The recent announcement by the Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV that Anglophone lawyers and teachers have agreed to end the strikes in British Southern Cameroons breaks no new grounds. The timing of the announcement was intended to change the focus from the ongoing debate on the Anglophone problem and ramifications from the massive Anglophone Diaspora protest in Western Europe, the USA and Canada.

The Anglophone Spring, coming so close to Paul Biya’s decision time on whether to run in 2018 has evoked sad memories. It has reminded the citizenry particular those of La Republique and Paul Biya himself that his end is near and may not be a happy one.  The steadfastness of our lawyers and teachers and the support and respect they have so far gained from the French Cameroon political elites has reminded Paul Biya in particular, about his own potential ouster from power. His recent meeting with the US ambassador featuring the Anglophone uprising has also reminded him of the illusions of absolute power and its consequential unpredictability. Mobutu Seseko’s last meeting in Congo-Kinshasa was with a US envoy known as Bill Richardson.

Biya’s attempt at using the veteran lawyers to instill fear and refocus the national debate to good governance and to consolidate power which seems to be slipping away due to consequences and factors beyond his control has failed woefully. The actions taken by the presidency of the republic and imposed on the Cameroonian public opinion via a prime ministerial order has reminded Philemon Yang that power in Cameroon is in the Unity Palace and not in the so-called Star Building located opposite a noisy market and behind a five star hotel.

The announcement made by CRTV against  the new generation of Anglophone leaders and the strike actions surprises only those who may not be paying attention to Paul Biya’s politics of personal power and his Francophone domination policy. Like many French Cameroun corrupt media organizations owned by the CPDM crime syndicate, the state radio and television is an important tool of blackmail, misinformation and Paul Biya’s image laundering used by pro Biya comedians like Paul Atanga Nji.

CRTV like Cameroon Tribune are used to perpetrate crimes against Anglophones far worse than the Lake Nyos Disaster or the numerous deaths recorded on the Tiko-Douala highway. They are instruments of mass mobilization through falsehood, corruption of the popular conscience and the deification of the 83 year old dictator who has finally destroyed the tribal tolerance miraculously put in place by the late President Ahidjo. CRTV was and is the conduit through which egregious violations and crimes of unimaginable magnitude are perpetrated against British Southern Cameroonians.

It is the conduit through which fraud is celebrated and the flames of the North West/ South West divide are fanned and Francophones in Mfoundi Division are incited to take up arms against their neighbours. It remains the voice of hate, sycophancy and intimidation. The question one may ask, is, who benefits from these crimes? The answer points to Paul Biya. This does not absolve Paul Atanga Nji  for the crimes he perpetrated or for accepting to perpetrate or oversee the use of CRTV to perpetrate crimes against the Anglophone community in which alleged “enemies dans la maisons” “biafrais” “anglobami” “Opposants” and now are blackmailed and targeted on account of their ethnicity or valid claims for self determination.

University students will be having their day in court if there is enough evidence to proceed against them. On a matter of principle and legality, however, the problem is not with the arrest of the students but with the political calculation surrounding the arrest. However, if the Anglophone Spring will lead to Paul Biya finally realizing that his 32 years in power were mired in systemic corruption and unprecedented criminality, and peacefully step down without being forced to do so, then it is significant development. CRTV will henceforth serve La Republique du Cameroun with pride.

We of the Cameroon Concord News Group believe and fervently too that the time to boycott CRTV radio and television including Cameroon Tribune is now.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai (Editor-in-Chief) 

Cameroon Concord News Group

This is how Minister Laurent Esso has been slowly but surely eliminating the Anglophone legal system and our Common law values and he was quick to say we have to stay in a “united” Cameroon where he Esso can jail a former Anglophone Prime Minister and Head of Government and nothing happens.

Francophone dominance in the legal department in the South West region

Of the 148 Magistrates in the South West- 58 are francophone

Of the 89 Magistrates in the legal bench in the Southwest region, 54 of them are francophone

Of the 50 Magistrates serving in Buea (Bench & Legal Department) – 20 are francophone

28 Magistrates in the legal division and 20 of them are francophone.

30 new bailiffs were appointed in January 2014 and 28 of them are francophone.

