Southern Cameroons Struggle: Inside the struggle, where, what next, news and responses

Since October 2016, Southern Cameroons common Law Lawyers started this movement. They called for a number of reforms which they summed under the banner of a two state federation or outright independence. According to our lawyers, only the summation of the judicial problems in a two state federation or outright independence can help the people of Southern Cameroons. Next, Southern Cameroons teachers gave a plethora of problems concerning our educational system and by 21st November, they shut down our schools. By 8th December 2016, a number of our people were killed as the entire Southern Cameroons engulfed the strike action and turned it into the people's struggle. But where are we today? What next? What do we hope for? And what is making news.

1. La Republique Government:

The government of Paul Biya as usual did not expect the resolved of our people. They began by ignoring the lawyers and the minister of justice Laurent Esso laughed and said our lawyers will get tired soon and go back to work. Since October, 2016, our lawyers have been home. They proved him wrong. Our teachers took over in November and the same was true. The only response the people of Southern Cameroons got from government of Paul Biya were killings, brutality, abductions, militarisation, internet shut down etc. The so called ad hoc committee which the government created to speak with our leaders were a farce and smokescreen. Nothing in that light has been done, not even the proposals accepted with the teachers have been implemented. The same with the lawyers, any proposals stated by the government regarding the lawyers problems are all cosmetic which by a stroke of a pen by another decree will be annulled. Only a change in form of state will guarantee these things.

2. Ghost Towns

Ghost towns have been our most priced weapon against the state. It started in December 2016 with Mondays and Tuesdays till late February when it went to once a week on Mondays. We acknowledged that ghost towns pains us but it is a necessary evil we must do to send a message. The only reason for the ghost towns are to include the other sectors of the society to join the teachers and lawyers to make it the true people's struggle. It is true that it has not been easy, the government has fought this concept of ghost towns by organising marches in Kumba, Bamenda, Buea and limbe but yet the towns still got up to see ghosts. We also accept that the steam of the ghost towns especially the enthusiasm keeps dying down in some counties in Southern Cameroons. This is normal in every revolution and we can't really blame our people. It has not been easy. They need a new motivation but again, it has been satisfactory so far. We also started naming our ghost towns to add more steam into it. This concept of ghost towns shall continue until the powers that be stopped it. We only ask our people to be steadfast.

3. Schools Shutdown

This is our biggest victories. Yes, we have kept schools and universities closed for months. The government did not sleep. They also fought back. It is fair to say that schools in Southern Cameroons remained shut down despite the few glitches of some secondary schools opening their doors. Yes, in most of these cases, it was the francophone section albeit under high security. The few Anglophone sections which tried to open saw dozens of students from tens of thousands. We do not expect the government to fold their arms. The University of Buea saw less than 2000 students out of 28000 students taking an exam they never studied and yes in Bambili, HTTTC Kumba where we have civil servants students, they are defying the odds. Primary schools also remained closed.

The educational system in a nutshell in Southern Cameroons has remained closed and the future is a sad one. How will students from forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and lower sixth be promoted to the next class without haven taken any exams. Recalled that school started last year in September 2016 and by November, 2016, they remained shut down till date. What happens next academic year? How can they be promoted to the next class without any results or completing the syllabus of their class? What happens to forms 3, 4 and lower sixth students whose GCE preparation begins in their current class? This directly means students in form 4 and lower sixth should they be moved to form 5 and upper sixth have lost one academic year of studies and non covering of their syllabuses and thus this affects 2018 GCE directly.

The Government has insisted that these students be promoted to the next class based on their test results they had before the strike action. This is suicide for our education.

This is why the struggle must intensify so that by August this year we are sure of the 2017/2018 academic year because as it stands it shows the next academic year will not begin. The Southern Cameroons liberation movements Must up their game to give our people alternatives.

4. Public Exams.

It is no news that la Republique decided to run common entrance exams and GCE practicals for our children who never studied. We saw pictures of empty class rooms for common entrance exams. Our people in most areas boycotted the common extrance exams because the pupils have not been studying. Those that took the exams took it under tight and heavy security- where have we seen that? The admission of any kids into form one in Southern Cameroons is already problematic. Yes, the struggle succeeded in stretching the military of La Republique to work.

The Government also forced some students and schools to take the practicals exams and in few days the written part of the GCE will begin. Let us be clear. This same GCE practicals and written part were and will be conducted in French Cameroun whose students have had a full academic year. It is different from our people in Southern Cameroons who have not been taught since 2016, how then will the GCE Board grade our people? We saw a video in May 2016 in one of the centres in Victoria during practicals how students were complaining that they know nothing about the practicals they were about to take and the same is true across all centres. The government is bent on organising this political GCE under a fake conditions and the most tight security ever known. We do not have the weapons to fight this but we can only caution our people not to fall into this trap because decrees from the Cameroons for this academic year will not be accepted globally except in Cameroun.

As a people, we need to increase our campaign and calling to our people to ignore the GCE. We must do all to sabotage it and free our people.

5. Common Law Lawyers.

They are the most faithful in this struggle. Despite staying for 8 months without salaries as they make their end meets through court cases have remained true to the struggle by letting the courts remain shut. We must thank and acknowledge their steadfastness and call on them not to give up. We must continue to support them.

Mark Bareta
Bui/Manyu Counties
Southern Cameroons
Support the struggle and not individuals.