Politics

The endgame of this struggle is a UN-supervised REFERENDUM. Nothing more nothing less. Like it or not, the UN cannot give Southern Cameroonians federalism or Independence. However, Southern Cameroonians can force the UN to recognize their right of self-determination. The civil disobedience is an effective weapon to achieve that. After the UN have recognized this right they will then accept to supervise a free and fair Referendum. The truth of the matter is that LRC does not want even to hear the word "federation", let alone independence.

The solution of our marginalisation can therefore not come from LRC. LRC wants to maintain the Status quo with cosmetic measures such as the commission on bilingualism, etc. Dialogue according to LRC is for Southern Cameroonians to accept the "one and indivisible" form of the state of LRC.

The endgame of a referendum is achievable because history has proven that the Slogan of a ” ONE AND INDIVISIBLE COUNTRY ” is a myth.

The “ruling elite” in Cameroon is not the first to claim that the Country will remain “one and indivisible”. Many dictators before Biya have only used such slogans to cling to power. Permit me to cite a few of them:

1. Dictator Josef Wissarionowitsch Stalin vowed that the Soviet Union will remain “one and indivisible” ad infinitum. However, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 resulted in the creation of 15 independent countries.
2. Dictator Josip Broz Tito promised that Yugoslavia will remain “one and indivisible” forever. Today we know that he was only day-dreaming
3. Dictator Umar al-Baschir swore that Sudan was “one and indivisible”. Today we know that he was simply playing to the gallery.
4. Dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam pledged that Ethiopia will remain “one and indivisible”. Today Eritrea is an independent country
5. Dictator Edvard Beneš swore that Czechoslovakia will remain “one and indivisible”. Today there are Czech Republic and slovakia as independent couintries
6. General Suharto vowed that Indonesia will remain “one and indivisible “. However, today East Timor is an independent state.
7. etc.

Southern Cameroonians should therefore ignore the fear mongering of Agents of LRC that more bloodwill be spillt if we want to separate from Biya's so-called "one and indivisible" LRC. The truth of the matter is that the BIR of LRC can NEVER EVER maintain LRC “one and indivisible”. The Soviet Union was the second most powerful nation in the world but she disintegrated into 15 independent states.

The only guarantee for a “one and indivisible” Cameroon is the dismantling of the SYSTEMIC marginalisation of the minority Anglophones.

Southern Cameroonians MUST therefore continue with the civil disobedience and even intensify it until the UN recognises our right of self-determination by accepting to supervise a REFERENDUM.

End.

I will be back.
Mark Bareta
From Bui County
Southern Cameroons
Follow the struggle and not individuals

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Mark Bareta

13.Apr.2017

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Cameroun Audit Conseil and CBL Consulting two selected service providers who failed to meet up with desired standards in delivering the integrated Personal Management system used by the state of Cameroon may soon have a second chance. Michel Ange Angouing, the minister in charge of the Civil Service (Minfopra) says the integrated Management System which goes by its French acronym as Système informatique de gestion intégrée des personnels de l’Etat et de la solde, deuxième génération (Sigipes II) presented by  the two service providers last year, did not have all necessary components.

In a recent cabinet meeting convened in Yaounde by the Prime Minister Philemon Yang in Yaounde to audit the SIGIPES II project which will cost some 7.5 billion Frs CFA, Michel Ange Angouing said he was already in touch with the service providers to make sure that the software was delivered with all components to the satisfaction of all parties.

Pundits have praised the move of the state to acquire such sophisticated software which will clean up the ghost workers from the Cameroon payroll and ensure proper civil service personnel management but are worried over the fact that corrupt Cameroonians may still be the ones to operate the software. Many have said “Nothing might change”.

