The crisis that has thrust Cameroon into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons is unfortunately getting worse by the day. The country that was known as an oasis of peace in a desert of chaos has itself become the epitome of chaos. Human rights abuses are legion. The country’s English-speaking population is being depleted through organized state killings, with many heading out of the country in search of safe sanctuaries. For many helpless English-speaking Cameroonians, Nigeria is always their first port of call as it is close and they do not require any visas to travel to Nigeria. But their destinations of choice remain the United States and Canada which are countries which have, for decades, opened their doors to people fleeing persecution in their countries of birth.

Despite the growing refugee and humanitarian crisis playing out on the country’s border with Nigeria where some 50,000 Cameroonian refugees have sort asylum, the Yaoundé government has not shown any signs of remorse or planned any initiatives that will help resettle the people it has destabilized. The refugee crisis is gradually becoming a huge concern for Nigerian government officials, as hordes of English-speaking Cameroonians show up every day in Nigeria, complaining about Cameroon government brutality that has left not less than 500 civilians dead and hundreds homeless in towns where government troops resorted to collective punishment as a means to send home a strong message to the population that is clearly sympathizing with Southern Cameroonian fighters who have, over the last six months, given the cash-strapped Cameroon government a run for its money.

The government seems to be in denial that it is losing the country’s two English-speaking regions after more than 17 months of turmoil. There is increasing insecurity in the two regions. Boko Haram attacks in the northern part of the country and Central African rebel attacks in the eastern part of the country are clearly setting Cameroon up for a huge failure. The country’s economy has been losing jobs at a disturbing rate, and many of its best and brightest are heading out of the country to seek stability and prosperity for their progeny. Falling oil production and declining export earnings have clearly manufactured a nightmare for the country’s ailing and aging government. Economic and political experts around the world hold that Cameroon will surely be the next fragile state on the continent if care is not taken. Given its position as the sub-region’s economic engine, if something is done and in time too, the fragile sub-region will end up with a sticky mess on its hands.

But the government of Cameroon known for its inefficiency, manipulation and indifference seems to be putting a brave face on the ugly socio-political situation. Despite the growing insecurity in the two regions, it is still maintaining that there is security in the regions. But the creation of a fifth military region in Bamenda, the North West region’s capital, and the vast increase in troops in other parts of the English-speaking regions speak to the government’s apprehension and confusion. Despite the lull in fighting, there are still many skirmishes in the region and tensions remain very high. Places like Kembong in Manyu Division and Mbonge in Ndian Division are still considered by many as ticking time bombs that could go off at any time. Indeed, the entire region is a tinder box waiting to explode.

Analysts across world see the government’s deployment of troops in the regions as a move to face off with the separatists who are hell-bent on breaking up the country to grant the English-speaking population the independence it has been longing for years. The Southern Cameroons crisis might just be the final financial nail into the government’s coffin. The crisis has gobbled up tons of money and this has caused the government to review its economic growth forecast for this year.

The deployment of troops and movement of military equipment to the English-speaking regions have left the government with a huge and scary financial bill.  Its economic partners and foreign investors are reluctant to pour money into a country they consider as a black hole. Poor economic policies and corruption have reduced the country’s attraction and this is costing it tons of jobs. Cameroon’s unemployment rate is very high and the youths are the most affected, especially as the government is governed by the old who clearly belong to a different epoch. Their ability to introduce innovative measures to power the economy is impaired by greed and outdated economic theories.

The Southern Cameroons crisis that is gradually sapping the country’s economy of it vitality remains a major concern to the government. The government’s inability to contain this crisis is baffling many people across the globe. A crisis that started with just socio-professional demands has been mismanaged, causing it to metamorphose into a full-blown civil war that is threatening to destabilize the entire sub-region. The fear of having another sticky mess on its hands has left the international community perplexed. There have been calls for a broad-based and inclusive dialogue by the African Union, the Francophonie and the United Nations. But the calls seem not to have reached their destination.

