Is an Anglophone cataclysm in Cameroon a problem, crisis or armed conflict/war? The root cause of the Anglophone armed conflict.

The impact of various international regimes in Cameroon, that is France and Britain, is ever of great negative impact to the extent that even the yet to be born children shriek. The root causes of the Anglophone armed conflict in Cameroon cannot be discuss without addressing the form of the state.

The form of state should reflect what was practiced in 1961 when the Southern Cameroons gained her independent by joining La Republic du Cameroon as an autonomous state. It will make no sense for this problem to arise in future while we can solved the problem now for the benefit of our children.

It all started when the Southern Cameroonians were denied the third option to be an independent country in 1961 by the various international regimes on the bases that they were not ripe to be an independent state. The following are the root causes of Anglophone crisis in Cameroon

1. The poor foundation of the union between Southern Cameroons and East Cameroon by United Nations (UN) and international regimes.

There is no doubt that when other countries were asking for their independents from their colonial masters in the 1960s, the then West Cameroonian were also agitating for theirs. Unfortunately, the British in collaboration with UN and France denied their quest for total independent. In this light, they were force with only two option sweeping away the third option, which accordingly was favourite to more than 90 % of the inhabitants of West Cameroon. The two options were whether to have independents by joining La Republic du Cameroon or by joining Nigeria in 1961. For this reason, West Cameroon was divided into two camps that is, between those who wanted to joined La Republic du Cameroon (rally behind Foncha and his party KNDP) and those who wanted to joined Nigeria (rally behind Endeley). This historic moment was difficult because that is when the issue of minority and marginalization actually gained grounds.

This is because both Endeley and Foncha won the elections within their various political jurisdiction that is, Endeley won in the Northern part of West Cameroon to joined Nigeria on 31 May 1961 and Foncha won in the Southern part of West Cameroon to joined with La Republic du Cameroon on 1^st October 1961[1]. That is British Northern Cameroons joined Nigeria while the British Southern Cameroons joined La Republic du Cameroon.

Denying West Cameroon the right to be self-independent, was influence by British representative to the UN trusteeship council by name Andrew Cohen.[2] This was because Britain at the time thought that this part of her colony was not economically strong to have a government and operate as a country. The decision of both the UN and Britain that West Cameroon should gain independent by either joining Nigeria or La Republic du Cameroon was the foundation of the Anglophone problem. This has led to the current armed conflict that is rocking the entire Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon (The then Southern Cameroons).

There was no problem when the Southern part of West Cameroon gained independent by joining La Republic du Cameroon. This was because the Federal Constitution of 1961 gave autonomy to both the Southern Cameroons (English Speaking) and East Cameroon (French Speaking Cameroon). This system was to the fact that Southern Cameroons and La Republic du Cameroun were to be administered differently. Also, there was to be the office of the president and that of the vice president in which if the president was from La Republic du Cameroun, the vice was to be from Southern Cameroons and the reverse was true. This type of federal system did not only end within the office of the president but it cut across all government organs within the territory as both part of the country that is French Speaking and English Speaking were also having equal status in the management of the country’s affairs. In other word these were two countries that decided to joined and carried out their activities together with equal status. But this unity started to fall apart when the federal system was abolished in 1972

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British-Cameroon

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British-Cameroon-referendum-1961

2)  The birth of a unitary state in 1972.

It all started like a play that was going to end in a fiasco but it’s really a mess. On 20 May 1972, what is worthy to be describe as a coup within the Anglophone jurisdiction was the sudden change of a federal system of government to unitary system. This was not democratically processed, and accepted by the two parties. It was an intelligent, which supposedly flows from the advice given to president Ahidjo by the French government since all French-speaking countries believe not in the validity of federation as a system of governance.

It is worthy to note that this day is always celebrated as a national unity day in Cameroon, which many Southern Cameroonians (English Speaking Cameroonians) considered it as provocation. With this view by many Southern Cameroonians, many intellectuals are of the opinion that 1^st October should be celebrated as National unity day rather than 20^th May.