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Ndi Derek Giyoh

13.Apr.2017

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Lawyers in West Cameroon have lost income for six months and their families are suffering. Were they sacrificing for the usual promises?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

Consortium Leaders are in jail, some on self exile, while their families are suffering in Cameroon. Did they ask for promises?
No, Mr. President of Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

Over 100 West Cameroonians, arbitrarily arrested and incarcerated in East Cameroon are suffering in jails for months. Is that why they are paying this price?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

Some of our children have been killed and their families are still in pain. Did they die for promises?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

Our children have sacrificed a whole academic year; parents have lost school fees paid; teachers in private schools are without salary for 5 months now. Is that what they sacrificed (and are still sacrificing) for?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

Business people in West Cameroon have lost income from sales by adhering to Ghost Towns. Some have seen their fortune go up in flames! What have they got in return?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

My colleagues are in jail while others have been forced to go on exile for daring to stand for the TRUTH! Are Lawyers not the watchdogs (whistle-blowers) of society?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.
How can I go to court in a country where a Superscale Magistrate in active Service at the Supreme Court (Ayah Paul Abine) is arrested and incarcerated with impunity ~ without due process?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

How can I go to court when an Honorable Member of Parliament (Joseph Wirba) who did nothing more than his duty as a true Representative of the people (and not a hand-clapper) has been forced out of his country for telling the TRUTH?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

West Cameroonians have suffered more than enough in this Triangle since 1961 as their heritage has been completely wiped out!
Where is Cameroon Bank?
Where is NPMB?
Where is WADA?
Where is PWD?
Where is Yoke Power Station?
Where is Santa Coffee Estate?
Where are our much cherished Institutions? Health? Education? Justice? Law and Order? Etc, etc?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, you are not an Anglophone and I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017.

If I should go to court on the 02.05.2017 or thereafter:

1. ALL our brothers and sisters arrested as a result of the strike action that we (Common Law Lawyers) started on the 11.10.2016 must be UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASED (with guarantees that there won’t be any further arbitrary arrests).

2. Internet Connection cut off from West Cameroon on 18.01.2017 must be re-instated.

3. The towns and villages of West Cameroon flooded with soldiers, must be de-militarized.

When the above pre-conditions would have been met, dialogue will resume so that the problem of marginalization of Anglophones in Cameroon is dealt with once and for all. The time is Now!

Is this a poem?
No, Mr. President of the Cameroon Bar Council, I won’t go to court on the 02.05.2017 or any date thereafter as I’m ready to boycott the courts for two years (renewable) until JUSTICE is done and seen to have been done to us.

ShuSheey AKUWIYADZE,
(Barrister-At-Law)
Kumbo.
West Cameroon.

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Rita Akana

13.Apr.2017

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Dr. Richard Tanto, International Peace Consultant and Director of Ecumenical Service for Peace Yaounde, says the government of Cameroon needs to update itself with new principles in Leadership and security.

According to the Peace Engineer, most leaders of Cameroon who think that leadership is measured by command rather than by service are still lagging behind.

“Gone are those days when leadership was measured by the command leaders had on those they led; leadership has undergone a paradigm shift and good leadership is nowadays measured by how well leaders serve their people rather than how well they command their people. In the current Anglophone crisis, the government needs to see the problems posed by activists as an existing vacuum that needs to be filled rather than always reacting to situations without proper analysis to the causes ” says the Peace Guru.

On the other hand, many African governments sometimes define their security only by the size of their forces of law and order. According to Dr. Richard Tanto, they are leaving a very important aspect out.

“There is a marked shift from security which depends on the forces of law and order and security which depends on providing people’s basic needs and ensuring their human rights. The Cameroon government should lay emphasis on meeting the needs of the governed and not repressing them” says Dr. Richard.

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Ndi Derek Giyoh

12.Apr.2017

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 Members of Parliament of Southern Cameroons extraction and to a certain extent the Senators (because they are elected by indirect suffrage, while others are appointed outright) have in recent days been subject of so much talk and even angry debates. A good lot of them have been called and insulted, others bullied and yet a sound number threatened to stand with their constituents. This far, not a single one of them has promised to resign from the Parliament of La République du Cameroun. Two things must be standing in the way of the desired objective; either the approach is wrong, or the ‘representatives’ of the people have closed their eyes to the sufferings of the masses and their hearts to their own consciences.