Recently, Nigeria’s former Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on the Cameroon government to take appropriate action to ensure the crisis does not roll over into other countries. Speaking to Jeune Afrique on October 25, 2017, Mr. Obasanjo discussed the crisis in Cameroon’s restive English-speaking regions. He used the occasion to denounce Mr. Biya’s continued stay in power, adding that “federalism is a good system of governance because thanks to federalism, each party can express itself on the future of the country and move at its own pace without disturbing others.” He added that in a federal system each state would have its executive, judiciary, and legislature, stressing that matters pertaining to nationality, currency and foreign policy will be the business of the federal government. He underscored that the fear inspired by anti-federalism was not justified, adding that he could mediate if given the opportunity to do so.

But all these calls have fallen on deaf ears. Mr. Biya and his plethoric government are hard of hearing. The Cameroon government is still counting on its policy of attrition. It is noted for leaving things to time. But this time around, time does not seem to be on its side. Armed groups are cropping up across the entire region and their actions have left the government in a tight spot. The armed groups have succeeded to kidnap a few government officials and they are threatening to kidnap more as a strategy that will push the government into telling the world where their arrested leaders are.

The groups also hold that this may help to reduce the abuses that are fueling the conflict.These abuses are ongoing and getting serious by the day. The international community is concerned about the Cameroon government’s refusal to call for genuine and inclusive dialogue. And its approach to the resolution of this conflict has been criticized by the International Crisis Group and other rights groups. It should be recalled that Southern Cameroonians leaders are being held incommunicado in Yaounde and this fueling the violence in the restive regions. Cameroon is not playing by international rules and by refusing access to the jailed Southern Cameroonian leaders, Mr. Biya’s government is clearly telling the world that it is an iron fist in a velvet glove, an accusation many Cameroonians have been making for years.

Behind the government’s facade, there are genuine and justifiable fears. Southern Cameroonians fighters have been making significant gains in recent times. The killing of over 300 army soldiers remains a concern to the government. Besides, its near-empty coffers are causing the country’s president to lose sleep. Last week, the government had to cancel an international cycling event due to a lack of financial resources. But it is the Africa Cup of Nations that is keeping government officials awake all night. The stadia are yet to be completed, the country’s road infrastructure is begging for improvement and with the violence in the English-speaking regions taking a turn for the worse, it is clear that Southern Cameroonian fighters would like to use the event to make a huge statement to the government and international community.

Yesterday’s cabinet meeting that was held behind closed doors and supposedly chaired by the country’s president, Paul Biya, speaks to the growing fear that is taking root within government circles. According to our sources which elected anonymity, the meeting focused on security. The sources added that Mr. Biya said the government was winning the fight to secure the country’s English-speaking regions and the Far North which is riled by incessant attacks from the Boko Haram group. If security was the only item on the agenda, then Southern Cameroonian fighters are having a huge impact on a government that has been orchestrating a charade.

In a statement published on the CRTV website, Mr. Biya said “Thanks to the firm action of our defense and security forces, we have been able to drastically curb the atrocities perpetrated by criminal groups in the Far North, North-West and South-West Regions.Efforts in that regard need to be continued, especially to ensure that economic and social activities return to normalcy,” adding that “There are a lot of things to do.” He pointed to the Africa Cup of Nations which Cameroon will host next year and the presidential election scheduled for October 2018.

There cannot be any better way of expressing the government’s fear. Mr. Biya’s statement above speaks volumes. It is obvious that the government has taken a blow to the liver and it is scrambling for solutions. Its rhetoric looks more like a charade. While putting a brave face, the government knows that there are major concerns and this year’s elections could spell the end of a system that is loathed by many Cameroonians.

The government, for its part, is not resting on its laurels. It has always rigged elections and it masters the art and science of robbing the people of their victory. In 1992, the popular SDF Chairman, John Fru Ndi, beat Mr. Biya in an election that was highly contested. But the Supreme Court that was acting as the constitutional council handed the victory to Mr. Biya who after that consolidated his grip on power.

Today there is a constitutional council and it is headed and populated by Mr. Biya’s men. Even the country’s elections body, ELECAM, is full of members of the ruling party. It is therefore clear that Cameroonians are in for more trouble. They will be seeing more of the Biya drama for the next eight years and the ailing and aging Biya is determined to hold on to power by all means even though his health is failing him.