Though this problem of centralization of power could be, solve in the 1996 when the new constitution was drafted. But it failed to solve the problem because of it ineffective implementation.

3 The failure of Cameroon government to implement the 1996 constitution

It is rather unfortunate that the unitary system of government could lead to a war because of minority and marginalisation problem in the 1980s. The creation of the multiparty system of democracy, which was introduced in the 1990s, quenched the taste for the looming crisis at the time. The birth of the main opposition political party, that is Social Democratic Front (SDF) was a success to reducing the tension that was rising between the East and West Cameroon. Though this did not quickly amuse the minds of the Southern Cameroonian because in 1994, John Ngu Foncha led a delegation of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) to United Nations seeking for effective autonomy of Anglophone regions of Cameroon. While trying to give hopes to the Southern Cameroonians, the constitution, which introduces the decentralization system of government, was birthed in 1996. Article 55(2) of the constitution governing decentralization is to the fact that “Regional and local authorities shall be public law corporate bodies. They shall have administrative and financial autonomy in the management of regional and local interests. They shall be freely elected by councils under the conditions laid down by law.” Article 57 (2) of the same constitution further stipulate “The regional councils shall be deliberative organ of the region. Regional councils whose term of office shall be five (5) years shall comprise……” This means that all the governors were supposed to be elected to office rather than being appointed by the president of the Republic. Because of this impracticability of this constitution of 1996, it has put citizen and intellectuals of the English Speaking Regions to questioning the importance of the said constitution.

If the decentralization method of government could have been implemented, there could have not been any problem of marginalisation. This is because the effective application decentralization as per the constitution of Cameroon 1996 could have reduce minority and marginalisation problems.

President  Ahidjo

4 The neglect of lawyers strike in October 2016.

It is sadden that when the common law legal officers went on strike, the government gave a deaf ear to their demands. This was unfortunate for the government authorities because they thought that these people were going to take it easy. The lawyers strike was based on minority and marginalization problems pertaining to the use of French language within the common law jurisdiction by the appointed judges who have no idea on common law practice. They also demand the government to look into form of state and system of government. Because of these problems, the lawyers recommended that the government authorities should soften grounds for both languages to be use in the country on equal bases. In addition, proposes that the 1961 constitution should be revisit or that the best system of government is two state federation.

After giving, a deaf hear to the demands of common law lawyers of Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, the lawyers decided to went on street protest expressing their grievances which they hope that the government by that time was going to listen to their demands.

What an astonishment as many described, was the fact that the military dealt with the legal officers in the streets of Buea and Bamenda mercilessly with serious beatings and seizing their robes.

With these incidents, many Southern Cameroonians (English Speaking Cameroonians) were expecting the government to punish the security forces for such a barbaric treatment to intellectuals of all times. Unfortunately, these security men were left unpunished. The minister of justice (Laurent Esso)  whom the lawyers were looking up to even worsen the situation by saying that the lawyers should remain protesting because when they will be hungry they will go back to court. This statement was arrogant and a very true example of hate speech by top ranking government officials. Later on, in 17 January 2017, Barrister Agbor Balla and others were arrested, detained, and later charged with many crimes including terrorism. This scene draws the attention of the international community as many international organizations called for their immediate released.

President Paul Biya

5 The neglected of teacher’s strike in November 2016

Failing completely to address the common law lawyer’s demands, still in 2016 in the month of November, teachers came up with their own demands, which were also heavier and weighs toward addressing marginalisation issues.

This was a turning point in the history of Cameroon because the whole of English speaking regions were affected that is both legal and educational sectors were shaken and a rapid slowdown of economic activities. The teachers strike matters not to the government since they thought that the two cubes of sugar were to be dissolved in a bucket of water. But unfortunately for them, this cubes of sugar were instead changing gradually into rocks which if care was or will not be taken, it may later be remove from the bucket of water by forced.