Francophone domination in the legal department in the North West region

There are 128 Magistrates in the Northwest and 67 are francophone with no mastery of the English language.

There 97 Magistrates of the Legal Bench and 64 of them are francophone

There are 45 Magistrates serving in Bamenda metropolis and 22 of them are francophone

27 Magistrates in the divisions  and 21 of them are francophone.

21 new bailiffs were appointed in January 2014 and all of them were francophone.

Comparing the appointments of Magistrates in a bilingual Cameroon:

There are 119 Magistrates in the Courts in Douala metropolis and only 2 of them are Anglophones

There are 107 Magistrates in the Courts in Yaoundé and only 2 of them are Anglophones

49% of Magistrates in Bamenda and 40 % of Magistrates in Buea the Anglophone regional headquarters are Francophone.

Why are more Francophones sent to our key jurisdictions and only an insignificant number of Anglophones sent to the francophone key jurisdictions?

If at all there is blending of both systems:

Why are our Anglophone Magistrates only good for Tcholire, Ambam, Poli, Ntui, Kousseri, Yokadouma, Batouri,Tignere and not considered good for Yaoundé and Douala?

Why is it that almost all the newly appointed bailiffs in Anglophone Cameroon are civil Law trained jurists?

Do you think the envisaged appointment of Notaires will depart from this train if any ?

Why is the Language of the military only French in a Bilingual Country?

Why is French the Language of the Military Courts in a Bilingual Country?

The government of Cameroon on Thursday, December 1, 2016 finally came out of its silence with a series of Prime Ministerial Orders as a response to the demonstrations that have been playing out in the North West and South West regions of the country. Over the last two weeks, the government’s response to this unfortunate situation has been very confusing. While some ministers such the Ministers of Justice, Communication and Higher Education have taken turns on various media platforms to advise the world that there is no Anglophone problem, the Prime Minister, for his part, has made a trip to the North West region to meet the demonstrating lawyers and teachers in order to gain a better understanding of the issues. The President, for his part, has completely switched off, giving the impression that the demonstrations have no justification and that the demands of the protesters will not be met. In certain cases, peaceful demonstrators have been victims of violence on the part of Cameroon Defense Forces.

In Buea where university students organized a peaceful demonstration against university authorities, the police responded to the students with force that was grossly disproportionate. Many students have been tortured and wounded while some have been arrested and are still in jail for reasons that are only known to the government. Many innocent students were arrested even when they were not part of the protests. This is making it hard for Anglophone leaders to actually sit down with government authorities to have a frank and fruitful discussion on how to deal with the issues that are hurting the people. Government surrogates are on media platforms and outfits trying to put a spin to the issues with some even indicating that no student had been tortured or raped although the Internet is awash with videos substantiating the claims. These spin doctors are still living in the past. For them, the world has stood still, failing to understand that smart phones have transformed many Cameroonians into citizen journalists. With cutting edge technology, it is possible to stream images in real time. Tactics of the past have no place in the world of hi-tech. It is no longer possible for governments to oppress their people without the world being aware. It is almost impossible to shape global opinion with cock-and-bull tales. The world has moved on, but Cameroon political authorities are still frozen in time.

Thursday’s announcement by the government did not make any mention of an Anglophone problem. Rather than provide real solutions to the issues that have been raised by demonstrating Anglophones, the government is, as usual, seeking to provide some cosmetic and Band-Aid solutions. It will be recruiting 1,000 bilingual teachers, many of whom will be sent to those areas where there is a shortage of teachers. Of course, that sounds interesting. But the issue has not been about bilingualism. It has been about meeting the real educational needs of the population and teachers. Of what value will a bilingual Francophone be if he will be asked to go and teach English in a city like Ossing in the South West region or Oshea in the Northwest region? The government is failing to understand that oral bilingualism is different from intellectual bilingualism.

