Politics

Anglophones are now more than ever before shouting from rooftops about their second-class citizenship status politely referred to as “marginalization” in a country they are indigenes. The grumbling about the problem which had over the years been abandoned to the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, is getting to a crescendo with invigorated voices coming from, Anglophone lawyers, South West Chiefs, higher institution teachers of the University of Buea, North West and South West parliamentarians and senators, South West Elite Association, Christian Cardinal Tumi, just to name a few.

The chiefs in particular, have outlined the problem which in a nutshell include the neglect to provide adequate infrastructure in both North West and South West regions which do not only have the least length of tarred roads, but have had the once buoyant Limbe deep seaport abandoned while that of Kribi is developed and Douala river port draining billons in dredging. In terms of public appointments, Anglophones who by the controversial, unwritten Foumban constitutional negotiations are expected to be the second highest personality in the country, if not the first, have been dumped on the fourth position coming after the head of state, senate president and speaker of the national assembly. As if that is not enough, no Anglophone is trusted to have ever held key ministerial positions like territorial administration, finance or defence despite their impressive credentials.

In terms of bilingualism, English language which is constitutionally equal to French as official languages is also being minimized even to a point a Francophone judge had the effrontery to declare that only French should be used in courts in the North West region. But for open protest from the Cameroon Bar Association, the judge would have had his way. The all Anglophone lawyers in joining the struggle for a judicious system want the Anglo-Saxon legal system to be practised in the North West and South West while the French public law model should be effective in the Francophone territories. Both lawyers, traditional rulers and other Anglophone personalities hankering for equality have, unlike the SCNC hawks who want the “restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons”, advocated a return of two state federation as a solution.

The lawyers gave the Biya regime an ultimatum of six months which has expired. Yet Biya and his bloated government have remained indifferent What is left to be seen is whether the lawyers will bite after that menacing barking. They said local or international litigation will be taken against the government if their ultimatum was pushed under the carpet. It will not be the first time if the Yaounde regime will face litigation over the problem. The SCNC and SCAPO are on record to have dragged the regime to the African Commission in Banjul. Ironically the regime took some four Anglophone traitors led by Theodore Leke the SCNC third in command to claim that it was in negotiation with the group. The commission was unimpressed and ruled that the Yaounde government should engage in dialogue within six months but its ruling fell on deaf ears. If the lawyers have to go to court as they vowed, they will most likely not go to the commission which ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to proclaim Southern Cameroons independent. But as the government argued in Banjul, it remains committed to the OAU resolution that African countries should maintain their boundaries as at independence.

The question then is, was West Cameroon part of La Republique du Cameroun when it had its independence on January 1, 1960? The answer of course is in the negative and that is why President Biya should be patriotic, nationalistic and prime promoter of “national unity and integration” not to continue to ignore the yearnings of Anglophone at a time even his own lackeys have joined the chorus lamenting about marginalisation .

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Ngwa Bertrand

14.Dec.2015

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Anglophones are now more than ever before shouting from rooftops about their second-class citizenship status politely referred to as “marginalization” in a country they are indigenes. The grumbling about the problem which had over the years been abandoned to the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, is getting to a crescendo with invigorated voices coming from, Anglophone lawyers, South West Chiefs, higher institution teachers of the University of Buea, North West and South West parliamentarians and senators, South West Elite Association, Christian Cardinal Tumi, just to name a few.

The chiefs in particular, have outlined the problem which in a nutshell include the neglect to provide adequate infrastructure in both North West and South West regions which do not only have the least length of tarred roads, but have had the once buoyant Limbe deep seaport abandoned while that of Kribi is developed and Douala river port draining billons in dredging. In terms of public appointments, Anglophones who by the controversial, unwritten Foumban constitutional negotiations are expected to be the second highest personality in the country, if not the first, have been dumped on the fourth position coming after the head of state, senate president and speaker of the national assembly. As if that is not enough, no Anglophone is trusted to have ever held key ministerial positions like territorial administration, finance or defence despite their impressive credentials.

In terms of bilingualism, English language which is constitutionally equal to French as official languages is also being minimized even to a point a Francophone judge had the effrontery to declare that only French should be used in courts in the North West region. But for open protest from the Cameroon Bar Association, the judge would have had his way. The all Anglophone lawyers in joining the struggle for a judicious system want the Anglo-Saxon legal system to be practised in the North West and South West while the French public law model should be effective in the Francophone territories. Both lawyers, traditional rulers and other Anglophone personalities hankering for equality have, unlike the SCNC hawks who want the “restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons”, advocated a return of two state federation as a solution.

The lawyers gave the Biya regime an ultimatum of six months which has expired. Yet Biya and his bloated government have remained indifferent What is left to be seen is whether the lawyers will bite after that menacing barking. They said local or international litigation will be taken against the government if their ultimatum was pushed under the carpet. It will not be the first time if the Yaounde regime will face litigation over the problem. The SCNC and SCAPO are on record to have dragged the regime to the African Commission in Banjul. Ironically the regime took some four Anglophone traitors led by Theodore Leke the SCNC third in command to claim that it was in negotiation with the group. The commission was unimpressed and ruled that the Yaounde government should engage in dialogue within six months but its ruling fell on deaf ears. If the lawyers have to go to court as they vowed, they will most likely not go to the commission which ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to proclaim Southern Cameroons independent. But as the government argued in Banjul, it remains committed to the OAU resolution that African countries should maintain their boundaries as at independence.

The question then is, was West Cameroon part of La Republique du Cameroun when it had its independence on January 1, 1960? The answer of course is in the negative and that is why President Biya should be patriotic, nationalistic and prime promoter of “national unity and integration” not to continue to ignore the yearnings of Anglophone at a time even his own lackeys have joined the chorus lamenting about marginalisation .

