Politics
Following the communiqué signed by some leaders of Anglophones Teachers trade unions ending the strike action and calling for schools resumption on February 5, 2017, the governor of the North West region, Adolph Lele L’Afrique, has embarked on a tour of all the seven division of the region to ensure that schools have effectively started.
The Governors tour which started in Donga Mantung division was greeted with utter disappointment as most of the campuses he visited were nearly empty except for a few students and pupils or teachers spotted in assorted dresses, others in their uniforms.
In Nkambe, like in Ndu and Misaje, Governor Adolph Lele L’Afrique was visibly worried and disappointed with non or poor turn-out. At each of the stopovers, the governor encouraged the students and pupils to go back to school. He also called on parents to think of the future of their children should a whole academic year pass without them going back to school.
The strike action that started since November 21, 2016 by some the teachers’ trade union leaders, some of whom are on the run while others have been arrested has reached a dangerous impasse and has taken a new and deathly twist. Celebrations marking the 51st Youth Day celebrations were seriously marred by strike actions as many schools failed to show up for the annual feast.
Reports from the seven divisions of the region had it that, the celebration marking the 51st National Youth Day was low keyed. Some of the youth centers were found empty while others were only represented by school administrative and teaching staff. Meanwhile, in Misaje sub division, like Nkambe the divisional head quarter, a few students showed up while in Ndu, the ceremonial ground was found absolutely empty. At the regional head quarter, Bamenda, the march pass didn’t last for up to 30 minutes unlike in previous occasions where it usually lasted for about four or five hours.
The Sun
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- Rita Akana
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The anglophone Consortium led by interim leaders Mark Bareta and Tapang Ivo have just released an 18 point diplomatic action plan in the struggle to restore the statehood of Southern Cameroons.Below is the outline posted on their Facebook wall:
1. The international community has written
2. US state department has condemn and called for dialogue
3. Karen Bass, US congress woman personally wrote on the issue.
4. Canadian and UK MPs have individually written on our case.
5. Dr. Balla University in USA has petition the United Nations
6. All mainstream media(CNN BBC RT etc) has written
7. Aljeezeraa has been on our case
8. The University of Pretoria human rights center, the top in Africa has
requested South Africa government to intervene and help us. They also have asked UN to appoint a mediator.
9. African Bar Association has also condemned
10. International Commission of Justice wrote bitterly and chastised La Republique
11. Amnesty internationaal has called for dialogue and release of our leaders
12. UN expert wrote and called for Internet restoration
13. African Union Chair had also condemned and calling for dialogue
14. Diaspora has been on weekly protest in all embassies
15. Punchline Africa TV together with other media in Africa has been voicing our concerns.
16. France Radio International-RFI today morning debated our case seriously
17. Some major European and African countries will be pushing our case further. We are sorry we cannot disclose the names but rest assured it will change the face of the struggle in due time.
18. UN fact finding mission according to our Intel are planning to come in if we hold on to the protest
And much more actions have been going on diplomatically but diplomacy is slow but we would get there. We have been annexed for 56 years. We are just 3 months into the struggle. All those actions above give our case international attention. All we ask for our people is to remain resolute, to be patient and continue shutting down schools as well as observing ghost towns. These two actions back home hurt La Republique and with the diplomatic push we are doing out here will lead us to freedom. Stay the struggle on. Victory is near.
Mark Bareta and Tapang Ivo.
For the Consortium.
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- Rita Akana
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"While there is Internet and telephone blackout in Southern Cameroons, and over 4 million people have been forced by a rogue and repressive government to live as if they were in one big jail without any rights, the Cameroun Ambassador to Washington is planning on having a photo opp party to celebrate the victory of their national team at the last African Cup of Nations. His big plan, in accordance with what his government has been doing in Yaounde, is to say Cameroon is "one and indivisible".
Embassy staff are calling around trying to have as many Southern Cameroonians as possible to attend the event.
What do you think? I think it should either be boycotted or, Southern Cameroonians should invade the space and let all the foreign dignitaries that have been invited to know our displeasure.