The teachers strike was later aggravated to something bigger when students of the university of Buea started asking questions to the vice chancellor (Nalova Lyonga) pertaining to their faith of returning to school. This was because, since the lecturers were not coming to school, they (students) protested on 28 November 2016. Unfortunately, for students, trucks of military arrived in campus while the vice chancellor refuses to surface. This scene saw gross human rights violations, as students were tortured arrested and taken to prison for no just cause. The government still reluctant to address these problems set up commissions, which instead fuel the crisis. These officers who violated the rights of students were never punished.

6 The coffin revolution

Since the government of Cameroon delayed in addressing the lawyers and teacher’s demands, a journalist by name Mancho Bixbizy on 21 November 2016 came out openly, standing in a casket and questioning why the English Speaking Regions were continuously marginalised. Though this coffin revolution did not tilted toward the present idea of separation, the government authorities unwisely arrested mancho bibixy for no just cause. Alongside many other Anglophones arrested, this people stayed for months without having access to their lawyers before their case was later commence at the military court-Yaoundé in late 2017. Staying closed to two years without any justification from the justice department was a violation of human rights. It is surprising that Bibixy and some others were later in 2018 sentence to at least 15 years’ imprisonment

7 The rise of Anglophone (Ambazonia) leaders in the diaspora

As the struggle gained momentum, many Anglophones who have been abroad, either in search of jobs or asylum took upon themselves to continue with the struggle after the arrest of Barrister Agbor Balla, Mancho and others. This was not an easy task for the regime of His Excellency president Paul Biya because the demands changes toward achieving or restoring the independence of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia). Leaders such as Ayuke Tabe, Ayaba Cho, and others took the struggle for the restoration of the Southern Cameroons to the international scene.

The interim government was formed with Ayuke Tabe as the interim president. On the 7^th of January 2018 Ayuke tabe and others were arrested in Nigeria. The arrest came at a time when Nigeria and Cameroon had no extradition treaty. Mr. Ayuke Tabe and others were later on extradited to Cameroon thus, which accordingly, the Nigerian authorities lack legal competency to do so. From the 7^th of January 2018, the revolution change direction and other leaders started agitating for immediate release of their leaders. Detain in Cameroon within the jurisdiction unknown to any one including their family members and lawyers, these people stayed  incommunicado for more than five months until late June 2018, when it was made known to public that they are in Cameroon.

8 The atrocities committed by the military in Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon

Though there exist hopes of dialogue between the government and leaders of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) , on the 30^th of November 2017 Paul biya the president of Cameroon “declared” war against those agitating for the restoration of Southern Cameroons when he was returning from Abidjan where he attended the 5^th African Union-European Submit.

Declaring war upon these regions was what many describe as genocidal because declaring war upon part of his country aim at preventing the Anglophones from expressing their rights to freedom of expression. The aftermath was degrading as soldiers resulted to torturing, illegally arresting, and shooting indiscriminately.

9) The emergence of separatist fighters

The military activities resulted in killing of many civilians and destruction of properties leaving survivors hopeless. Some youths as a method of self-defence tactics formed armed groups, which they used against the military repression. The military in retaliation to the creation of these groups increases the burning of villages and indiscriminate killings.  They engaged in burning of villages such as the localities of Kembong, Kwakwa, Konye, Ekona, and other localities in the name of recapturing areas under the control of Ambazonia. While on this mission, the villagers were forced to escape to bushes thus, leading to recruitment of more separatists fighters.  This was the birth of what is happening today as many men and women are now separatist fighters fighting for the restoration of Southern Cameroons. June 2018 saw a rapid increase of these groups across the Anglophone regions. Since the creation of Ambazonia Defence Forces under the command of Dr. Cho Ayaba, many groups have emerged including the Red Dragons of Libialem, the Restoration Forces of the Interim Governments and many others. Thousands of well-armed separatists across

10) Neglect of the Crisis by the International Community:

Minds of majority Southern Cameroonians were tilted toward the fact that the international bodies like the United Nations, African Union or European Union by now in 2020 counting since the crisis started in 2016 needed to have intervene and pathways for justice. With this believe, the civilian population have continuously been calling for the international community to come to their aid amid the deteriorating war.

Berinyuy Cajetan, Publisher

Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.