Anglophone schools will surely be requiring mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers. How will a bilingual Francophone address such an issue? Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry in English will surely not be the same in French and when it comes to expressing oneself intellectually in such complex subjects, the teacher’s rudimentary knowledge of English will surely take French leave of him. Would it not be wise for the government to come up with the appropriate solutions that will help it stave off conflict? Why is it trying to fan the embers of conflict? Cameroonians – be they Anglophones or Francophones – want to have a good education in the language they understand better. They want to live in harmony and conflict-free. When will their authorities understand that the issues that have pushed other nations into fratricidal conflicts have been very little things such as indifference and injustice?

The prime ministerial orders also indicates that the government will also be reaching out to mission and private schools to enable them achieve their goals in the best possible conditions. In this regard, the government will be providing some two billion francs to these institutions, although there is no time frame for such a gesture. It could take a decade or less. This is a country where things are done in slow motion. Before a health center is completed in some villages, almost everybody is dead and gone and the structure will be there for politicians to pride themselves on. Are Cameroonians not tired of promises that hardly come true? What has become of those computers that were promised to university students across the nation? Why is the government not seeing the writing on the wall? Cameroonians are frustrated. Years of economic hardship and frustration are gradually transforming a peaceful people into a violent people. Why can the government not understand that those who make peaceful change impossible only make violent change inevitable?

There is still time for the government to deal with some of the key issues that have been put on the table by the Anglophone minority. The lawyers are still prepared to down their tools until they are sure that Francophone judges will no longer be transferred to Anglophone courts; something that has been a bone of contention for years. They want a pure common law system in Anglophone Cameroon and not the harmonized legal system the government has been trying to stitch together for decades. How does the government expect a heavily Anglophone lawyer to make submissions in French just because the judge or magistrate is illiterate in English? There are other issues and some of these issues also affect Francophones. Anglophones like Francophones have been caught in the throes of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. Both Anglophone and Francophone kids need quality education. Both Anglophone and Francophones need good hospitals.

The country’s hospitals have over the years been reduced to places where patients go to die. Doctors have become business people. The oath of Hippocrates has been transformed into the Oath of Hypocrisy. Healthcare, genuine healthcare, is out of the reach of many helpless Cameroonians. There is nothing to write home about the country’s road network. The roads are at best death traps. Corruption and nepotism have blighted the lives of Cameroonians. These could be sources of conflict and the fear is that conflict is like rumor. It spreads very fast and it could take a different dimension as it spreads. What might have started as an Anglophone problem could end up becoming a national issue. Poverty knows no language and it has hit both Anglophones and Francophones like a ton of bricks. The government has to sit up. It must take appropriate measures to spare this country the scourge of war that has gripped other African countries. This is not time for any grand-standing. It is time to acknowledge that certain things have not worked well for Cameroonians and that those things could be done differently to bring peace and stability to this fractured country.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

Do you know that since the inception of the Cameroon oil refinery corporation, SONARA more than 30 years ago, no Anglophone had ever been a General Manager even though this corporation is in Limbe?

Do you know that, even though SONARA is in Limbe, they pay their taxes in Douala?

Do you know that even though the crude oil of SONARA comes from Ndian division, there is no tarred road to Ndian division?

Do you know that even though SONARA is in the Anglophone Region, there is no SCDP-the petroleum storage company in any of our Anglophone towns, yet these petroleum storage companies are scattered almost in all francophone cities?

Do you know that the petrol filling stations in the South West Region with Limbe inclusive gets petrol from Douala while those in the North West Region get their petrol from Bafoussam?

Do you know that the four ministries involved in the education of young Cameroonians- Higher Education, Secondary Education, Basic Education and Vocational training have had only one Anglophone-the late Peter Agbor Tabi as a minister?

Do you know that the Ministry of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic is a ministry without portfolio?

Do you know that the police force is an Anglo-Saxon force but their working language in Cameroon is the French language?

Do you know that the training language of the police college in our own Mutengene is the French language?

Do you know that majority of the Senior Divisional Officers in the Anglophone territory are Francophones who do not even master the English language let alone our way of life?

Do you know that even our Minister without portfolio-Paul Atanga Nji who pretends he doesn’t know there is an Anglophone problem knows deep down in his heart that an Anglophone like him can never be appointed Secretary General or Director of Civil Cabinet at the presidency of the Republic?

