to spare the country the pain and pressure it has gone through following the arrest of innocent and responsible Anglophone leaders such as Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba, Lord Justice Paul Ayah Abine and Mr. Mancho Bibixy. They argue that the threat to disrupt school resumption has been hanging over the government like the Sword of Damocles and this threat will continue to be on the table for as long as the government continues to treat Anglophones as second-class citizens. These critics, some of whom are legal experts, contend that the government of Cameroon should be dragged to court for illegally arresting and detaining its own citizens. They argue that the Anglophone struggle will continue to be a nightmare that will not go away anytime soon as long as the ruling elites continue to live on their Ivory Tower.

They posit that Anglophones could be a minority in Cameroon, but they constitute a nightmare to the government which has the nasty habit of not listening to the people they govern. Some elements of the Anglophone Diaspora hold that the release of their leaders is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. In their view, it is a major victory in a battle that will be for fought for many years, but they are sure they have the right stomach for a fight. They point out that the government has succeeded in doing one thing – unite Anglophones – and this unity will be leveraged to bring justice and equity to the people of West Cameroon.

They argue that releasing their leaders is a good decision, but it is too early for any sensible Anglophone to cry victory, adding that the arrest of their leaders was not the cause of the crisis, but rather an offshoot of a crisis that has been in the making for more than fifty years. The illegal arrest and detention of Anglophones was what caused the crisis to escalate and the government’s decision to do the right thing is just a step towards de-escalating the tensions, but the battle must continue until the government and Anglophones come to a conclusion that will be satisfactory to both parties.

They also contend that they must continue to mount pressure and keep a careful eye on the government. The government, they say, is like a leopard. It is not going to lose its stripes anytime soon as its bag of tricks is still full, adding that manipulation is its stock in trade, but Anglophones, especially those in the Diaspora, will not be buying into any illusion the government may want to sell. They insist that since violence is the only language the government understands, they will continue to disrupt government activities both abroad and in Cameroon. They point to the successful disruption of recent government missions in South Africa, Canada, England and Belgium, adding that the law is for everyone and if the custodian of the law – the government – is always quick at violating the law, they too will continue to deliver chaos to the government until a clear and definitive solution to the Anglophone problem is found.

Meanwhile, following yesterday’s announcement, Anglophone leaders and activists have been meeting to find an appropriate response to the decision. Meetings in Brussels, Washington DC and London which went into the early hours of Thursday have not yet produced the right response. Federalists and independentists have been disagreeing over the way forward. Differences on how to respond are still being settled behind the scenes and different factions are seeking to promote their perspectives. Proponents of total independence, who have been characterizing federalists as eternal optimists who think that they are capable of reforming eternal sinners, are simply not buying into the noise that is being made by the Yaounde government. To them, their objective is clear. They have had enough of a country that has marginalized its own people for close to six decades. They argue that the government is used to speaking from both sides of its mouth, adding that the government of “La Repulique”, a country they consider as their neighbour, will never act without ulterior motives. The interim leader of Southern Cameroons,  Sesekou Ayuk Julius Tabe, who is on a world tour to promote the recognition of his country, is gradually winning hearts and minds, and is being quoted as being indifferent to the Biya-staged dramain Yaounde, as his focus is to drum up support for Southern Cameroons which, in his view, will soon be the continent’s newest country.

For federalists, this could be an opportunity for the form of the state to be discussed. The government, they say, comes out of this situation bruised and fragile, adding that a little pressure will bring the reluctant and ageing government officials to the negotiating table where they will table their constitution for a federal system of government in Cameroon. While others hold that the children have already paid a huge price and should be allowed to go back to school, hardliners are still pushing for a boycott of schools so as to bring the struggling government to the negotiating table. They point to the dictatorial tendencies of the government, arguing that the country’s government is noted for its bad faith and can never be trusted. The decree to release the leaders, in their view, could be a distraction and they are simply not going to fall into this “honey trap” that the government is setting for the Diaspora.

However, there is hope in the future. Many Anglophones still think that something good can come out of yesterday’s decision to release Anglophone leaders. They are calling on the government to build on yesterday’s decision to bring different factions to the negotiating table. They argue that though lots of mistakes have been made, the country can still pull together to make the crisis a thing of the past. They, however, hold that the government should recognize errors of the past and should seek ways and means to calm flaring Anglophone tempers. They also want the government to ensure that future generations do not go through the pressure and chaos that have been playing out in the country for a long time. They think a good constitution as well as goodwill will go a long way in restoring peace in Cameroon. In their view, they are still watching the government very closely and are waiting to see what measures will follow yesterday’s decision.

The Editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News Group

Nothing is as challenging as living in uncertainty. For some time now, Cameroon has been the land of uncertainty and this may not change anytime soon. September is just a few days away and the whole world is watching to see if schools will actually resume in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions. For almost a year, Cameroon has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Anglophones who have been victims of a French-backed and government-orchestrated marginalisation plan, last year decided that they were sick and tired of the second-class citizenship imposed on them by calling for political change in a country that has functioned over the last four decades like an absolute  monarchy. A strike triggered by teachers and lawyers was swiftly joined by students and other Anglophone socio-professional groups which have been waiting in the wings to make their voices heard. The government’s 15^th Century, tough and inefficient response caused things to escalate. Lawyers were beaten and treated like common criminals for calling for a peaceful resolution of issues that were hindering them from effectively performing their job.

In a related event, University of Buea students who were seeking to meet university authorities following an imposition of extra charges on them were made to drink raw sewage though they had clearly indicated that they wanted the matter to be addressed in a peaceful manner. The images of those students being asked to sleep in raw, dangerous sewage hit social media platforms and the entire world was shocked at the government’s ill-advised decision to send troops to an environment wherein there was no trouble. These images and those of armless young men being mowed down by government troops in the North West Region gave Anglophones the evidence to present to the world that they were no longer welcome in a country they had thought was theirs too. Initial calls for federalism were therefore transformed into calls for immediate and total independence from a country Anglophones now refer to as “La Republique”.  It should be recalled that the government has never arrested any soldiers for such inhuman acts and has never publicly apologized for the loss of human life.

Matters came to a head when negotiations between government officials and Anglophone leaders collapsed and Anglophone leaders were arrested and dumped in jails in Yaounde, far from where they had been arrested as if there were no jails wherever they had been arrested. This was immediately followed by the shutting down of Internet in the country’s two English-speaking regions. This Internet discrimination lasted for close to a hundred days and it drew condemnation from the entire world. This hit Anglophones like a ton of bricks. They  immediately interpreted that decision as the government’s ploy to unleash a reign of terror on them and this was confirmed by the government’s unjustified and “manu militari” arrests of Anglophones. Even innocent girls and women who just wanted to cross over to the French-speaking part of the country for business or personal reasons were arrested. Speaking English was immediately made a crime in Cameroon and this resulted in many Anglophones running away from the country as the government pursued its unannounced decision to purge the country of “trouble-making Anglophones”.

The government’s 56-year marginalization plan and the purge that followed the Anglophone uprising have resulted in more than two million Anglophones leaving the country and this Diaspora that comprises of some of the finest professionals the country can boast of, is clearly behind all attempts at frustrating a government they hold is responsible for all the problems they have faced from birth. It is even normal these days for Anglophones to blame the government for any attacks by mosquitoes. These days, an Anglophone who fails to effect an erection will not hesitate to hold the government responsible for his failure to perform his marital obligations. Poor government!

To be fair to the government, it has made some efforts at instilling a sense of citizenship and patriotism in Anglophones who are more intent on quitting a flawed and lopsided union that Foncha and Muna had signed to promote their personal interests. Recently, the government created a special section for Anglophones at the National School of Administration Magistracy (ENAM), the school that trains administrators and judges. It has also withdrawn judges and magistrates of French expression who do not have an inkling of the common law that is practiced in the English-speaking part of Cameroon. It has also created a common law section at the Supreme Court and English is today a language that is easily used in French Cameroon albeit in a strange and unrecognizable accent.