Ambazonians around DC, please storm photo opp party by Ambassador next Sat Feb. 25, from 2pm 4 Lions. Address: 3400 Int'l Drive,Washington.
— Innocent Chia (@innochia) February 19, 2017
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- Rita Akana
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If social media was present 30 years ago, nations should have been freed a long time ago. Now you have the chance to free yourselves. And coordination is all you need.
In truth, no political-oriented struggle has ever been won without the use of propaganda because chiseling out an implanted political system requires political approaches. And political changes can never rule out propaganda.
That explains why there is no credible, fair, objective, balanced and accurate institutional media. Talk less of the social media - - citizen's media. Agenda setting theory explains all.
You should expect propaganda from citizens in every country because man is a political being. It is part of the political game. Protagonists and antagonists play the game.
The case becomes even worst when the internet is shut down and peoples rely on third and fourth parties for information and dissemination. Whom do you blame? The people or government?
The ultimate goal is to win the struggle using non-violent approaches as in our case. And if some parties have chosen to use a non-violent propaganda approach, that is another approach as long as it remains non-violent.
As a peace journalism researcher, we have never come to a final conclusion on how to deal away with propaganda journalism even after applying peace journalism theory that gives all relevant parties a voice in conflicts or crisis transformation. This is because asking the media to preach only peace-oriented materials still means encouraging peace propaganda too.
Propaganda has come to stay in contemporary politics, the case of Southern Cameroons and Cameroun. Play to it and win or leave it and lose. There are no saints but no guns among us. Get on the social media and sell your case to the world because your stories and images and videos speak volumes.
In all the cases the UN has intervened in since 1945, propaganda was used by all parties, citing available data. Even the UN is a political organization whose member states all effectively use propaganda state media.
To me, politics is both a means and an end in itself. So beware of those who criticize your propaganda because their own existing propaganda could be failing them. La Republic spies will tell you how propaganda will not call in the UN. The UN is not a religious body.
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- Tapang Ivo
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Biya's regime will never stop at finding ways to crackdown on anglophone actisists.In a latest development, regime agents have been sending out fake messages to Southern Cameroonian citizen's phones. The anglophone consortium warns that citizens should not fall into the trap probably scripted by Francophones whoose mastery of the English language is not up to standard:
"OFFICIAL MESSAGE OF THE EYE FOR EYE BRIGARGES: we have now enough elements to neutralized by any means neccessary any of the traitors or ennemies of our struggle in and out of the country but we need sponsors. Any body who is willing to sponsor any target is hereby invited to contact us: tel/whatsapp: +237673237023"
The consortium urges all citizens of Southern Cameroons to use social media to spead the word.There have been a lot of comments trending on Facebook about the fake message.A Southern Cameroonian blogger, Maybelle Boma posted this on her Facebook wall:
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- Rita Akana
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Dear Madam President,
Your excellence I come to you as a humbled Cameroonian. Our beloved Cameroon is in pain, and in dire need of your help as the mother of our nation. Your excellence, most of the President’s collaborators Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) to the Anglophone crisis have failed. This failure is due to lack of situational awareness, lack of crisis management skills, undue complexity and above all lack of emotional intelligence. To err is human, we forgive them. Madam, you have the ear of the President H.E Paul Biya. With your permission, I will like to propose key steps you can kindly relay to the President to resolve this crisis.
Phase 1:
1) The path to resolving this crisis begins with these words. “I am sorry”. “I am sorry for the pain the Anglophones, and the youths of the nation have been subjected to. These words can go a long way. Showing empathy is part of leadership. He is the father of our great nation. He should rally Anglophones and asks for their help in resolving this crisis. This is imperative.
2) Unconditionally release of all Anglophone consortium leaders, Paul Ayah, and youths currently detained all over the country. Restore internet connectivity to North and South West Regions. Internet shutdown has been pernicious. The state has lost billions and might affect our growth by 1% this year.
3) Replace the governors of North and South West Regions with Anglophones of their respective regions. This part of cultural intelligence, yet self-rule Anglophones are clamoring for. They speak the same language and share the same culture. It’s instrumental in conflict management.
