Southern Cameroons: When the Will of the People Triumph over Political Demagoguery

Southern Cameroonians are once again re-writing their history with a new marker color combination. At a time when the western world is retreating to look inward and cater more for its populace, it becomes very challenging for communities in less powerful nations to galvanize support for their plight. The United Kingdom embarked on a BREXIT agenda and  America’s new strong man President Donald Trump walked into the White House with an “America First” policy.

This in no way strips hope away for distant third world communities. Fortunately, there still exist a platform that brings the world closer together. That platform is called the Social Media. Facebook and Twitter have become powerful tools for syndicating key messages across the world.

Politics, economic interests and greed has let powerful governments such as France, the US, Germany and many others to accommodate dictators and stay quite to  injustice. The situation in Cameroun is a glaring example, where President dictator Paul Biya, an 84-year-old grandpa who has been ruling Cameroun for 34 years.  Amidst allegations of gross human right abuses, corruption and crimes against humanity; powerful Western countries who wield the power to put an end to such atrocities by pressuring the government of Biya through sanctions have chosen to pay lip services because of political and economic interests.

Since October 2016, the people of Southern Cameroons (a formerly independent State) or West Cameroon have been protesting the gross marginalization and injustices  by the Republic of Cameroun.  They embarked in a “Ghost Town” also known as non-violent protest which led to the killing of 8 Youths in Bamenda and Buea according to official records.  The Consortium that was set up to dialogue with the government to seek lasting solutions to the problem was  outlawed by the government after attempts to bribe and coerce the members of the Consortium failed.

As of January 2017, the dictatorial regime has arrested the leaders of the Southern Cameroons and the Consortium amongst them Barrister Agbor Nkongho Balla, Dr. Fontem, Honorable Justice Ayah Paul Abine and Mancho “BBC”.  The regime has completely militarized the Southern Cameroons region (Northwest and Southwest) and has abducted over 500 young boys between the ages of 17 to 30, loaded in trucks and taken to Yaoundé where some have been detained in prisons and others have been massacred in mass graves in Soa (outskirts of Yaoundé). There is no certainty as to how many have been killed so far, but according to eye witnesses, more than 500 young boys have gone missing since the beginning of the protest. The only crime these innocent souls committed was to  request for justice, better treatment and a return to the two state Federation as was the case in 1961. A cross section of Francophone Camerounians have been indifferent to the killings and plights of the Southern Cameroonians. A handful have raised their voices to sympathize with “Anglophones”, but the majority have remained spell-bound and have joined the regime in accusing Southern Cameroonians of trying to divide the country; with claims of Cameroun’s “oneness and indivisibility”. Utter insult.

Despite threats and unimaginable repressions, the entire Southern Cameroonian population have remained resolute and united. They have maintained  their stance on continuing the Ghost town until a satisfactory  resolution of the upheavals is sought . Haven forced the leader of the Teacher’s Trade Union Mr Tassang Wilfred to escape the pangs of police brutality and seek refuge at a foreign embassy in Cameroon; the Government created a fake committee of Teachers Trade Union under the leadership of Mr Tameh Valentine whom they bribed an alledged sum of 150 million CFA francs to call off the teacher’s strike and initiate the re-opening of schools.  Mr. Valentine and a few cohorts went on National television and called off the strike, stating amongst other things that schools were going to re-open on Monday January 6^th 2017. 

What the Biya regime failed to understand is that, Southern Cameroonians all over both in the Northwest, Southwest and in the diaspora have taken their destinies into their own hands. They are wiser now more than ever and have finally risen above FEAR. They want to reclaim their pride and freedom back. Southern Cameroonians only demand two things: Either a return to the two state federation (which is fast becoming unpopular with the continuous killings and repressions and internet blackout) or total independence as was the case before 1961.

Despite the multiple threats to teachers by the Ministry of Education to suspend the payment of  salaries of teachers who obey the calls for strike; and please to parents of students to send their kids to schools; coupled with multiple diabolic schemes by the promiscuous Mayor of Buea Mr. Ekema with the sealing and even burning of the shops of protesters; schools did not open on February 6^th and the Ghost town was 200% effective. The people of Southern Cameroons sent a strong message to the Biya regime that they will not be coerced and will not settle for anything less than what they demanded.  Southern Cameroonians have defied tyranny in just a couple of months. 

Indeed, the government is beginning to understand that the Consortium calls the shots, not them.  Never doubt the will and power of a united people.  Defiance in the face of injustice. Southern Cameroonians are schooling the rest of Africa. This protest will indeed go down history and remind the world that non-violence as a technique is still very effective in 2017 as it was in the time of Mahatma Ghandi and Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

As the rest of  Cameroun moves towards the celebration of the 11 February even;  that famous  “black Saturday” when their sovereignty was forfeited on the altar of national unity; Southern Cameroonians have decided to remind the rest of Cameroun and the world what that day represents to them. It is not a day of celebration as was erroneously manipulated and distorted by the regime in the past. The date of 11 February will henceforth be a day of national mourning.  

As we approach this faithful day, the Consortium as well as other Southern Cameroonians groups in Cameroon and in the diaspora would come together in black garments to commune and mourn and reflect on the way forward. No son or daughter of Southern Cameroon will ever participate in any marching event organized on this day.  For close to a month now, the dictatorial regime of Yaoundé has connived with MTN Cameroun to  block and blackout internet supply in the Northwest and Southwest regions (Anglophone Southern Cameroons) while the rest of Francophone Cameroon bask in full speed internet. There are even rumors that government is planning to cut telephone line in these regions as well between Thursday 09^th February 2017 and Saturday the 11^th of February in order to stifle any forms of communication and rallying against the 11 February. They however fail to understand that this struggle was divinely ordained and no form of human or technological obstruction is going to deter the people from standing their grounds.

The regime is shaking, tensions are running higher than blood pressure and all eyes are fixed on Saturday February 11 2017.  Let’s wait and see what happens.

If Dictatorship is a Disease, Non-violent Protest is the Cure.