Several definitions of conscience abound, given the important role conscience plays in key decision-making, particularly when it concerns the scourge of humanity. This of course, concerns only those people who still have consciences; and we at The Times Journal are convinced that a majority of our Parliamentarians still have this vital part of the human being. The importance of having a conscience can be easily deciphered from this definition offered to us by H.L Mencken; “Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking”.

John Calvin extends Mencken’s thought, adding that; “The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul”. This contribution only goes to tell us that conscience is so important in all we do. He who decides to ignore his or her conscience at a critical moment like this one may truly miss the point in life not only for themselves, but for generations of their descendants. This is so because at a certain age, those who reason well will understand that their future is in the past, while the present should serve to prepare a better future for their children and grandchildren.

Some of the biggest figures in history remind us that no matter how great you think you are, no matter how big you imagine yourself to be and no matter how seemingly secure your standing is, the conscience call remains too paramount. Just listen to Mahatma Gandhi; “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the ‘still small voice’ within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority”.

Where Gandhi speaks with caution, Martin Luther blows the abscess open when he insists that; “It is neither right nor safe to go against my conscience”. This brings us to the fundamental question as to when we know someone has ever had or still has a conscience. This is where Gaylord Nelson sails in by establishing in an unambiguous manner that; “The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard”.
Thus, going from Jim Carroll’s point of view that “Conscience is no more than the dead speaking to us”, we are praying our Parliamentarians not to look so much at the comfort of their offices, the beggarly allowances they are still earning and the empty promises being made to them of a better treatment were they to go all the way and let their people down. A good lot of them, we are told, are being reminded that the people never elected them in the first place; they are being told that the same way they were ‘rigged’ into the Glass Building, shall be the same way they could be taken back to Yaounde in 2018 if they continue cooperating.

Our dear Parliamentarians, true representatives of the people do not give in to blackmail, rather they blackmail in the name of their constituents, they do healthy blackmail in order to attract measures that improve the livelihoods of the people they represent. That is why Martin Luther King Jr. tells us all that; “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right”.

Currently, there is so much talk of our Parliamentarians not being themselves, particularly those of the ruling CPDM Party. There is a school of thought promoting the idea that they are enslaved to the regime and the Head of State, Paul Biya to the point they can no longer reason for themselves. We are told regime barons are constantly telling them to listen to their consciences and not to betray the one man who made them- Paul Biya. It is even rumoured that they are being told that betrayal is common for men with no conscience.

What this means is that our Parliamentarians are today faced with ‘the hard right and the easy wrong’. The easy wrong would be to stand with the oppressor and send a clear message to their constituents that they represent only the Head of State and his interests in Parliament. If they choose the hard right, they shall regain a crucial kind of freedom they lost by belonging to the system. That freedom is found in this beautiful line by John Milton Areopagitica; “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties”.

The notion that our Parliamentarians in huge numbers do not own themselves, not even their very hearts and consciences could be so frightening if it turned out to be true, although for the most part, and over the years, their actions seem to suggest so. In this light, they need to learn from Jon Katz when he says; “The immature conscience is not its own master. It simply parrots the decisions of others. It does not make judgments of its own; it merely conforms to the judgments of others. That is not real freedom, and it makes true love impossible, for if we are to love truly and freely, we must be able to give something that is truly our own to another. If our heart does not belong to us...how can we give it to another?”

This editorial may anger some of our Parliamentarians who out of mere pride, would want to contend that they indeed own their hearts and consciences; they would simply be losing the point. The honest truth is that they need freedom even more than the common man in the Southern Cameroons, because in the eyes of others in the Anglo-Saxon world, they are not so different from a Clarke. That is why this time is the best for them to act, to arrest that much needed freedom, in fact to stand and be counted.
Pride comes before a fall and this is time to shun pride, because as C.G Jung points out; “Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune”. This is the ripe moment for our dear Parliamentarians to handle “something” that is out of tune, and do what history is expecting of them, do what they people are expecting of them, do what their children, grandchildren and generations upon generations of Southern Cameroonians will live to remember them for.

