Politics

If there is one English expression Cameroon’s Minister of Communication and the Government’s Spokesman, Issa Tchiroma Bakari, seems to have fallen in love with, it is “hidden agenda”.

Hardly a day goes by without him, in his usual chatty, garrulous, and loud-mouthed manner, mentioning it, either in private or in public. And, from the way he talks, it definitely haunts his dreams as well.

To him, anything that the Anglophone leaders in captivity have ever done has had a “hidden agenda” to it. When asked why the government would hold talks with the civil society leaders and trade unions of the Anglophone sub-system of education, and then turn round, capture and imprison them the next day, his answer was that the said individuals had a “hidden agenda”, which, from every indication, his government has been unable to decipher.

Imagine a whole government with all the intelligence machinery at its disposal not being able to figure out what this famous “hidden agenda” is! Their repressive machinery is perhaps torturing the poor captives in their jails, hoping to extract from them the code to the said “hidden agenda”. But has there ever been a hidden agenda? How can people who have never made a secret of their political convictions, which they sing from rooftops to whoever cares to listen, be said to have a hidden agenda? Take the word ‘secession’, for example, which seems to punch sleep out of the eyes of the members of the ruling oligarchy in this country.

When has it ever been a “hidden” word? In fact, I know people in this land, hard-core secessionists, who have militated for secession from Francophone Cameroon from the dawn of our independence. Some of them were rewarded with long years of imprisonment and are now deceased (Albert Mukong, “a prisoner without a crime”) and others, after being released from jail, preferred the calm dignity of life in a foreign country to the constant acts of humiliation in a land that should rightly have been theirs (Gorgi Dinka, among others). But the majority of them are right here at home, militating for, and openly clamoring for Southern Cameroons’ divorce from this ‘marriage’, which God himself had put asunder from inception, to quote the well-known journalist, Epie Ngome (“Mr. Rambler”). Driving them underground, as the government in its panic, has just done, is definitely not the solution.

Give them space in the sun (their own “Lebensraum”), listen to them, or just ignore them. That is better than the repressive methods currently in force. When their repressed, pent-up frustration does erupt, it might not be so easy to contain its volcanic intensity. Many Anglophone historians have been categorical in asserting that by knocking off one of the two stars from our flag and then unearthing and dusting the name his country bore prior to unification, that is, “La Republique du Cameroun”, President Biya had effectively led his country out of the union of the two countries. In other words, La Republique had seceded of its own volition from the union. Anglophone secessionists are using such historical evidence to militate for the restoration of their “home land”, Southern Cameroons, the land of their forefathers, the ‘land of promise’.

They have proclaimed their convictions from rooftops and in the public square before the recent sledgehammer fell on them. Another word that is, strangely enough, being bantered around as an item on the “hidden agenda” is ‘federalism’. Why a form of government that had served as a foundation stone of our union is now being decried “as null and void” is puzzling, to put it mildly. Cameroon had a federal system of government, which Ahidjo killed and his successor Biya buried but which, like the now legendary ‘cubes of sugar’, has refused to dissolve in buckets of opprobrium.

There is no hidden agenda here either. Proponents of a return to a federal system have also been making their voices loudly heard in the different media outlets inside and outside the country – the suspension of the internet connectivity to the two Anglophone regions of the country notwithstanding. So where does the hidden agenda come from?

Another word which the government itself has bantered around for years but which has proved to be nothing short of a hollow gong, is ‘decentralization’. There are people even among Anglophones, and I believe it is their democratic right, who believe that ‘decentralization’ of the administration is the way to go. And if the said ‘decentralization’ is what we have seen over the years, then one can only wish them ‘good luck’. I believe since Mr. Tchiroma’s government itself claims to be working on ‘decentralization’, the said word is no longer hiding in any agenda. Whatever the case, people with ‘hidden agendas’ are those who are not bold enough to openly express their political convictions. I don’t see that happening among Anglophones today.

