Politics

The Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, on Friday, September 1, 2017, shocked the population of the Region, when he hijacked the President of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, Barrister Agbor Felix Balla, and ferried him to an Ecumenical Service that was organised in honour of the victims of the Mile 29 accident.

Many were stunned by the Governor’s action, given that Agbor Balla was just released a few hours before the event and had not had time to rest.

The Barrister and the other released Anglophone detainees who were held in Yaounde travelled throughout the night and only arrived Buea in the morning, before the Governor hijacked him to Mile 29 to trumpet Biya’s magnanimity and save his face.

Many Anglophones berated the Governor and accused him of playing double standards, given that, he was the one who rallied the forces of law and order to arrest Barrister Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba and others and was now pretending to be happy for their release.

Besides, Governor Okalia Bilai has on several occasions stated that the law must take its course on the arrested Consortium leaders, who he unequivocally called terrorists and secessionists.

If the law were to take its course like Governor Bilai has wished, then Barrister Balla and Co- will have been handed a death penalty for acts of terrorism.

“Why is this Judas Iscariot pretending here? Was he not the one who ordered for their arrest?  Shame on to them. They will never succeed because our forefathers are with us,” One disgruntled Southern Cameroonian stated.

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Abeh Valery

04.Sep.2017

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Two government education ministers are expected to launch the 2017/2018 academic year in West Cameroon on Monday September 04.
The Minister of Secondary Education will move to the South West Region. Meanwhile the Minister of Basic Education will go on stage in the North West Region.
This is one of several desperate moves by the regime in Yaoundé to push school resumption through. Militarisation has also been used alongside alleged cases of bribery and corruption.
In the meantime, opinions in West Cameroon seem pretty divided as some people back further school boycott while others disagree.

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Rita Akana

04.Sep.2017

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Reports circulating on social media suggest that the leader of the interim government of Southern Cameroons will tonight accord an interview to the BBC at 8pm Cameroon time, 19hrs GMT. "Interview with Chairman Sisiku AyukTabe tonight on BBC Radio Africa from Leicester, United kingdom," the message reads in part. Southern Cameroonians are overwhelmingly ready, it adds. "It is highly expected that our leader, Chairman Sisiku AyukTabe, will make some very serious declarations," the message says. "Ambazonians are advised to record the interview for replay (if possible) while listening to it". "Signed: SCACUF UK Secretariat"

There are no other confirmations yet as we await the promised time. This possible interview is a likely build-up to the resistance against the cunning tactics of Biya in the struggle for school resumption on Monday.

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Tasha S.T

03.Sep.2017

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Rose Mbah Acha, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of the Higher State Control has condemned the strategy used by unarmed West Cameroonians to denounce their marginalization by the forces of La Republique.

Speaking to Cameroon Calling (a programme on the lone state broadcaster, CRTV) on Sunday, she said school boycott was irrational for the struggle.

A thief cannot enter your house and you put your child in front [as a shield], she was quoted as saying.

To her, Southern Cameroonians are using their children as shields against the oppression of La Republique. By saying so, she is insinuating that the parents don’t love their children as much as she loves hers,which to me is quite absurd. Even the Bible says no parents would give their child a snake if it asked for a fish, however bad the parent.

For that reason, it is worth reminding Mrs Mbah Acha that good parents whip and tie up their children with the hope of making them better persons tomorrow. A good parent will give half of the food in the  pot to their child and reserve the rest for tomorrow.

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Tasha S.T

03.Sep.2017

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The Government of Cameroon is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that schools in Anglophone Regions, which have been grounded since November 21, 2016, resume on Monday, September 4, 2017.
The Government has unleashed its most dread forces, the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), which was hitherto used to combat Boko Haram in the three Northern Regions of Cameroon and Pirates in Bakassi Peninsular to the North West Regions to keep all confessional schools clean.
The BIR surprised the Bamenda population today, when they started cleaning the compound of Sacred Heart College Mankon.

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Abeh Valery

02.Sep.2017

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Bar Human Rights Committee Of England & Wales(BHRC) has ordered President Paul Biya to discontinue the trail of Mancho Bibixy and others who are still held in police dragnet.

According to the association, the trial of the journalists and his co still held in detention by the Government does not only breach the fundamental rights to due process and a fair trial, but its use of military tribunals  to try civilians is an aberration to international laws. The association stand is contained in the press release signed on September one read full press release below.

Press Release

 London, 1st September 2017

BHRC today welcomes the release from detention in Yaounde of 54 Cameroonians from the South West and North West Anglophone regions. The individuals were on trial for alleged crimes associated with terrorist actions against the State, to which BHRC and other organisations have raised concerns. All charges have been dropped against them following a 30 August order of President Paul Biya.

On 30 August the President of the Republic of Cameroon issued a statement discontinuing the proceedings against those who have been detained in connection with peaceful protests at the imposition of French-speaking judges and the civil law system on Cameroon’s English-speaking minority, in areas governed by Anglophone common law, as well as the French educational system. The President’s decision was said to be in line with numerous measures taken to address concerns raised by the Anglophone region and to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis, which began in October last year.

BHRC treasurer Jodie Blackstock observed the trial of 28 accused in April, due in particular to the proceedings against leaders of the Anglophone reform movement Felix Agbor-Balla (a human rights barrister), Fontem Neba (an academic) and Mancho Bibixy (a journalist). She identified a number of serious breaches of the defendants’ fundamental rights to due process and a fair trial, including the use of military tribunals and accusations of abuse by the police.

The prosecution has entered formal notice of abandonment of prosecutions in respect of these individuals. However, the Military Tribunal retains jurisdiction in respect of Mancho Bibixy and other individuals arrested in connection with the protests. Moreover, it has asserted the power to recommence proceedings if any new evidence is found.

While BHRC is encouraged by the release of the detainees, we urge the President to ensure that all those connected with peaceful protest are released as soon as possible, and in the interests of finality and certainty, refrain from the threat of further proceedings for all who have been held in detention in the capital since January, many hours travel away from their families.

Trial Observer Jodie Blackstock said,

“These individuals have for many months been detained in poor conditions and on trial in a process unfair by international standards. We welcome their release and a return to peaceful dialogue with the Cameroonian Government towards equality of treatment in the Anglophone regions.

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Abeh Valery

02.Sep.2017

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