Dear Parliamentarians, permit us to share with you this word of wisdom from Edmond Rostand; “I have a different idea of elegance. I don’t dress like a fop, it’s true, but my moral grooming is impeccable. I never appear in public with a soiled conscience, a tarnished honour, threadbare scruples, or an insult that I haven’t washed away. I’m always immaculately clean, adorned with independence and frankness. I may not cut a stylish figure, but I hold my soul erect. I wear my deeds as ribbons, my wit is sharper than the finest moustache, and when I walk among men I make truths ring like spurs”.

This is the time to think right; it is the time to tell detractors that you are with your people and shall forever be with them. Do not therefore let anyone end up taking credit that they forced you to do what you have known all along that it was right to do.

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John Mbah Akuroh I The Times Journal

11.Apr.2017

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The guy from Bui County: Bara Mark is back. I have always love reading his write ups and I think this is one of it.

Take your time, it is a must read...

The Power Of The Struggle: Sustain it

Good morning Southern Cameroonians.

If anyone should tell you that the actions of this android generation have not had a tool on La Republique government then that person is not truthful. I am beginning to think the shutdown of the internet in Southern Cameroons has been a blessing to us. It has not only expose the regime and rally international community on our case, it has also kept our people in check not to be discouraged with our little disagreements on social media. Our people back home are as pure as before the internet was shut down. This is why La Republique newspapers have been reporting on the Tapang/Bareta/Tassang issue in regards to the Consortium so as to derail our people. More importantly, I learned CRTV for the first time reported about the so-called Tapang/Bareta/Tassang consortium show so as to reach our people in Southern Cameroons. They want to use CRTV to pass on what is happening on social media but they will fail because the Consortium is one and united. Mark and Ivo are back to their activism and blogging. Southern Cameroonians are more than united.

Yes, the power of the struggle has caused La Republique to offer numerous cosmetic solutions. They are trying to catch their own shadow. The train has moved. La Republique will have much to do so as to catch up the train where it is now. And in truth, La Republique should have brought the internet back but they are ashamed because the reason they took it off has not been attained. They do not know what to do but guess what, our people remain resolute.

Guys, we are winning. Take it from me. This regime has never been under this type of pressure since independence. All the activities carried out in Southern Cameroons recently is a show to masked unity and integration. These are desperate attempts likened to a man who is drowning deep in the sea but still, believes someone will save him.

My intelligence intel reports that the idea of a Southern Cameroons Interim Prime Minister is aching the government so much and making them afraid as I write. This is why, we must employ all venues to hit and confuse La Republique, if the idea of an interim PM is making La Republique to panic, then I cannot wait to support such a PM by May 2017. The government seems to be afraid of the new found unity showed by SCACUF.

Other reports from Cameroun suggest that government wants to suspend 2018 elections as a result of this struggle. This is our information to La Republique. Minister Tchiroma, I know you read me. Inform your government that Southern Cameroonians do not care about any elections in Southern Cameroons come 2018 so postponing means nothing to us, lets Camerounese (Francophones) bother and fight about that. As far as Southern Cameroonians are concerned, by blood, iron or whatever means, no election will take place in Southern Cameroons until the right things must have been done. Restoration is our goal.

Away from that, BaretaNews can also predict that should Southern Cameroons elect its first PM by May 2017, a certain European and African country shall be the first to officially endorse the interim PM and his/her government. This is my prediction only. Remember, God has ordained this struggle, so have faith.

Again, I keep calling for calm and restraint from Southern Cameroonians. Focus on the struggle and not individuals, support initiatives from whatever angle which maintain the ground game because if we must lose the ground game, then it is over. We must also focus more on our people in jail to cause their release. We must write about them, tweet about them to continue the sensitization because their presence in jail is also a boost to the struggle. Let us continue to keep the negative energy away and from now henceforth, we should only put in energy how to promote the struggle and most importantly to strengthen the new found unity found in Nigeria led meeting- Do not fight each other, if you don't agree with someone, walk away or disagree constructively. Do not give La Republique newspapers and government the opportunity to laugh at us. We are Southern Cameroonians and we are reclaiming our lost state.

Mark Bareta.
From Bui County
Southern Cameroons.
Follow the struggle and not individuals.

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Mark Bareta

11.Apr.2017

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