But the government is still living in its legendary contradiction. While it is withdrawing judges, it is also sending other Francophone officials to the Anglophone region. Many Francophone Senior Divisional Officers (SDOs) are still calling the shots in English-speaking regions, with many of them still treating the locals with arrogance and disdain. All senior military and police officials are still Francophones who have not yet understood that there are cultural differences between Francophones and Anglophones. The old issues are still there and many will linger for a very long time as the government has the nasty habit of thinking that pressing issues can only be addressed by time. For Anglophones, time is of the essence. Their pain is deep and failure to address those issues simply implies that the government is ignoring them, especially as the head of state has recoiled into his palace and is simply not paying attention to them. To make matters worse, those who had caused the crisis to escalate like Issa Tchiroma, Fame Ndongo, Laurent Esso and Atanga Nji have all disappeared from the stage. Anglophones hold that they deserve an apology from the government for the marginalization and insults heaped on them following their demands for a federal system, although today the majority of Anglophones are looking forward to the day they will be living in an independent Southern Cameroons. They want  Issa Tchiroma, Fame Ndongo, Laurent Esso and Atanga Nji to be fired from government as testimony to the fact that the government really regrets all what has happened to them. This is very unlikely as Mr. Biya, the country’s president, never acts based on any pressure or advice. Having ruled the country as a monarch for thirty-five years and with a heavy hand, it is unlikely that he will be mending his ways. Old habits die hard.

Regarding the resumption of schools in the English-speaking regions, while there was a lull during the holiday period, many observers thought the government would use that time to address a few issues, including the trial of Consortium leaders like Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho Balla, Dr. Fontem and Mr. Mancho Bibixy.  But true to its philosophy, this time was used to deal with trivial issues that have not helped to defuse tensions in the English-speaking parts of the country. On the contrary, the government has sent its surrogates to all the nooks and crannies of the two Anglophone regions for them to convince parents to send their kids to schools they do not trust. These surrogates are all over the region like a bad rash, hoping that students will go to school. But the lack of confidence in the government has led to a lack of security in the region and it is likely that schools will not resume as scheduled, as Anglophones insist that their leaders and brothers wrongfully arrested and detained in Yaounde must be released as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue. That is, if the country’s monarch is even thinking of dialogue.

To keep the government permanently under pressure, Anglophones have formed many cloak-and-dagger organizations and these organizations are spreading across the region like ragweed. They are today acting like boogey men, scaring children from going to school. The kids are scared and rightly so, as many schools have been burnt down and no real actions have been taken by the government. It should also be recalled that many of the issues that triggered the teachers’ strike have not been addressed, especially the teaching of kids by Francophones who neither understand English nor the Anglophone culture.

Regarding school resumption in universities, the story is no different. Buea University students are still scared to death. Their mates who had been arrested during the strike are still languishing in jail and hopes of them being released anytime soon are gradually fading. The former vice chancellor of the University of Buea may have been fired, but there are lots of issues to be dealt with. Students are still very concerned about the use of brute force in the resolution of issues with university authorities. The new vice chancellor has been very “frugal” when it comes to outlining confidence-building measuresthat may lead to the appeasement of students, maybe for fear of upsetting his Yaounde masters. However, he must understand that silence is not always golden.

Getting children back to school in the Anglophone regions is not a tough job. This can be achieved if the government shows a lot of flexibility and good faith when it comes to dealing with Anglophones. Anglophones have shown a lot of resilience and courage over the last five decades. They have resisted the government and its manipulation for more than ten months. This is a clear testimony that Anglophones are very united and have a developed sense of purpose. They are also demonstrating that the government may bring the country’s entire military to the two regions, but that will not get the kids back to school. Anglophones are aware of the importance of education and many of them have, over the last forty years, spent huge amounts of money to finance their children’s university education abroad and in private colleges in Cameroon. They also understand that they are dealing with a government that speaks from both sides of its mouth. If schools resume without Anglophone leaders being released, then these leaders, considered by many as political prisoners, might never know freedom again.

If the government wants schools to resume, it must release all Anglophones arrested following the outbreak of the current crisis. The resumption of school has nothing to do with the deployment of the country’s army in the Anglophone region. Confidence-building measures can perform miracles where brute force and manipulation have failed. A cabinet reshuffle is long overdue. The government must think of bringing moderates and some Anglophone leaders into the government to appease the Anglophone population. Sending the old and tired faces Anglophones have seen for more than two decades will not address the situation. Those faces do not have any respect. They have lost credibility and no Anglophone in his right mind will pay attention to them. Anglophones want new leaders and they know who they want. They are against those the government erroneously markets as elites. These so-called elites have betrayed their people and the people have made up their minds. They must be cut out of government if peace has to return to that country. It is time to change tactics. The old strategy has collapsed. Only new and fresh faces in government and other senior positions can help calm flaring tempers in Anglophone Cameroon. There is no point using a strategy that has overstayed its welcome. It’s time to bring Anglophones back to the fold by using appeasement and not military action.

By the editorial desk