Anglophone Crises-Cameroon: Federation is the way forward

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Federation, as perhaps the only solution to the protracted Anglophone crisis, has once again reared its head after Government virtually declared it taboo.

The National Chairman of the SDF party, John FruNdi, revived the ‘beast’ on Tuesday April 4 at his Ntarinkon residence during discussions he held with the International Crisis Group, ICG, for over three hours on the current socio-political crises in the two Anglophone regions.

The IGG from Nairobi, Kenya,was on its seventh trip to examine and discuss the current Anglophone problems rocking the two English-speaking regions.

Fru Ndi said in order to keep in check the ills meted by the Biya regime on the Anglophones,the panacea is a federal system of government, whether Biya and his government wants it or not.

He recalled that when the SDF was launched more than 27 years ago, it did not mince words in calling for a four-state federation.

“Since then, the party still believes that the best model for social, economic and cultural development is federalism which gives local communities greater autonomy in the management of their affairs, instead of the hyper-centralisation that has stifled creative initiatives,”the opposition leader said.
According to Fru Ndi, this conviction is based on facts: some of the highly developed and advanced countries in the world; USA, Canada, Germany, among others, practice federalism as an instrument of participatory development.

“The golden age of the development of West Cameroon(Northwest and Southwest Regions) can testify to this,” Fru noted.

The SDF Chair equally told the ICG that if Biya convenes a constituent assembly, it would solve most of the problems because it would revisit the form of state in view of putting in place a federal architecture which will guarantee the bi-cultural and bi-jural heritages inherited from colonial experiences.

Going by Fru Ndi, the Anglophone problem is arising in Cameroon because of bad governance.

“Anglophone Cameroonians have genuine problems that should not be mistaken for an issue of multicultural, multi-bilingualism as Biya wants the world to believe,” Fru Ndi told Hans De Marie Heungoup, ICG analyst for Central Africa, who also held discussions with the Minister of Justice, the two ministries of education, politicians, civil societies and politicians.

Last week Biya ordered the creation of ‘law schools’ in Francophone regions that never asked for the institution.In the 90s he did the same thing when Anglophones demonstrated for the creation of the GCE Board, by creating the BAC Board which the Francophones never expressed the need for.

The SDF Chair interpreted this move by Biya as one meant to continue keeping Anglophones under servitude, because the Francophone Universities will train thousands of lawyers and magistrates in those schools and post them to Anglophone zones to kill the Common Law practice.

“Creation of this structure [Legal and Political Science Department] and dancing around it is a negation of the gamut of Anglophone problems as presented by Common Law lawyers, teachers’ trade unions and the SDF,” said Fru Ndi.

Fru Ndi told the ICG that President Biya should be held accountable for the situation prevailing in the two Anglophone regions and the gradual radicalization of some Anglophone Cameroonians who are for the federal system of government, but who are getting frustrated and are beginning to think of separation as a solution owing to Biya’s intransigence and insensitivity to their problems.

In addition, Fru Ndi condemned the continuous suspension of the internet in spite of its devastating economic and social effects on the populations.

Responding to a question concerning his appraisal of the Anglophone crisis, Hans De Marie Heungoup, said he couldn’t face the press or reveal anything when their reports are not ready.