Where then is Minister Tchiroma’s “hidden agenda”? The answer is blowing in the wind

Details

Martin Jumbam

23.Feb.2017

Hits: 2996

Mark Bareta, interim leader of the Anglophone Consortium in Cameroon reports that the Consortium has been reliably informed and confirmed that the DO of Tiko in the South West region of Cameroon, ordered the mass arrest of Southern Cameroonian minors yesterday at a local Market in the city. The consortium reports that the DO with police officers stormed the Tiko market, arrested and chained all minors who were at the market selling and helping their parents. The DO was furious that these minors were helping their parents instead of going to school. The corrupt DO and his officers went ahead asking for 25.000 CFA from parents before releasing these minors. As we write, these minors are presently under detentionl in Buea, the regional Capital.

Details

Rita Akana

23.Feb.2017

Hits: 2948

The opening of the 2017 Judicial year was chaired by the president of the Supreme Court, Daniel Mekobe sone yesterday, 22. February 2017 in Yaounde.The theme was on jungle justice.

He regretted that Cameroonians are losing confidence in the law and prefer to carry out jungle justice instead of seeking redress in courts The president of the Supreme Court during the opening of the 2017 judicial year has denounced violence and strike actions in the anglophone regions of Cameroon, as well as the fact that children in the North West and South West regions are scared of going to school.

He observed that cases are poorly judged and lawyers don't take the interest of clients to heart.He warned that those taking the laws into their hands will be dealt with He lauded government efforts to solve the anglophone lawyers worries with the translation of the Ohada uniform acts to English and called on the head of state to take appropriate measures to end the crisis rocking the judiciary sector.

The judicial year opened with the noticeable absence of the 4th attorney general, justice Ayah Paul Abine who is currently under detntion in Yaounde.The supreme court president,Mekobe Sone evaded the issue in his address.The event comes admits social tensions in the anglophone regions, that has grounded courts in the area, leaving litigants in a state of confusion.

Details

Rita Akana

23.Feb.2017

Hits: 1762

Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers have attacked the Cameroonian town of Amchide in the country’s far north.

There are two dead and two injured for now, reported prominent Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.

The suicide attack took place on Wednesday afternoon, the newspaper said in French.

Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc in Cameroon since 2014. There have now been about 500 attacks and over 50 successful suicide bombings that have killed about 150 soldiers and policemen and close to 2000 civilians. There have also been about 60 unsuccessful suicide attempts within three years.

More than 1000 people have also been kidnapped in Cameroon even as the battle has been raging around Lake Chad where the son of Boko Haram founder is in charge.

Reports have said the Boko Haram faction led by Abu Musa al-barnawi, the son of Mohammed Yusuf, which is located around Lake Chad, has been attacking security forces and trying to indoctrinate impoverished population there that the enemy was the secular way of life, and not the terrorists who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and modelled their atrocities after the Middle East killers.

The other faction led by Abubakar Shekau has suffered setbacks in recent time with the fall of Camp Zero inside the Sambisa forest. But that faction is not defeated as members seem to have relocated to Gwoza.

Like in Cameroon, the regional war seems to be widening again in Nigeria in recent months and the Governor of Borno state, the birth place of Boko Haram, last week called a security meeting as things worsen.

The Nigerian government has been claiming that Boko Haram had been defeated and could no longer launch massive attacks against security forces. But recent events have put a lie to that claim.

Details

Simon Ateba

22.Feb.2017

Hits: 2117

This is for my non-cameroonian family and friends trying to understand what is going on in Cameroon.

For decades a minority English-speaking region has faced institutional marginalisation and social disregard. The educational and legal system best reflect it. E.g entry into higher training institutions for civil service, medicine school etc were largely only available in French although the constitution states both English and French are official languages. For this reason until lately (less than 10yrs) almost all English speaking doctors of Cameroonian origin were forced to train abroad, mostly through personal efforts.

In the last months this minority has been on strikes initiated by lawyers and teachers, using civil disobedience to get their voices heard. Negotiations were started by the government who turned around and arrested all the negotiators and leading activists for threatening national security and integrity. Internet has also been clamped down in the english speaking regions of Cameroon since Jan 17th.