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

14.Dec.2015

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People in the Central African Republic (CAR) have started voting on the new constitution adopted by the transitional government as violent clashes grip the landlocked African state. Approximately two million citizens out of a population of 4.8 million have registered to cast their ballots in Sunday’s referendum aimed at moving the violence-hit country toward stability. An unidentified UN peacekeeping source said voting began late in several districts across the capital city of Bangui, but not in the troubled PK5 district, where gunfire broke out overnight. According to reports, many of the 5,600 polling stations in the CAR are located in remote regions. Chaos has also hampered the organization of the ballot while just 15,000 copies of the new constitution have been published, meaning many voters are unaware of its contents.

On the eve of Sunday’s referendum, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged all those organizing the ballot to ensure that it is conducted in a credible and peaceful manner. “The referendum is a significant milestone towards the end of the transition in the Central African Republic, which will lay new foundations for a stable future for the country and its people,” Ban was quoted as saying in a statement. The vote comes almost two weeks after Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, visited the CAR, where he called for reconciliation between Muslims and Christians.

Presidential and parliamentary elections are also scheduled to be held in the African country on December 27. The CAR plunged into crisis in December 2013, when Christian anti-balaka militia began coordinated attacks against the country’s mostly Muslim Seleka group, which toppled the government in March that year. France invaded later its former colony after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country. However, the invasion has failed to end the violence. According to the latest UN estimates, the conflict in the CAR has internally displaced 399,000 people and forced more than 460,000 to flee to neighboring countries.

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Ngwa Bertrand

13.Dec.2015

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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned recent attacks on military bases that left at least a dozen people dead people in Burundi following a disputed presidential election. Burundi’s army said at least 12 gunmen were killed and another 21 arrested following a series of coordinated assaults on Friday that targeted the Ngagara base and a military training college, both in the capital Bujumbura, as well as a base in Mujejuru, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Some witnesses put the death toll at more than 35 people. Police said at least 20 dead bodies were seen on the streets of Bujumbura on Saturday.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Saturday, Ban urged “the leadership of these groups and the national authorities to refrain from any further escalation of violence or retaliation and stresses that anyone responsible for ordering or committing human rights violations will be held individually accountable.” The UN chief also said the world body “extends its full support and assistance to all efforts aimed at promoting a peaceful settlement of the crisis.” A military vehicle, carrying men tied up, drives through the Musaga neighborhood of Bujumbura, Burundi, on December 11, 2015. ©AFP Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council “condemned in the strongest terms the recent attacks by unidentified assailants,” calling on “all involved actors to refrain from violence.” The 15-nation body also expressed readiness “to consider additional measures” against power brokers in the country and appealed for immediate talks to prevent more violence.

The latest attacks are the first on military targets since unrest broke out in April over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term bid. Nkurunziza won the controversial election in July. His third term has widely been censured as unconstitutional by the country’s opposition. The opposition says the move runs counter to the constitution, which only allows two successive terms, as well as the 2,000 Arusha Agreement that paved the way for ending the civil war in the country. At least 240 people have been killed in Burundi and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring states in the violence. Burundi had already been struggling to emerge from a 12-year, ethnic-based civil war lasting from 1993 to 2005, leaving around 300,000 people killed. The country has been plagued by tension between the usually-dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority since independence in 1962.

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Dec.2015

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President Biya has appointed some loyalists of his ruling CPDM party to head what the Cameroonian dictator decreed in September 11, 2014 as the Regional Permanent Delegations. After the recent renewal operations of the basic organs of the CPDM and its specialized organizations, Paul Biya has named the same old guards to run the affairs of the party preparing to stage an anticipated presidential elections before 2018. 

Some of the pundits of the ruling party to head the regional Permanent Delegations of the Central Committee which falls within the structures responsible for the supervision and guidance including greater efficiency of the party included National Assembly speaker, Cavaye Djibril, former Prime Minister Ayang Luc, Minister Laurent Esso, Prime Minister Philemon Yang, Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, former Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge, Prof Joseph Owona, (wanted by the Special Criminal Court), Minister Fame Ndongo and Chief Barrister Tabe Tando.Their commissioning is also strengthening the terrain mesh in order to consolidate the position of the national chairman.

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Dec.2015

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The fate of the Alliance of Progressive Forces (APF) is now on the shoulders of a lady. Alice Sadio was elected to the head of the party during the 3rd elective congress held from December 11 to 12, 2015 in Yaounde at the conference hall of the Centre Jean XXIII Mvolyé. The young and dynamic outgoing general secretary of the AFP, Alice Sadio, inherited the crown from the renowned Barrister Bernard Muna who headed the party ever since March 2007 after he left the Social Democratic Front of Ni John Fru Ndi.

Also elected was Honourable Emmanuel Chia Ngam (1st Vice President), Nyamsi Alexis (2nd Vice President), Jean Baptiste Binwe (3rd Vice-Chairman) and Thomas Etoundi (4th Vice-President) . Barrister Paul Poufong is the party's new Secretary General. The Alliance of Progressive Forces (APF) was established in Limbe in August 2002.

Signatories to the birth of this party were all elders of the Social Democratic Front and included Maidadi Saidou Yaya, former first vice president of the SDF, Evariste Fopoussi Fotso, former National Secretary of Communication of the SDF, Samuel Tchwenko, founder member of the party and Yves Epacka, member of the National Executive Council, NEC . Since its creation, the AFP has been contributing to the Cameroon political story. The arrival of Alice Sadio and her new team is expected to give a new breath for the upcoming electoral calendar.

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Dec.2015

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