However, there is something Cameroonians are counting on. The country’s youthful population believes that it can help counter any Machiavellian plan the ruling party is hatching. Many younger voters are currently registering to vote and they are determined that their votes must count. Besides, many opposition parties understand that a younger candidate may tilt the scale in this year’s election and that explains why the Social Democratic Front (SDF) has produced a younger presidential candidate in the name of Joshua Osih who is not only bilingual, but very conversant with the political machinations of the ruling party that have robbed the people of their victory in the past.

The government’s charade is obvious. The fears are easy to perceive. It is up to Cameroonians to take major actions that will help them kiss the Biya government a lasting goodbye. In this struggle to reboot the country, individualism is not the best option. Cameroonians must sink their differences if they really want to rid themselves of this government that has robbed them of their happiness. A holistic approach is also very necessary. While the fighting in the restive English-speaking regions is continuing, Southern Cameroonians must also understand that change could also come through the ballot boxes. They must register to vote and they must help to sensitize their Francophone colleagues who are considered to be politically inactive.

By Kingsley Betek, with contributions from Etchi Ebot and Soter Agbaw-Ebai in Dublin, Ireland.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday Washington was considering lifting a travel ban on Chad, offering an olive branch to a key ally in the fight against terrorist groups in West Africa.

The top US diplomat flew into the Chadian capital N’Djamena on the last day of a truncated tour of Africa with stop-offs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigeria – all front-line partners against ISIL and al-Qaeda off-shoots.

It was his first diplomatic visit to the continent where many are still smarting from US President Donald Trump’s reported dismissal of states there as “sh**hole” countries in
January. Trump later denied making the comment.

Tillerson said Chad had made important steps to strengthen control over its security and passports. “These steps I think are going to allow us to begin to normalize the travel
relationship with Chad,” he told reporters.

A report on Chad’s progress was being prepared in Washington and would be reviewed by President Trump next month, Tillerson said. “We have to wait for the final report,” he added.

Tillerson, who had met Chad’s President Idriss Deby previously while serving as CEO of ExxonMobil, said he was concerned about the presence of ISIL-allied militants in the Sahel and called Chad an “important partner.”

In September, The Trump White House added Chad – along with North Korea and Venezuela – to a list of countries whose citizens are restricted from travelling to the United States -drawing protests from Chad and others including France which works closely with the Chadian military.

Tillerson’s entourage earlier said he had been forced to cut short the African tour on Monday to return to deal with urgent work in Washington.

He is due to fly on to Nigeria after Chad, but will spend just a few hours there on Monday evening rather than the overnight visit originally planned. There was no immediate
response from Abuja.

“Due to demands in the Secretary’s schedule, he is returning to the U.S. one day early after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria,” Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein told reporters.

The Africa tour coincided with several urgent foreign policy developments, including Thursday’s announcement that US President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Tillerson, 65, cancelled some events in Kenya on Saturday, saying he was feeling unwell.

(Source: Reuters)

The Southern Cameroons crisis that started in late 2016 has put Cameroon in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, especially regarding human rights abuses. Over the last fifteen months, the country’s English-speaking regions have witnessed huge human rights abuses that have caught the attention of human rights groups and the United Nations.

Besides physical abuse, others human rights have been abused by the government and its forces which have been using legal and illegal means to suppress the people living in the two restive English-speaking regions of the  country.

In 2016 when the conflict was still in its infancy, instead of seeking peaceful ways to address the demands of the protesting English-speaking minority, the Yaounde government instead opted for an iron-fist approach which has caused a protest that started as a socio-professional issue to metamorphose into a full blown civil war wherein hundreds of lives – military and civilian – have been lost.

In 2016, striking lawyers were beaten and tortured by police officers in public, while Buea University students who were simply calling for a peaceful discussion with university authorities over fees increases were made to drink raw sewage. Even those who escaped to their hostels were pursued by the police. Many girls were raped and many young men and women were taken  to the police station and ever since, nothing has been heard about them. The government is yet to account for all the students who had been arrested during the student strike and the vice chancellor who was responsible for the strike, Professor NalovaLyonga Pauline Egbe, has been rewarded with a ministerial position.

But the abuses reached their zenith in January 2017 when Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla and Dr. Fontem Neba were arrested as negotiations between the government and Anglophone leaders stalled. This resulted in the disconnection of the Internet across the English-speaking region and the deployment of troops and special forces in the two regions. The abuses and the government’s use of military violence to check the demonstrations caused things to spiral out of control.