Arbitrary arrests of persons seen as a threat to the government are going on. Many are on the run. The number of deaths officially range btw 6 to 10 persons.

The people have since then decided to continue the strikes which mostly affects courts and schools.
The document you find below is a ministerial order asking the rector of a university to translate upcoming exams in English.

The most important detail in this document which is only written in French as usual is the given reason for the needed translation: because of the current crisis in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions.

So it is not because it is constitutionally right to do so but simply because the people are protesting. This is just another proof of Anglophone Marginalisation in Institutions.

Senior Journalist Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai commented on the said document from the minister on his Facebook wall:

Details

Rita Akana

22.Feb.2017

Hits: 2495

                                                                                                    ALL SOUTHERN CAMEROONS [AMBAZONIA] EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
                                                                                                                     Brussels-Belgium: March 31 - April 2, 2017

Conference Theme: ‘‘Building Global Synergy towards the Restoration of the Statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons”
Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) the world over will be concerting in a Three (3) day Conference in Brussels - the capital of Europe, from March 31 - April 2, 2017 on the Theme:  ‘‘Building Global Synergy towards the Restoration of the Statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons”

The objectives of the Conference shall be a come together of all Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) of goodwill, all stakeholders involved in the Restoration of the Statehood and Independence of the former British Southern Cameroons, all the leaders of any movements involved in the liberation of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) at home and abroad.

This Conference is being organised by Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) in Europe and will be held abroad instead of at home, for reasons we already know. Given that Nation Building is a Civic Responsibility and State Loyalty is an Obligation, it is therefore our civic responsibility as Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) to participate fully and or setup a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in the Building of Our Nation.

In order to successfully build up an outstanding nation, we need visionary, patriotic, selfless and level-headed people. We have a nation under colonial occupation with conspiracy and manipulation from France in particular, some agencies of the United Nations and some of our own greedy and overzealous Southern Cameroons elites and politicians.  

The annexed and colonised peoples of the Southern Cameroons (Ambazonians) have suffered for the past 55 years; subjected to numerous forms of atrocities including: the suppression of the rights of association and meetings; suppression of the right to freedom of expression; shutting-down of the internet in the entire Southern Cameroons territory; maiming, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, arbitrary arrests and summary executions. We are facing the possibility of a genocide being committed by the Government of La Republique du Cameroun against our people. For over five decades, we have complained, protested, wept, mourned, and even tried to accept our fate by requesting a compromise proposal of a federation.
Unfortunately, we have only had arrests, maiming, torture, rape, extrajudicial killings/murders, increased exploitation and systematic efforts to eradicate our cultural heritage and complete the process of annexation and wipe out our Anglo-Saxon identity.

Since the early fifties we have risen at different times against the oppressive regime of Cameroun Republic, but the response has been unacceptable brutality. In the wake of the Lawyers and Teachers strike actions, our people have risen from every nook and cranny of the world in one voice. This therefore presents a golden opportunity to Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) to achieve the independence we have been yearning for over decades. Hence the objectives of this Southern Cameroon European Conference 2017 shall be to:

1)    Define a united front for the struggle of the restoration of Southern Cameroons independence;
2)    Harness all efforts and resources both human and material available for this struggle;
3)    Put in place an all-inclusive structure that will coordinate this struggle;
4)    Outline the role of Ambazonians based at home and in the diaspora towards this struggle;
5)    Put in place a robust and accountable fundraising mechanism;
6)    Outline a possible roadmap for the struggle with possible alternatives.
 
In view of all of the above, Ambazonians (Southern Cameroonians) all over Europe, will be meeting in Brussels-Belgium, the European capital and the seat of the European Union for a 3-day Conference from  March 31 – 2 April 2017.

Information on Conference Registration, Programme and Accommodation will provided in our subsequent correspondences. For all enquiries, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr Larry AYAMBA
Conference Chairperson

Details

Dr Larry AYAMBA

22.Feb.2017

Hits: 4539