Cameroon: Detained Anglophone activist Dr Fontem Speaks from Prison

One of the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (The Consortium), Dr Fontem Neba has spoken from Kondengui prison where he has been incarcerated for months.

Speaking to Le Jour newspaper, he said:
"There is so much to be said in the anglophone crisis that continues to thrive. You must know that the persistence of the crisis is linked to the bad will of the leaders. When negotiations between the Government and the English-speaking teachers' unions had resumed, the strike had taken another turn. The people followed closely all our actions; And it was no longer possible to circumvent them."
Dr Fontem Neba pointed out that during the last meeting with the ad hoc committee, the English teachers trade unions expressed the wish to have a moment of consultation. The objective of this consultation was to end the strike in the English-speaking Regions. According to him, "the members of the Government did not understand". Yet they wanted a truce to convince people.

He added, in speaking of the members of the Government, that they "wished absolutely to report to the Head of State that the strike had been lifted and we refused. That is why the state moved on to higher gear. Several terms of the report together with the members of the Government were finally withdrawn. They reported corruption in our trade and in negotiations. "

According to Dr Fontem Neba, if the government had listened to them, the crisis would not be at the current level.