4) Replace Dr. Nalova as Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea. She militarized a university campus, thus unfit to lead that prestigious institution. She bears the responsibility, not the minister.
5) Nominate an Anglophone to lead SONARA.
Madam, the above five steps can be implemented immediately and will cost nothing to our taxpayers. It will show good faith on the part of the government in resolving this crisis. It is practical and effective. It takes only will and grit.
Phase 2:
6) Any successfully negotiated agreement begins with having the right parties on the negotiation table. It was self-evident the last negotiations were in peril due to influential players not present at the negotiation table. Even Anglophone leaders failed to identify this. Thus, the President’s representative Arch Bishop Kleda, Prime Minster, Secretary General at the Presidency, Minister of, Basic, Secondary, and Higher Education, Minister Delegate at Ministry of Justice, US Embassy representative/UN should seat with all Anglophone leaders and address all concerns tabled. The President’s representative should create a unified command system with him acting as the negotiation commander. Adopted resolutions should be tabled directly to the president for implementation free of any cognitive, organizational or political bias.
7) 30/70 rule. 30% of all resources generated from a given region should be allocated to regional councils and 70% to government coffers. This rule will save 10% of waste when resources are transferred from Yaoundé to the regions. The government can make up for remaining 20% by implementing a 5% Internet Sub Tax (IST), 5% Remittance Sub Tax (RST), and increasing the tax pool by 10%. Also, a 2% regional direct and indirect tax (RT) should be implemented to increase revenues for local councils, and abolish the post of Government Delegates. Let the people be in charge of their destiny with the government acting as a regulator.
8) Higher Education. Higher education in the English subsystem is overcrowded and causing cultural tension. University of Buea and Bamenda can’t sustain all our 10 regions. By 2035, 60% or more of our youth population will want an Anglo-Saxon higher education to be able to compete in the 21st- Century. Most elites in the French -speaking part of our country have their kids studying in Buea, UK, USA, and Canada. Madam how about the poor kid in Fotokol, Belabo, and Ambam ? English based University Institutes should be created in Douala and Yaoundé to cater for our 21st-century youths. Dr. Nalova can lead one of them.
9) Engaging the diaspora. Giving the diaspora voting rights and awards don’t suffice. The diaspora contributes about 30% of our GDP. Engaging this intellectual pool, this human capital will increase our growth between 1-1.5% yearly. We need foreign currency to service our debt. Issue bonds so they can buy; help them create SMEs in Cameroon from their residing countries and much more. They are one of the biggest assets. Shutting the door has made them an effective opposition party.
10) Youth unemployment. Youth unemployment is as high as 70% in some of these regions. Start construction work on the Ring road, Bamenda-Babadjou road ($192 million funding already approved by the World Bank, project ID: P150999), and Menchum Falls in the North West Region. In South West Region, begin tarring on Kumba-Mundemba stretch and intensify work on Kumba-Mamfe-Ekok road. This will not only reduce unemployment but link our country to Nigeria our biggest trading partner.
Madam, some may say these points fall short of their demands, while others might say it’s overreaching. The ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement) between both parties are meager. We need your voice to be the voice of the voiceless. Madam, be the voice of the voiceless. Let’s save our beloved Cameroon and strengthen our republican institutions. Your children are crying.
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- Malle Peter Malle
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Biya Article Count: 73
# Paul Biya and his regime
Explore the political landscape of Cameroon under the rule of Paul Biya, the longest-serving president in Africa who has been in power since 1982. Our Paul Biya and his regime section examines the policies, actions, and controversies of his government, as well as the opposition movements, civil society groups, and international actors that challenge or support his leadership. You'll also find profiles, interviews, and opinions on the key figures and events that shape the political dynamics of Cameroon.
Southern Cameroons Article Count: 549
.# Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia
Learn more about the history, culture, and politics of Ambazonia, the Anglophone regions of Cameroon that have been seeking self-determination and independence from the Francophone-dominated central government. Our Southern Cameroons section covers the ongoing conflict, the humanitarian crisis, the human rights violations, and the peace efforts in the region. You'll also find stories that highlight the rich and diverse heritage, traditions, and aspirations of the Southern Cameroonian people.
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