Schools and courts were closed, and ghost town operations were organized by angry English-speaking Cameroonians with the objective of bringing the government to the negotiating table for the form of the state to be discussed. But the government refusal to discuss the form of the state has caused the conflict to drag on and this has resulted in moderate English-speaking Cameroonians to move from federalism to secession. And this is causing the conflict to take a turn for the worse.

Today, the extrajudicial killings are a daily affair and ordinary citizens are also killing and maiming soldiers in retaliation for the killing of many civilians. The arrest of secessionists leaders in Nigeria on January 5, 2018, and their illegal extradition to Yaounde in late January have not helped matters. These leaders have been held incommunicado for almost two months and this is a concern to rights groups which hold that they deserve a fair trial and access to lawyers.

The abuses are ongoing and getting serious by the day. The international community is concerned about the Cameroon government’s refusal to call for genuine and inclusive dialogue. And its approach to the resolution of this conflict has been criticized by the International Crisis Group. In its report that was released after the English-speaking regions declared their independence last October, the rights group decried government action.

“On 1 October, tens of thousands of people began a peaceful march (holding a plant symbolising peace and chanting “no violence”) to proclaim the independence of Ambazonia (the name given by secessionists to their hypothetical state). In Bamenda, Buea and across dozens of towns and communities, people marched and hoisted Ambazonian flags at intersections and atop the residences of traditional chiefs as well as onto a police station and a gendarmerie post. Independence was symbolically proclaimed in chiefs’ compounds,” the report said.

It added that “Defence and security forces responded with disproportionate force, leading to at least 40 deaths and over 100 injured protesters between 28 September and 2 October. This death toll is the result of live ammunition and excessive use of tear gas, including in homes and against the faithful as they left church. Defence and security forces arrested hundreds of people without warrant, including in their homes. They made use of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Sexual abuse, destruction of property and looting of homes by soldiers and police, as well as shooting from helicopters at protesters in Kumba, Bamenda and near Buea were reported by a dozen residents, local politicians, senior officials, the press, human rights organisations and the Catholic bishops of the two regions.”

It pointed out that “The villages of secessionist leaders such as Ewele, Akwaya, Eyumodjock and Ekona were targeted by the defence and security forces, forcing thousands of young men to flee to the bush for fear of being killed or arrested and tortured. According to the witness statements of locals, a policeman and a soldier deployed in the zone, “soldiers are murdering some people in their homes and shooting at the feet of others”. On his Facebook page, the former Supreme Court judge, Ayah Paul Abine, claims to have escaped assassination at his home in Akwaya, which was also reportedly looted by soldiers. Violence, arrests and looting by military and police continued throughout the following week, notably in the department of Manyu. Suspected of secessionism, Deputy Mayor of Ndu was reportedly killed at home by the military on 2 October.”

The constant abuse of human rights in the English-speaking regions has also not escaped the attention of the United Nations. The global body’s human rights chief has called on the government to help de-escalate tensions in the restive regions of the country. The United Nations human rights chief has stressed that it is in the interest of the Cameroonian government to de-escalate tensions arising from the Anglophone crisis.

In an oral update by ZeidRa’ad Al Hussein to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council on March 7, 2018; he added that his office had yet to be granted access to monitor rights violations in the two English-speaking regions.

His address also addressed the arrest of Anglophone leaders in Nigeria and their subsequent deportation to Cameroon, where they are yet to be put before court. The U.N. has criticized the move, saying it violated international principles.

“Allegations of summary executions of civilians by members of the security forces have been reported,and are generating widespread resentment. I regret that my Office has not been given access to verify these allegations,” he said.

The Anglophone regions remain under curfew imposed by their respective governors. The curfews have been imposed supposedly to allow security forces to contain attacks by armed separatists on members of the security forces.

Since January 2018, more than 30 members of the security forces – the military, police and gendarmes – have so far been killed in guerilla style attacks, especially at checkpoints, with the latest taking place in Kumba on March 8. The separatists have also reported having kidnapped two government officials and efforts to locate the two officers have been futile.

Despite growing insecurity in the two regions, the government still maintains that there is security in the regions. It has however recently created a fifth military region in the capital of the North West region, Bamenda. The move has been seen as a means to face off with the separatists.