Do you know that anytime there is cabinet shake up, two miserable ministries like Forestry and Culture are reserved for Anglophones just to deceive us while there are divisions like Mfoundi with just 44 families and towns like Ebolowa with more than five cabinet ministers each?

Do you that whenever the post of Prime Minister changes hands from a Francophone to an Anglophone, there is always a Vice Prime Minister?

Do you know that the Vice Prime Minister is always a solid Francophone political figure whose personality bullies the Anglophone Prime Minister to submission? The late Gilbert Andze Tchoungi and Simon Achidi Achu including Peter Mafany Musonge and of recent, Yang Philemon and Amadou Ali.

Do you even know that Limbe has the deepest natural habour for a sea port but the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government decided to spend 3 times the money they would have used in Limbe just to make one in kribi?

Do you know that the Menchum hydro electricity dam was announced 2yrs before Memvele and  Lompaga!!! Yet the once that came behind have been constructed already?

Do you even know that prior to the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, FIFA summoned the captains of all participation teams for a preparatory meeting and Cameroon was the only nation that was represented by two persons-Tataw Stephen and Kunde Emmanuel in Milan? Kunde was so ashamed and remained all day in the hotel room.

Do you know that Cameroon has 4 international airports and there is none in any Anglophone region?

Do know that the abandoned airport in Bafut in the North West region has the longest run way of all the 4 international airports in this country?

Do you know that for any one Anglophone Captain in the army, there are a hundred and twenty Francophone captains?

Who is more nationalist and patriotic than the other? The Cameroonian who embezzles billions with impunity or the Cameroonian who calls for a debate on Federalism? Join the AGBAW-EBAI DEBATE

The past month has been a challenging time both for English-speaking Cameroonians and their government. The urge to have many injustices against the English-speaking minority in Cameroon addressed by the government is gradually turning into a call for secession. Of course, English-speaking Cameroonians have suffered different forms of indignities at the hands of their Francophone government. The policy of assimilation and total destruction of whatever legacy the British had left behind to the citizens of the once southern Cameroons has left many English-speaking Cameroonians in total confusion.

For many decades, English speaking Cameroonians were required to attend the country’s lone university where knowledge was imparted to students in French. This implied English-speaking Cameroonians whose knowledge of French was, at best, approximate had to study in a language that had not been their academic language from birth. Many Anglophones simply skipped university because of this policy of self-destruction. Only those whose parents could afford to pay exorbitant fees in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria had the devil’s luck of having a good university education. There were a few who actually succeeded in the erstwhile University of Yaounde, but to say the least it was an uphill battle.

For many of such graduates, their language skills have been seriously compromised and theirs has been a kingdom wherein they only play second fiddle to their French-speaking colleagues. It is abnormal for English-speaking Cameroonians to occupy certain strategic positions in the country. They cannot lead any strategic ministry. It is tacitly forbidden for them to be a minister of finance, minister of defense and minister of foreign affairs. It is hard to think of an English-speaking Cameroonian who has occupied such a position in forty years. Of course, it is rare for an Anglophone to be a director of any state corporation if a French-speaking colleague is around however less qualified the francophone may be.

Cameroon is not the only country in the world wherein people with different linguistic backgrounds have been made to live in a single geopolitical entity known as a nation state. Canada, Belgium and Switzerland have had to go down this treacherous and bumpy path. But rather than ruin the rich cultural heritage that comes with having many linguistic blocs, these countries have carefully turned their challenge into a worthwhile experience. This does not imply there are no issues. In Canada, some Quebecers are permanently shaking the ship as they keep on calling for an independent state. But such calls are on the decline as many young Quebecers see a bright future in a strong and prosperous Canada. Canada’s federalism empowers the provinces and territories to take decisions that can bring peace and stability to their people.

Educational policies are decided by provincial political authorities and even the existence of natural resources in one province or territory cannot constitute a bone of contention as the resources are mined for the good of the entire nation. That is why the country has an equalization fund and the wellbeing of Canadians is at the centre of every government policy. This also applies to Belgium and Switzerland and in the event of a conflict, the authorities are always prompt in their efforts to find long-lasting and satisfactory solutions. After all, there is no life without problems, but what should make a difference is the manner in which the stakeholders lay such matters to rest.

But in Cameroon, the marriage between Anglophones and Francophones has not really been a bed of roses. The Anglophone educational system has undergo dramatic changes that have only helped to leave many English-speaking Cameroonians desperate and hopeless. In many parts of English-speaking Cameroon, it is normal to have a Francophone as a mathematics and/or a technology teacher in some technical colleges. For end-of-course exams questions to be set, they are usually first drafted in French and later translated into English and in most cases, the translation is not done by professional translators. This has accounted for the heavy drive away from technical education in English-speaking Cameroon. Of course, sometimes you have expressions like “béton armé” translated into English as “armed concrete”. This makes no sense to an English-speaking kid with little or no knowledge of French. The right translation will be “reinforced concrete”. This has helped to confuse many students and many have missed their destinies because of such confusion. If you think the confusion in technical colleges is bad, why not try hospitals in the English-speaking part of the country where sometimes even medical doctors in hospitals where at least 99% of patients are heavily Anglophone, are unfortunately Francophones.

This unfortunate state of affairs could lead to the death of many unsuspecting patients. Of course, accidents have occurred but in a system where there is no official autopsy policy or where there are no vital statistics departments, such accidents never get reported or investigated. Would it not be normal just to give the people the professionals who can express themselves in the language the people understand? Is it necessary to play with the lives of other people just because a point must be proved?

Of course, the trigger of the current demonstrations is the fact that many judges and magistrates in English-speaking parts of Cameroon are Francophones. Lawyers in the North West and South West regions of the country are required to make their submissions in French in order for the French-speaking judges and magistrates to rule on some very critical issues. This is not only ridiculous but frustrating for a people whose knowledge of French is at best rudimentary.

The injustices are many and they cannot be swept under the carpet. While the frustrations are justified, it will be necessary for English-speaking Cameroonians who have taken to the streets to keep things in their right perspective. The organizers of the demonstrations must also ensure that extremists do not hijack their effort to bring peace and justice to their people within a strong and united Cameroon. Over the past few days, there have been calls for a secession as the government in Yaoundé remains indifferent to the people’s plight. Of course, secession looks like an attractive proposition, but let Anglophone Cameroonians not forget that not all that glitters is gold. A secession will solve the linguistic problem, but it will never address the unjustified and unnecessary rivalry between North Westerners and South Westerners.

If secession were the appropriate solution to political challenges, South Sudan will be a strong and prosperous nation today. On the contrary, South Sudan has been rolled back into poverty by at least one century because of the fierce rivalry between the major tribes that fought for secession from Sudan. Anglophones can obtain most of what they want within a united Cameroon if they remain united and determined. The government’s inability to rein in this demonstration is proof of the fact that the authorities themselves are out of steam, after all, if the commander in chief is old and tired, the foot soldiers will surely spend more time sleeping and eating the crumbs that have been given to them. Anglophone Cameroonians must understand that this struggle is not against the ordinary francophone. It is a struggle against a government that has sought for decades to sustain a divide-and-rule strategy put in place by the French even before the two Cameroons agreed to be a single entity. Anglophones should avoid shooting themselves in the foot by considering the ordinary Francophone as the enemy. Mixing up things is a good recipe for failure. It will be appropriate to remain focused in order to achieve the common goal.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

Prime Minister Philemon Yang and President Paul Biya are both militants of the ruling CPDM party. The similarities end there. Yang was appointed into the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo government after spending only six months in Buea as a Magistrate. The late Ahidjo saw in the young Yang a dynamic, hard working and patriotic lad whose mastery of the French language remains a mystery to many at the CNU leadership.