The separatists have since October 2017 attempted to breakaway from the Francophone region and this has resulted in bloodshed and tensions which are affected the country’s ailing economy.Despite international calls for dialogue to end the crisis which is also creating a humanitarian situation with people fleeing into Nigeria, the government has relentlessly been pursuing its policy of repression and attrition which is not producing any meaningful results.

Mr. ZeidRa’ad Al Hussein has expressed concerns about the deteriorating situation in Cameroon, regretting that the Yaounde government has not given its office access to the region in order to investigate the numerous abuses that have been brought to its attention.

“In Cameroon, what appears to be long-standing structural discrimination in the Anglophone region of the country has led to continuing clashes between security forces and separatist groups,” he said, adding that “The arrest, in Nigeria, of 47 Anglophone community leaders, and their extradition to Cameroon has reportedly led to renewed violence in the south-west and north-west regions of the country.”

“Allegations of summary executions of civilians by members of the security forces have been reported, and are generating widespread resentment. I regret that my Office has not been given access to verify these allegations,” he pointed out, stressing that “Acknowledging the complex challenges facing the authorities – including renewed displacement from the Central African Republic and the increase in Boko Haram attacks in the north – I urge the Government to make every effort to de-escalate the conflict in the Anglophone regions, and to allow unimpeded access to human rights monitors so that accurate information on the situation can inform constructive engagement on the way forward.”

The curfew in Cameroon’s North West region has been extended by another week by the governor. A March 4, 2018, press release said the extension was to contain growing threats from secessionist activities.The governor “has renewed the regional order restricting the movement of persons and property as from the 3rd of March 2018 from 09 PM to 05 AM within the North West Region for a period of one week renewable,” the release said.

The North Wes Governor, Adolphe LeleLafrique, also appealed to the population “to better collaborate with the law enforcement agencies to ‘put an end to the detrimental activities of secessionist activists and a few misguided individuals who are taking our peace loving and hospitable region hostage.”

Under the measure, movement of vehicles, persons and goods shall be strictly forbidden between 9 pm and 5 am. All public places like restaurants snack bars and night clubs shall remain closed.All transport terminals shall remain closed and night travel buses shall be expected to leave town before the curfew sets in. Circulation of motorbikes is completely suspended.

The orders, however, do not apply to administrative authorities, forces of law and order, persons and vehicles in possession of special authorisations to circulate, and ambulances.

The adjoining South West region also imposed a month-long curfew over similar security concerns. The two regions are at the heart of the Anglophone crisis, where separatists are seeking to breakaway from French-majority Cameroon.

The tensions and abuse tolerated by the government have made many soldiers to be trigger-happy. On Thursday, a motor-cyclists was killed in Kumba, southwest region, just because he did not stop when the country’s flag was being brought down.

In Ndian Division in the southwest region, army soldiers are on a rampage and they have burned down many homes, leaving many residents homeless. This has been the government strategy ever since it deployed troops in the two English-speaking regions. Villages such as Kwakwa and Kembong have seen more than half of their homes burnt to the ground as a reprisal for any uniformed officers killed in the towns. The government that is supposed to protect civilians has finally turned against its own people and this has resulted in gross violation of human rights.

From the look of things, this conflict still has many more scenes. If the international community does not step in, Cameroon, a country once touted as an island of peace in a desert of chaos, will surely go the way of its fragile neighborS.

By Pelagie Ebot in Kumba

Every Anglophone must let the world know that our people are being massacred because of our God-given natural resources. This is a debate the Biya regime and its supporters don’t want because they cannot defend the wanton and systemic pillage and exploitation of Anglophone resources to finance a Beti cabal of tribal jingoists, while a majority of Anglophones are wallowing in poverty.

Can anyone explain why the public investment budget for the South region is more than the combined budget for the two Anglophone regions which produce over 60% of national GDP? We must tell the true story of the Anglophone resistance.

Contrary to what the conventional western media has been reporting, the issue is not about national unity and territorial integrity or French marginalization of English. This struggle is about a people who produce 60% of Cameroon’s wealth with little or nothing to show for it.

Change always comes when the present generation decides to no longer accept what the last generation accepted. Biya will have to kill all eight million Anglophones to continue stealing our resources. We will fight till the last man. The resistance continues…