A story was often told of how the late President Ahidjo summoned Philemon Yang to Yaoundé for a one-and-one. Yang arrived from Buea on that fateful day that Ahidjo had to meet with a visiting head of state.  Yang did the unthinkable!! He drove to the Prime Minister’s office and informed Biya that he was given just a day by his boss in Buea to be out of station.  Biya as prime minister laughed hard and asked Yang if his patron in Buea had legitimate authority more than Ahidjo. Yang insisted and traveled back to Buea. Ahidjo and Biya reportedly shared a conversation on the matter and history had it that the late president was so proud of the young Magistrate who had so much respect for constituted authority. Philemon Yang was appointed as the youngest minister ever in the Ahidjo government.

The office of the president of the republic changed hands on November 6^th 1982 and the moderate Ahidjo men were all sent abroad as ambassadors after the controversial April 6^th coup. Yang was appointed Cameroon ambassador to Canada where he spent more than two decades before he was moved back home as Assistant Secretary at the presidency of the republic. Prime Minister Philemon Yang is a celebrated CPDM militant and head of government but everywhere he has been, this native of Oku in the North West region has demonstrated so much love for fatherland which is the main brand of the Ahidjo men and women. His time as a politician and a statesman is drawing to a close and so too is the “Ahidjoness” in him.

He is heading a consortium of crime syndicates known as the CPDM led government metamorphosing from one scandal to another. Recently, his administration has issued a terse statement that it will not keep the promise made to the Cameroonian people to restore urban public transport by bus, before the African Cup of Nations women’s football, which begins in Yaoundé on November the 19th. On the 30^th of August 2016, a partnership agreement was signed in Yaoundé between the Minister of Transport and a Portuguese Group known as Eximtrans / Irmaos Mota to set up a mass urban transport system in Yaoundé and Limbé.

The agreement provided for 150 air-conditioned buses with a capacity of 91 seats including 39 seats and 52 standing for mass transport in Yaoundé and Limbé. 135 of the buses had to be reserved to serve 13 lines from Yaoundé. While 5 others were assigned to Limbé. 10 “VIP” buses were reserved for transportation during the female Africa Cup of Nations.  One of Philemon Yang’s numerous cabinet ministers; Edgard Alain Mebo Ngo’o told the world that 40 of the new buses have been reserved exclusively for the participation teams for the AFCON which he revealed were to be delivered before October 31, 2016.

The Philemon Yang administration told the Cameroonian people that our nation had invested 17 billion FCFA for a 10-year operating period, of which 10% are held by the State represented by the urban community of Yaoundé. Faced with a hostile public opinion due to the absence of the buses, the Yang government has announced that the contract will not be executed before the tournament. The buses, they say will arrive after the competition.  By not allowing Transport Minister Edgard Alain Mebo Ngo’o to face the media over this prominent and successful failure, Prime Minister Philemon Yang has acted like an ordinary politician from Oku. We can now tell the world that the “Ahidjoness” in him is gone and he has embrace Chantalistes Biyayistes.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai (Cameroon Concord News Group)

President Paul Biya’s numerous travels abroad including those of his collaborators has recently generated a debate throughout the national territory. It has now been revealed that whenever the head of state makes a trip abroad, some of his close acolytes also leave the country to meet him.

The foreign trips of certain Cameroon ministers and general managers of state-owned corporations are exhausting the coffers of the State. Highly placed officials in the ministry of finance were heard saying privately that most of the missions to Europe, US and Canada are often fictitious. They include expensive holidays, unproductive seminars and personal business trips.

An economic survey found that each year, cabinet ministers, GMs, and other top aides of the regime spend 350 billion FCFA on ordinary missions and trips in Europe, America, Asia and South Africa-an amount that can develop tourism and attract foreigners to Cameroon,

Whenever President Paul Biya goes abroad, some of his collaborators also leave the country to meet him. These ministers and GMs communion with the Head of State and share a meal with the First Lady and her children. This protocol strategy pushes some to improvise trips to Europe whenever the President of the Republic moves and others try to corrupt the Civil Cabinet with millions of CFA francs to be able to speak to the president.

The members of the Biya cabinet and other prominent state personalities are the main actors of illegality, social inequalities and embezzlement. They are also aware that the regime they serve is taking the last kicks of a dying horse. Thus many are taking advantage of the numerous movements of President Paul Biya to Europe to get there at the expense of the state leaving behind loads of files on their ministerial tables.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai