SDF Advocates Return To Federalism

By Chris Mbunwe

Ahead of the July 22 twin elections, the SDF party has reiterated its stand on federalism for effective devolution of powers. 

This is contained in a three-page message from the SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, to his militants on the occasion marking the 17th anniversary of the party on Saturday, May 26. 

Fru Ndi said Cameroon is rotten to the fabric and the only remedy is a peaceful return to federated state structures for each area to shoulder its development projects. 
"The SDF party advocated for a federated state assemblies and local government structures that would make the people more effective in managing their own affairs at the local level," Fru Ndi remarked.

According to Fru Ndi, "a vote for the SDF will be a vote for the aspirations of the people since the re-introduction of multi-party politics in the country, and a vote for the supervision of elected officials in managerial positions."

Talking about the party's preparedness for the twin elections, Fru Ndi said despite the electoral flaws, the absence of an independent body to conduct free and fair elections, the SDF is ready for the elections. 

He sounded optimistic that if in the next Parliament the SDF grabs majority seats, that part will perfect the implementation of ELECAM.He singled out the Catholic Episcopal Council and Civil Society Organisations for the moral and material sacrifices they have been making in put pressure on the regime to set up an independent election body, yet they have been snubbed by the regime.

Concerning the detention of 22 SDF militants in Yaounde, Fru Ndi noted that President Paul Biya has illegally locked up his militants in jail for a crime he (Biya) fabricated.Going by the SDF Chairman, CPDM's first attempt at organising party primaries in 50 years led to two deaths and property vandalised worth hundred of FCFA millions and yet no arrests have been made.   

The SDF Chairman claimed that the SDF has brought about many changes in the social, economic and the political life of Cameroon. Most SDF ideas, Fru Ndi holds, have been imitated but very poorly implemented by the CPDM.

He recalls the many challenges the SDF have gone through, most significantly the Nyo'h Wakai reconciliation commission of 2004 that was supposed to move the reconciliation exercise.

It did not, however, produce the expected results because shortly after the party was faced with the Ngwasiri saga that caused the SDF great harm.Fru Ndi's message also touched on the Kenya plane crash at Mbanga Pongo and Government's snail pace of handling the accident.

He also told militants that the frequent and sudden hit-top English-speaking Cameroonians appointed to work in the Prime Minister's office in Yaounde especially that of Victor Pungong raises a lot of suspicion.

In an earlier welcome speech, the Chairman of the Bamenda Council, Prince Pius Amando, announced that councillors have finally succeeded in committing Government Delegate Abel Ndeh to executing council projects.In this light, he said the deplorable stretches of road at "Ngeng", "Rota", Texaco, Nkwen and others would be fixed in two weeks.

Sandro Moscoloni - Tuscan (Black) - Men's Zappos.com is proud to offer the Sandro Moscoloni - Tuscan (Black) - Men's: Please note: This shoe is running a half size large. Order accordingly. ; This luxurious bicycle oxford is ready for any number of occasions. Handmade and constructed out of only the highest quality calfskin leather. Sheepskin linings wick away moisture. Long lasting outsole provides great shock absorption. Anatomical Gel Construction with exclusive sole technology for ultimate comfort - No break in required. From the Vineyard Collection.

Comments

[RENE DIBI]

Fru Ndi,
This could be a step in the right direction.A "return" to federation would logically mean a return to the pre 1972 federation. If not this, then there may be no way out!!!!!!.

[Tombele]

Ni Fru Ndi has started to put some valuable ideas out there. True this horrible regime has poorly copied your ideas, push hard for this idea of federated states and decentralisation so each region is responsible for its own development. We can then stop calamities like the admission to med. school that took place at UB.I would also recommend that anglophones peacefully pressure for a plebiscite to see if we want to stay in this corrupt and filthy union that is taking our superior values and dragging them into the gutter. As noted earlier we anglophones are our own worst enemies, especially in NW where we are constantly in fighting. We are being given crumbs if any, we know the real enemy, lets form a united front and fight for our bright future intelligently and peacefully. The world wonders why we excel so well out of Cameroon and our terribly suppressed at home.

[Elastick]

Return to Federalism ! Thank God .Ni J Fru Ndi is back on the line. I strongly welcome this ; late though.
Back on the line in the sense that when Albert Mukong ( of blessed memory )initiated the idea of the SDF( it's creation) he made it clear that one of the primary goals of the party was to ask the government for a two state federation.But with the illuck and goodluck of the Cameroonian people ,the Yondo Black affair took Mukong and others to jail,that saw the emergence of Fru Ndi at the head of the party.Goodluck because of two reasons vis :
- The government had to bow to international criticisms and accept the creation of the SDF ( formalising) .
- The party in itself saw the emergence of its true leaders ( Ni JF Ndi and Dr S.Asanga).

illuck comes in where the party faced some modification of ideaologies which led to some structural changes in the primary aims of the party such as the demand for five state federation as opposed to two state federation which was the initial quest.

But then again ,the idea of federation has never been well explained to the militans of the party nation wide and worst of all it has always been half-heartedly handled.

Thank God it is back on the line ,I hope it would not only be well explained to the militans ,but the party is going to take measures to see that the idea is kept life like the existence of the party.

Concerning what Fru Ndi said about the ideas of the SDF being copied and poorly implement ,I would like to think that ,it is out of place for an opposition leader to say so in any case .If we will keep saying so,it means that we are not different from the rulling party ,it means that we are wishing to be the only ones to implement our policies which drives us back to tyranny.I think that the reason why there is an opposition in Cameroon is for the opposition to mirror the rulling government and try to bring out alternatives to possible ways of looking at things so that in the end the masses ( Cameroonians ) will benefit.

We should be constructive when we opposed not destructive.There is no need for excessive criticisms without alternatives.

God Bless my beloved country ( Cameroon).

[eyallow]

SCNC, tow the line and emulate this example and stop standing aloof with your cry for dvision whining. We need more support for this!

The united we are, the stronger we will become rather than split up the country into minute bits.

I hope that PA Fru Ndi can come up with a strategy of actually transforming his verbal outspokenness to tangible reality!

[Fon]

To opponents of Fru Ndi´s congratulatory message to Yar´Adua,

President Thabo Mbeki will on Tuesday depart for Abuja, Nigeria, where he will attend the inauguration of Nigerian President-elect Umaru Yar'Adua.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday that President Mbeki will attend the event within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate political, economic and trade relations with Nigeria.

This as part of efforts aimed at the consolidation of the African agenda, the department explained.

Mr Yar'Adua is taking over the reigns from outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo after the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious in last month's elections.

In his congratulatory message to President Yar'Adua, Mr Mbeki expressed South Africa's intention to "continue to forge closer working relations between the two countries and to build a better Africa and the world," the department said.

It added that President Mbeki also "assured Nigeria of South Africa's readiness to extend a hand of solidarity with the people of Nigeria and wished President Yar'Adua well in his endeavours."

President Mbeki is expected to return to South Africa on Wednesday ahead of his bilateral discussions with outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair, scheduled for Friday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria

David Masango
Pretoria

[rexon]

Fon,

We all know that Mbeki like Kuffour of Ghana congratulated Yar'Adua even before NJFN. It should not mean because Mbeki, Kuffour, George Bush, Tony Blair did something, then we should assume it is right.

[rexon]

I dont know what the SDF clearly defines as a devolved government. Devolution of powers from the UK example might be a partial solution to our problem. If we are given the chance for our own politicians to create pro-independence parties and call for a referendum in our own parliament, then we might have our future in our hands. That might not be the SCNC, SCYL solution, but at least it might be the SDF's blueprint for change and that should is commendable.

[rexon]

correction: should be not should is.

[mk the southerner]

Eyellow. JF Ndi is an intelligent man. If it is your dream that the Cameroons are one country, though you can't give even a prove of that, boy time is coming when you will know more than what you see now.
Still at that time don't be ashamed just follow the intelligent crowed.
Bye for now.
MK

[mk the southerner]

Eyellow
At the end when you will see how stupid or short sighted you have been don't forget to let this forum know how much you weep.

MK

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

After years of inaction,political dodgeball and headbutting from the number one opposition party the SDF,the party's policymakers faces potentially fatal challenges to reconcile their usual rhetorics and commandments to a reality.As an opposition superpower,the SDF is charged with the duty to formulate a plan of action to an entirely new direction, of a promising political transformtion.The pendulum is swinging towards the SDF to loudly condemn and not to cover Biya's poor governance and abuse of power, reminiscent of the worst dictatorship in Africa.

In this respect,rather than creating a more polarised and hateful divisiveness within the two Anglophone political proteges(SDF and the SCNC),a proposal for Federalism, might be viewed as a means to bring all the Anglophone countrymen together.Maybe this is where the two parties can agree to agree.However,so far as the authoritarian government persists,with its usual inconsequential dictator, Bi Mvondo,who has hijacked the electoral system and taken the country hostage,some analysts and critics argue,it will be difficult for a proposal like this to take effect.

Some line of thinking, still believe the SDF is taking a dark and dangerous path in their yearly elections with the Biya sponsored elections.While the silent majority opposition parties are gazing fixedly to the political wranglings between CPDM and the SDF,without contributing to give effective check-and-balances to what the Biya's regime is implementing,they increasingly loose popularity in favor of the ruling party.

Let's for once be convinced that those opposition policy-makers and rank-and-file parliamentarians, can take a decision for this Federalism to take effect.Eventhough, the opposition parties have been generally termed as stereotypes and defeatists,who have reportedly betrayed their country and the constitution they claimed to uphold.Their presence in the General Assembly have been termed as a public clapping and bill-signing ceremony.They need more experience and inspiration,vision and viability to counter the ruling government.If not, all their flip-flops will be futile.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Ma Mary]

Federation is an idea that has been thoroughly analyzed by the Southern Cameroons movement, and it is not the panacea that some people think it is. The four state federation proposed by the SDF is unacceptable, because it still lends too much power to the center. Only a return to 1961 was acceptable to the SCNC because it was based on the principle of a true confederation in which some power was lent to the federal government. The other models are not true federations but decentralization, in which Yaounde grudgingly cedes some power to the states. Decentralization was unacceptable. At that time proper federal constitution was drafted by the trio who started the movement. That constitution would have guaranteed the autonomy of the ex British Southern Cameroons. Since that time, we have learned so much about la republique francais du Cameroun. Restoration of our independence is the only option that ensures the future of our children.

[7512wilson]

Mr. Fritzane, I see you have toned down your rhetoric on John Fru Ndi and the SDF lately. I think slowly but surely you will come to realize how wrong you have been about the SDF and John Fru Ndi. Foresight is more than a gift, it is a virtue. Fru Ndi is a true leader of people who has gone through hell and storm and is still standing strong and tall despite all the odds. I hate to give praises to myself but i am proud to say i was there in Bamenda when Ni John Fru Ndi and the SDF started and all i have for Fru Ndi is admiration for a Man who despite all the disappointment, troubles, hatred, fractions,diffractions, odds, criticisms, loss, tragedies, riggings, and you name the rest, he has stood firm and is still standing. If Fru Ndi was a power hungry person, he would have used his influence and position to plunge our beloved country into civil war to gain power after 1992 when his victory was stolen. But all he did was preach restrain and peace to his followers and is still doing it till this day. I have to say that I am truly proud of John Fru Ndi's leadership at the helm of the SDF party and his latest renewed stand for Cameroon to go back to Federalism is just another prove of his ongoing fight to make a great Positive change to bring development and to finally relieve Cameroonians from the pangs of a ruthless Dictatorship and a failed government. John Fru Ndi Sir, you have my Prayers and support. God will soon deliver us Cameroonians from the pain and sufferings in the hands of Paul Biya and his CPDM bandits.

[M Nje]

Ma Mary,
Thanks for bringing up the distinction here. When the SDF and its leadership talks about federation, they really mean decentralization. There is a clear distinction between the two.

Decentralization involves delegation of duties from a central unit to sub-units at the discretion of the central unit. True Federation clearly recognize autonomous unions that lent power to a central government.

What kind of federation is Mr Chairman talking about? His four state federation. That is a joke for most of us. It does not even come close to the reality of our problems. He does not seem to understand that the illegal union between Southern Cameroons and La republique was a co-federation of two equal states each expected to have a head of government or prime minister. It was never and will never be a union to form one state with four federated units in which Southern Cameroons is reduce to a Fako-Kilum region. La Republique voluntarily withdrew from the co-federation, hence each state has to move apart.

We, Southern Cameroonian, have been through this debate about a return to a two state federation not even the four state federation that Mr. Chairman is proposing. The ACC1 and ACC2 in Buea and Bamenda respectively dealt with that point. We have come to understand over the course of time that La Republique has no desire to accept a return to any federation. That is history. What we need to guarantee the future of our children is an Independent Southern Cameroons state. We have a legal right to it. We are moving forward not otherwise.

Eyallow,
All of use have to 'tow the line' when Mr Chairman speaks as you said. I guest that is what you have been doing. In your political world REASON and LOGIC is replaced with OBEDIENCE. What ever world you live in, you will open your eyes one day to a lot of regret as MK said. Good and helpful militants of any course or political party are those who use reason and logic in making their decision and not those who “tow the line.”

[Fon]

7512wilson,
Of course Fritzane Kiki has realised that he is alone. He has no option than to reconsider his baseless rhetorics.

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Fon,
....Look they way you belittle yourself.I now know your level of thinking.Very childish.Who is in this forum who has something to offer me?Have I asked you to be my friend?My write-ups will remain thesame.I write what I see and think is right.I am not an SDF nor a CPDM sympathizer, not even the SCNC.I have nothing go gain or loose from your partisan politics,deceitful nonesense.I am not interested to join your bandwagon of SDF praise-singers sorry.Have you had enough yet?

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Fon]

"Prof." Fritzane Kiki;
Sorry if you are hurt. I leave you to readers to judge.

[knganjo]

M Nje
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.I strongly disagree with you when you say the Chairman does not understand the concept of a federation in the context of its definition by the SCNC.The Chairman and the SDF are fully aware of what they want and where they are heading to. I believe that, Godwilling, when the SDF gets to the top of the mountain, you will also be able to understand what the SDF has been fighting for.I also think that to shoot high you must aim low.This is just pragmatism. It is the end that justifies the means and not the begining.What matters to me and perhaps many is that the dream of a truely independent or an autonomous Southern Cameroons be realized.It could come from the SDF or from the SCNC.The liberation of our people should be our focus. Maybe it is time for us to give the Chairman and all those who stand for the liberation of the marginalized and oppressed people of the Southern Cameroons a chance.We are in the mist of one of the most oppressive regimes in the history mankind.If you agree with me that uprooting such a dictatorship becomes an uphill task, then you would bear with me that it is time to burry our differences and lend a helping hand to all those who stand to fight for the oppression of our people.It is time for the SCNC and the SDF to right the wrongs of the past and work collectively for the liberation of Cameroons.Viewing every move of Fru Ndi negative is not helping us.The enemy we have on the table is the most ruthless you can ever dream of.Dislodging it requires caution,pragmatism and collective responsibility.The SCNC has done a wonderful job of sensitizing Southern Cameroonians and the international community about the plight of our people.They need to continue in that direction.So, rather than continuesly spending our time chastizing Fru Ndi and the SDF, why not encourage them given that the SDF is the only political party that at least has a solution to the plight of our people.The SDF solution might not be up to our expections but it is a giant step in the right directtion.Let's stop all these unneccesary ranglings and work towards the emancipation of our people be it from the SCNC or SDF direction.

[Feli]

Ma Mary,
I read with interest the following statement of yours.. "The four state federation proposed by the SDF is unacceptable, because it still lends too much power to the center. Only a return to 1961 was acceptable to the SCNC because it was based on the principle of a true confederation in which some power was lent to the federal government." Although I hold you in high esteem because of your level-headedness and consistency, which is obviously lacking on these blogs, I beg to disagree with you on two counts.
First, when the SDF 1993 Convention in Bafoussam debated on the Draft Federal Constitution for Cameroon, Southern Cameroonians had a major representation and influence. Indeed, it was late Pa Mukong who brought up the consensus of a four-state federation despite opposition from the SAWAs who dreaded the idea of being bundled up with the Bamiliekes in a federated state. The emissaries of Munzu and Elad alongside Anyangwe were quite appeased by the resolution of that Convention. That is why by AAC II, the SDF position was reiterated and it was ACCEPTED by all and sundry that that remained an alternative. Ask Dr. Simon Munzu of the UN Missions in Abidjan or Prof. Anyangwe who sent in their own Federation options during constitutional consultations in 1995, although these were sidelined by the Owona draft Constitution. So the fact that SDF proposes a Four-state Federation with a special status to former West Cameroons should not in any way contradict our nostalgia for the pre-1972 status.
Secondly, I am surprised to read that you like many other readers here confuse the terminologies of federation, decentralisation and devolution of powers. Briefly, the Federation would be the umbrella while decentralisation and devolution of powers are all sub-units of the Federal state. Meaning Local government would be put in control of the day-to-day activities of the constituency and its instutions be it health, education or social amenities. The ultimate aim would be to bring POWER closest to the people (autonomy)which will give full meaning to the SDF's slogan . In such a scenario, the Federal government has only a supervisory function in a majority of aspects and performs duties in the supreme interest of the nation like in defence, monetary and foreign policies. So I totally disagree with the statement ".. because it still lends too much power to the center."
That said, the SDF has already outlined how it intends to achieve its goal of Federation. If one day this goal is met but the aspirations of the SC people aren't, the SCNC would still have the moral right to clamour for more autonomy or may be full-fledged independence. From that point, it would be much feasible than in the present situation were leadership is uncoordinated, demostrations scanty and legal procedures cash-strapped.

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Some SDF militants are divided upon their stance towards the SCNC.Some claim to be 50% with the SCNC while others remain bent to condemn any move or policy proposals from the SCNC that will jeopardise the SDF's position.One time provincial Chairman, Joshua Osih Nambangi, told his executive in one of their Kumba urban council meetings,that though the SDF recognises the marginalisation of the English speaking part of Cameroon, the party does not align with the secession of Anglophones.However,in this meeting worries were sparked by some few SDF militants who still pay allegiance to the SCNC.

He stated that if marginalisation were to be looked into per se, then the East Province would clamour for independence because people trek for about five days before reaching their enclave villages and residence.Osih said it was erroneous to even mention a secessionist movement like SCNC and urged that they should legalise their status as a political party.

Osih,a personal friend of mine,later told me,he was adamant in his stance in regards to the SCNC and that the National Chairman Fru Ndi,will never recognise or compromise with an illegal pressure group the, SCNC.The SDF's position is that the SCNC should be legalised under the La Republique.To tackle the myths of this opposing views between these two camps, will only fuel a bitter debate,since both don't want to loose their political statutes and recognition.Now we hear of a Federalism!Let's hope the two ideologies can merge some day.Who knows.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Y. Maurice Martin]

The CPDM has governing Cameroon for many years and there has been no fruitful rewards, its now time for every goodwill Cameroonian to usher in the opposition party to proof their worth.

We will suport the idea of the SDF party going back to federated state structures for each area to shoulder its development projects.

This is a critical moment where Cameroonians shoul put their hands close to their heart and make right ful decisions not under any influence

I am Yuh Maurice Martin
From Tiko

[TAGRO]

When your house is on fire, you do not go about chasing the mice that are escaping the flames, you attempt to put the flames out!

The initial British initiative in 1961 was illegal under international law. As a Trust Territory, the Southern Cameroons should have gotten her independence, period! So most of this discussion is missing the point. I'm afraid. But I am compelled to point out a few things.

The illegality and immorality of not giving the former Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons independence after it had been certified by the UN for being ready for independence was compounded by the fact that the Southern Cameroons became overan by a group of savages in la Republique Francaise du Cameroun after a French-orchestrated genocide there. But unlike in Rwanda where the genocidal African collaborators of another French-orchestrated genocide lost and were brought to dock, in la Republique Francaise du Cameroun, the genocidal forces won. They remain in power today, and have used their savage methods to destroy the illegal (there has never been a treaty of union), to begin with, con-federation.

Today, even though la Republique Francaise du Cameroun has pulled away from any pretenses of a con-federation, they remain an occupying colonial force implementing a plunder that benefits (like the stupid savages that they are), not even their own Camerounese people, but the French!

La Republique Francaise du Cameroun reverted to her name at "independence" (January 1, 1960) where her international boundaries were established without Tiko, Victoria, Buea etc. but ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO COMMEMORATE January 1 as their independence day! They are the ONLY COUNTRY on earth that does not do so. Only savages behave like this and find this normal. We of the Southern Cameroons have no business discussing matters the require cognitive applications with these savages that the French installed in Yaounde.

Therefore, Ma Mary and Njie are right, our attempts at dialogue in the past did not make sense to these savages. It never will. They are comforted in their intransigeance by a genocidal power on the African continent - France - that affords some measure of protection as they despoil their own land and people in addition to that of the Southern Cameroons.

The Southern Cameroons wants out and will get out of the colonial savagery imposed from Paris via Yaounde. As our house burns,let Jean Fru Ndi go chase his mice in la Republique Francaise du Cameroun with his so-called Federation, the French have made him a wealthy man and may even be the ones sending him to float this insulting idea, we'll do our best to quench the flames burning the Southern Cameroons' house.

[Ebonylad]

In as much as I sympathise with the SDF in a solidarity against as a bad government,I strongly reject the idea of federalism in a context of seccessionist politics in English speaking Cameroon provinces.South West petrol would not solve our problems until we think as one indivisible nation,ruled by God fearing Green Democrats.
Ebonylad

[mk the southerner]

It's a pity some of us are really making this paradise of expression not worthy commenting on.

Some people fast glide down a comment just to see who the writer is. If it is Kiki, Raxon,Fon,Watersi ect. Then they think they most say something contrary even when what they are saying dont really make sense.

Please we should struggle to look but at the didactic materials in a write up and not the name first. When we go to the name first our mines our already fixed with some stupid emotions that covers our reasoning faculties. Does we are instead preparing but an attack to that name not looking at the knowledge behind the write up.

Note should be taken here that if some of us are critics to the SDF it does not mean that we do not have a test too for something good. If the SDF chair man brings up an idea nearer to what i am fighting for, i will praise him for that. But that does not mean that i have totaly given up my fight for him. But that i am just being an intellectual who want to see and pres only intellectuality.

But however federation or no federation, MK will still be fighting for a free Southern Cameroons that has nothing to do with anything French not to talk of France.

I will still be fighting for a country in which i can be come any thing i want to be come if my educational standard merit it.

A country that has no brutal gendarmes that act out of impulse. But a country with a strong Anglosaxon police force that knows the difference between a university student and a bangdid. That country in which i will be proud to see foreigners struggling too, to have papers to work in.

That country in which we parents can shout without fear that the future of tomorrow belongs to the youths. In that country i have seen my children growing up without the pains i passed through.

So please bros and sis let's see reason for the better of the youths. God bless southern Cameroons.

MKthesoutherner@yahoo.co.uk

[Ma Mary]

Beginning of a NEW SERIES that considers these questions. Are you the fat, guilty twin, who loves his jail and his jailor?

[eyallow]

MK,

I did clearly state to you why Cameroon is one in my opinion and I am not going back to that.

Being a man who respects the opinion of others and a sucker to rule by majority, the day your SCNC succeeds in dividing Cameroon in a peaceful way to the satisfaction of the majority, I will accept the verdict.

So under no circumstances am I ever going to feel stupid. I stand for my ideas and you stand for yours right? That does not make you stupid. Ideally, what is conventional?

M Njie,

Have you considered the fact that you are being remote controlled by the forces within SCNC? Those of you that back the SCNC ideologies seem to back them so passionately that it seems to be the only right way forward for Cameroon.

Fortunately, I am not a follower of Pa Fru Ndi. I however can identify reasonable propositions and give them my support where and when necessary. Fanaticism verges on insanity or maybe they are very close neighbours, dine on the same table and drink from the same mug. There is not even a blurry line of distinction between the two in my humble opinion! Spare me the fanatism of SCNC millitants!

[eyallow]

MK wrote

"But however federation or no federation, MK will still be fighting for a free Southern Cameroons that has nothing to do with anything French not to talk of France."

Sorry, pipeline dream. You are stuck with french till dead you will part!

MK wrote

"I will still be fighting for a country in which i can be come any thing i want to be come if my educational standard merit it."

Good point which can be implemented in cameroon as anywhere else without need for division. But the problem is that we lack the cultural orientation!

MK wrote

"A country that has no brutal gendarmes that act out of impulse. But a country with a strong Anglosaxon police force that knows the difference between a university student and a bangdid. That country in which i will be proud to see foreigners struggling too, to have papers to work in."

I wish for that too. But we are what we are. We abuse power when ever we have it. Lots of countries fighting in Africa have no gendarmes. African countries that have a relative stable and flourishing economies are unfortunately those that had sustained white rule for long...SA, Botswana, Zimbabwe used to be an example until Mugabe came in and pillaged it! We have several mile stones to cover even reach the bottom of the laddar of the kind of liberty we demand today.

There have to be a whole mental and cultural overhaul in Africa to see those dreams come to fruity. It is not SCNC that will do that but every single Cameroon will need to take a new direction of thinking and self introspection!

[eyallow]

MK wrote

"But however federation or no federation, MK will still be fighting for a free Southern Cameroons that has nothing to do with anything French not to talk of France."

Sorry, pipeline dream. You are stuck with french till dead you will part!

MK wrote

"I will still be fighting for a country in which i can be come any thing i want to be come if my educational standard merit it."

Good point which can be implemented in cameroon as anywhere else without need for division. But the problem is that we lack the cultural orientation!

MK wrote

"A country that has no brutal gendarmes that act out of impulse. But a country with a strong Anglosaxon police force that knows the difference between a university student and a bangdid. That country in which i will be proud to see foreigners struggling too, to have papers to work in."

I wish for that too. But we are what we are. We abuse power when ever we have it. Lots of countries fighting in Africa have no gendarmes. African countries that have a relative stable and flourishing economies are unfortunately those that had sustained white rule for long...SA, Botswana, Zimbabwe used to be an example until Mugabe came in and pillaged it! We have several mile stones to cover before we even near the bottom of the laddar of the kind of liberty we demand today.

There have to be a whole mental and cultural overhaul in Africa to see those dreams come to fruity. It is not SCNC that will do that but every single Cameroonian will need to take a new direction of thinking and self introspection!

[rexon]

Eyallow my Dear Friend,

You seems to suggests that the SCNC's premise for an independent statehood for the Southern Cameroons has no legal backing or is based on marginalisation or some sort of economic and social ills. Like most ill-informed and self-serving Southern Cameroonians, you are making a mistake. The SCNC is not fighting to divide any nation, but defending the constitutional rights of the Southern Cameroons.

Permit me remind you of a lot of contextual issues here:

"La République du Cameroun of 1st January 1960 (their country),moved to Federal Republic of Cameroun 0f 1st October 1961,to United Republic of Cameroun of 20th May 1972,and Back to La République du Cameroun 4th February 1984 (Senatus consulta 84/001 of 4th Feb 1984).

Why the Name changing Syndrome?

The Foumban Constitutional Conference of 1961, which federated Southern Cameroons with La Republique du Cameroun was not in line with what, the UN had envisaged. According to the UN such a conference was to involve the governments of Southern Cameroons, La Republique du Cameroun, United Kingdom as the Administering Authority, and the UN as the Supervisory Authority. Unfortunately, it was held without some of these parties like the UN and Britain. Again, there was no accord signed by the two parties that discussed in Foumban.

However, the Federal Republique of Cameroon that emerged from Foumban Talks, was made up of two federated states, namely, the State of West Cameroon, made up of Southern Cameroons, and the State of East Cameroon, made of La Republique du Cameroun. Thus, the disappearance of Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun, which respectively became sub nations of the federation with each retaining its inherited territory, colonial political and administrative system, legal, educational, economic and cultural systems.

From 1962 to 1972, the former President of La Republique du Cameroun, Ahmadou Ahidjo who became the President of the Federal Republic took steps to annex Southern Cameroons into La Republique du Cameroun. He finally organised on May 20th, 1972 a referendum, which violated the Talks at Foumban. He abolished the Federal Constitution and imposed Unitary Constitution. Hence the name of the country became United Republic of Cameroon. Southern Cameroons lost its autonomous status it enjoyed under the federal system and became two of the seven provinces of the Unitary state.

When Paul Biya became President of Cameroon, he completed the annexation by reverting the name of the country to Republique du Cameroun, the name by which French Cameroon gained its independence. This led to the emergence of Southern Cameroon Cameroons liberation movements like the Ambazonia of Fon Gorgi Dinka and Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM) the climax of this was in 1993, when Southern Cameroons liberation movements and Southern Cameroonians as a whole met in Buea under the banner of the All Anglophone Conference (AAC I).

Its aim was to come out with Southern Cameroons stand and to press for the autonomy of Southern Cameroons in a restored federal system. This firm stand is contained in the Buea Declaration. Another meeting was held in Bamenda (AAC II) which issued the Bamenda Proclamation. These declarations led to the formation of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), which is a political organisation fighting for the statehood and sovereign independence of Southern Cameroons, thanks to the intransigence and repressive nature of the Biya regime.

Despite the obstacles placed on the road to the statehood of Southern Cameroons like, arrest, torture, killings, forcing its nationals into exile, blackmail, misinformation, counter-acting their action and you can name more, it has been succeeding. For instance, it has won the admissibility stage of the case deposited against La Republique du Cameroun in the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in Banjul won a case against Nigeria, which obliged Nigeria to table and support its bid for independence to the international community and recently, it has been admitted as anew member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) in The Hague.
The Culture

1. When citizens of le Cameroun Francaise voted in February 1960 to transform their country into a République, citizens of Southern Cameroons were never involved.
2. When citizens of Southern Cameroons voted in the UN - sponsored plebiscite of February 11, 1961, were citizens of La République du Cameroun involved? No.
3.When even in the defunct Federation of 1961 - 1972, citizens of West Cameroon (Southern Cameroons) went to the polls in 1968 to elect their parliamentarians, did the citizens of East Cameroon (La République du Cameroun) vote? The answer is a capital NO!.

Cheers.

[casara]

The southern Cameroons delegation to Accra has
petitioned the ACHPR asking for clarification of a
certain distinction, which the commission is trying to
establish on rights to self – determination. Full text
of the petition follows:

Her Excellency,
The President of the African Commission on Human and
People's Rights
48 Kairaba Avenue,
P.O. Box 673
Banjul, The Gambia.

COPY OF AMBASSADOR KAMEL’S PRESENTATION

In his presentation on the Working Group on Indigenous
Populations on Monday 21st may 2007 , His excellency
Ambassador kamel Rezag Baso of Algeria sought to make
a distinction between the quest for self-determination
by people WITHIN a country as opposed to those doing
so in relation to an external colonial power. We
sought to have a copy of this presentation afterwards
but did not succeed in getting it.

The interest of my delegation (which is attending the
41st Session as observers)in this particular
presentation concerns communication 266/2003 which is
currently awaiting ruling by the Commission.

Communication 266/2003 is on the right of the people
of the former UN Trust Territory of the Southern
Cameroons to self determination and any one deciding
on this issue needs to be clear on why the Southern
Cameroons has,legally speaking,never been part of The
Republic of Cameroon, otherwise such a decision will
be from an uninformed position.

We will therefore be grateful to have a copy of this
presentation to enable the Southern Cameroons
delegation to elaborate on the crucial fact briefly
stated herein above.

Accept , Madam President, the expression of my highest
esteem.

FOR, AND ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTHERN
CAMEROONS DELEGATION TO THE 41ST SESSION OF THE ACHPR
MEETING IN ACCRA,

AUGUSTINE F. NDANGAM

Any body who wants to keep this fight afloat can send
his/her contribution through this address and phone
number below thanks

Martin Fon Yembe
P.O.Box 383 Bamenda
Tel: (237) 7761136
After June Ist. (237) 77761136

[Danny Boy]

Rexon,
a few months ago I wrote on this forum that the best we should be striving for now is devolution. I thought being in Scotland, you will understand this concept better than most who have never heard of the Act of Union between Scotland and England. That Union is gradually being dismantled from within. That much you know.
That is the strategy many sensible Cameroonians are advocating. Why don't you guys stop revising history and join in this great march forwards? You see my dear friend, the main International bodies and powerful nations of the world, recognise Cameroon as a sovereign state and will not meddle in the internal affairs of this state. Look around the world. Cameroon is not unique with minority problems!
I long to see the day when economic sanctions or any other embargo will be placed on Cameroon. Ha Ha.
Have a good day.

[rexon]

Cameroon strikes it rich on the internet
Cameroon's .cm web address has created an unexpected source of revenue for the West African nationJonathan Richards
The Republic of Cameroon is blessed with many natural riches – among them copious quantities of coffee, cocoa and crude oil.

To these more traditional sources of wealth the West African country has recently added a new income stream: the royalties from one of the most lucrative internet country codes in the world.

Cameroon’s .cm suffix is a common mistyping of the most popular top level domain, .com, meaning that each day thousands of internet users searching for .com sites are directed Cameroonian web addresses which do not exist.

Typically when a browser is unable to locate the site among the 200 or so .cm sites that are registered, an error message is displayed.

Under a deal signed by the Cameroonian Government in the middle of last year, however, any request for a .cm sites that is not registered is now sent to a ‘parking’ page where adverts relevant to the site the user intended to visit are displayed.

Type in almost any .cm address, including company names (microsoft.cm) and themes (party.cm; beer.cm) and the browser will be redirected to an advertising-laden page called ‘agoga.com’.

The deal, struck with a Canadian internet entrepreneur who owns more than 300,000 domain names, was seen by the Government as a chance to capitalise on the unexpected value of the .cm domain, the country’s largest internet service provider said.

Only an estimated 10,000 of the Cameroon’s 18 million citizens have internet connections, and the majority of the .cm addresses that are registered with the Government agency that runs the country’s server, ANTIC, are official sites.

‘Typo-squatting’ – the purchasing of domain names which are similar to hugely popular addresses to take advantage when users mistype – is recognised as a lucrative source of advertising revenue.

Under the deal reached with Cameroon, however, any request for an unregistered .cm site will default to Agoga’s site – as opposed to the company having to own the domain name, meaning that the number of searches from which Agoga will benefit is potentially limitless.

“We can continue to register legitimate .cm names – it’s just when a page doesn’t exist that the person searching is sent automatically to Agoga,” a spokesman for Cameroon’s largest internet service provider (ISP), Camtel, told Times Online from Yaounde.

Cameroon is the latest in a succession of countries to have benefited financially from the licensing of their country codes.

In 1998, the south Pacific nation of Tuvalu, which owned the rights to .tv, signed a 12-year deal worth $50 million with the .tv corporation as a way of supplementing the income from its exports of copra, a form of dried coconut.

Kevin Ham, the Vancouver-born businessman who runs agoga.com, is understood to earn more than $70 million a year from his collection of domain names, which includes god.com and satan.com.

Mr Ham, whose sites reportedly receive 30 million unique visitors a month, is said to be negotiating similar deals with Colombia (.co), Oman (.om), Niger (.ne), and Ethiopia (.et).

Bloggers criticised Agoga’s business as “sneaky” and “not in the spirit of the internet”.

“It’s a total disservice to internet users and to brand names which doesn't provide any benefit to anyone,” David Ulevitch, chief executive of OpenDNS, a company which redirects users to the correct site when they mistype a domain name, said.

A writer on the blog ‘Swan Fungus’ said: “I wonder if these people's brains work on a different plane, where the sole focus in on dishonorable ways to make a quick buck.”

On its website, Agoga describes its service as “providing top level domain controllers with a way to earn money from the otherwise unused segment of the domain,” and offers a way for companies who feel the service infringes their trademark to get in touch.

Neither Agoga nor the Cameroonian National Agency for Information and Communication Technology (ANTIC) were available for comment.

[rexon]

Danny Boy,

If you read my first comment on this issue, you would realise that i did favoured the devolulution of powers as practiced in the UK. This is because that would give us at least the chance to create pro-independence parties that can campaign on platforms of total and unconditional independence of the Southern Cameroons and call for a referendum in our Southern Cameroonian parliament if the said parties can claim majority seats. The romance with La Republique would be limited as this pro-independence parties would not send candidates to another country (La Republique) and we would be able to control electoral malpractices and fraud since we would autonomously manage an IEC in the Southern Cameroons.

Now, I am not very sure what the SDF defines as devolution of powers granting that the term can be interpreted in different ways and how they expect to implement thier soo called devolution of powers through Camerounese politics. Can you please explain? I say so because i know there is no political will by citizens of La Republique to allow a slave or any product of their slaves (Southern Cameroonians) to govern them. clearly that elections in La Republique, its candidates and winners are dictated in hotel suits and presidencies in Europe and the US and a slave cannot be allowed to govern his masters. There is therefore no reason to be involved in elections whose results has already been dictated. Those who want to be involve to come back to this forum to complain about malpractices and fraud should do so buddy.

Feli,

Granting that your SDF has been in La Republiques government in the past 10 years in both its legislatives and executive arms, can you please explain its achievements relating to its objectives of devolution of powers during this period. I strongly believe a true test of a party's ability to govern its people is what happens between elections. If the SDF constantly preaches what it expects to do and not what it has done, some might think it is creative discourse and wishful thinking which has been noteworthy with the CPDM and most camerounese political parties.

Cheers.

[eyallow]

Dear Rexon,

I do understand your point and I do respect what you believe in. You wrote

"Permit me remind you of a lot of contextual issues here: "La République du Cameroun of 1st January 1960 (their country),moved to Federal Republic of Cameroun 0f 1st October 1961,to United Republic of Cameroun of 20th May 1972,and Back to La République du Cameroun 4th February 1984 (Senatus consulta 84/001 of 4th Feb 1984). Why the Name changing Syndrome?"

If we are going back in history, then Cameroon never existed. The name Cameroon is a colonial name forced on the people of that land by the Portuguese and later implemented by German rule!

If we bring in the politics of name changing then we simply have to dissolve the nation called Cameroon. Mankon has been there as far back as anyone can tell. Same with Bakweri, Bayangi and so!

Also when ever you pull up historical facts, I think the picture will be clearer if you will go back to pre-colonial Germany, and then the German rule, Cameroon under bristish and Frenh trusteeship and back to reunification. The picture is fluid isn't it?.

We have always been one homogeneous nation plagued by our complex cultural differences, believes and colonial atrocities! Southern Cameroon or La republique is fictional!

If we talk names, then my humble opinion is that we go back to our individual tribes and stop this thing about fractioning the country into two.

While this is an interesting discussion, I am aware we can never agree. So what do we do? We agree to disagree and stay all happy I guess!

Peace dude!

[Ernest]

Hallo members, Mr Wilson has spoken my mind.Ni John is a caristmatics leader.If there is any anglophone I admire, then that anglophone is Ni John. A man that brought democracy, freedom of speech etc to cameroon. A man that brought about awareness to many Cameroonians and dispite attempts by many to bring down him and the party, he is still standing tall. I'm anglophone from the southwest province base in Holland but i respect fru from the bottom of my heart. I salute him in all his endevours. Federalism is just the right path for us to follow and i do not care whether it is a ten states, or a four states or two states. federation is federation. Power to the people is what we want.The scnc should join the sdf in this fight because plitting the country is a nightmate.

[rexon]

Kigali - Testifying before the Mucyo Commission, a former major
client with Caisse Centrale de Réassurance (CCR) company Mr. Martin
Marschner Von Helmreich has revealed that 1 billion Francs (150m
Euros) was "diverted" in 1994 "most probably" to finance the Genocide
machine in Rwanda , RNA has established.

According to Marschner, CCR announced a loss of 1 billion Francs on
August 29, 1994 that came as a "shock" to him because "78% of total
deposits" managed by the French government insurance parastatal was
for clients he represented as a financial broker. The money had
apparently disappeared between the periods January to August 1994.

The German national who has lived and worked in France for decades
explained that he himself was "surprised" when the money was
refunded "directly" to CCR accounts from the French government
treasury on September 14 1994.

Mr. Marschner told the commission that he picked interest to know
where the 1 billion had disappeared just because he needed to regain
his "professional" credibility before his clients on whose behalf he
controlled their money.

After what he called a "profound investigation", he found out
that "everyday" in January 1994 alone, several million francs had
been diverted "mysteriously".

Reading from one of the booklets he had brought along, Mr. Marschner
said on January 11 1994 "5 million Francs" was diverted from the
company to a supposed "classified operation in Central Africa ". He
promised to give the commission 800-page dossier from his
investigation.

He affirmed later during question time that a "friend" of his who was
in charge of "special operations" confided in him (Marschner) that at
the time (when the money disappeared), French "special forces" were
actively involved in Rwanda .

The Kagame led Rwanda Patriotic Army rebels had actually launched war
against President Habyarimana in October 1990.

Various witnesses have given corroborated evidence to the Mucyo
Commission indicating that French soldiers were fighting along the
Habyarimana government forces since 1992.

The corporately dressed Mr. Marschner said his "investigation" also
led him to discover that the UN and Survie (French anti-genocide
campaign group) had information pointing to arms trafficking through
Goma (D R Congo) - into Rwanda .

According to him, the trail of the flawed accounts was traced to an
account in Rochefort Finance (an affiliate of CCR) on which
the "diverted" missing money had been deposited. He said he
discovered "40m Francs" had actually been used to purchase arms for
the Rwanda campaign. This was after

Put to task to clarify the relationship between the "Rochefort
account" and arms trafficked into Rwanda , he explained that the UN
had also landed on the "same account" from its investigations on arms
trafficking allegations.

Asked to explain the link between French involvement in Rwanda and
Comoros Islands , Mr. Marschner said arms were "trafficked" by a
South African national, but that the entire French campaigns in
central Africa were planned in the Comoros .

He revealed that the "diverted" money from CCR was "transferred
through an account in BNP Paribas" - the French central bank. The
money was then apparently spread to cover the "numerous undercover"
campaigns in Rwanda and Bosnia .

According to Mr. Marschner, current French President Nicholas Sarkozy
was Minister for Budget represented on the permanently CCR board by
another official who was part of the decisional mechanism of the
company. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Sarkozy was Minister for the Budget
in Edouard Balladur premiership.

However, falling short of pointing directly at Mr. Sarkozy to have
had possible involvement with the decisions to transfer such sums of
money from the treasury that he controlled, Mr. Marschner said he
could not be sure.

"(Mr.) Sarkozy was the Minister for the Budget ... he may say he was
not aware (of the dubious transfers)", he told the attentively
listening 7-member commission. In this position as Budget Minister,
Mr. Sarkozy should have been a signatory to the refund of the 1
billion Francs into the coffers of CCR.

Put to task by commission president - Jean de Dieu Mucyo to assert
whether he qualifies French involvement in the Genocide in Rwanda
as "direct" or indirect", Mr. Marschner just answered confidently and
assertively "direct".

"Based on evidence I have from transactions that CCR had and where
the diverted money could have been channeled, I believe there is no
doubt on their (French authorities) involvement", he explained as he
pointed to booklets besides him.

"The problem however comes to how the link between the French
establishment (political or otherwise) can be linked to the
transactions of CCR but the company was owned by the state".

Bernard Kouchner twist

New French President Nicolas Sarkozy named his first 15-member
Cabinet last week, radically revamping the government, with nearly as
many women as men and including a humanitarian crusader.

Observers say the appointment of career diplomat and self acclaimed
humanitarianist Dr. Bernard Kouchner to the foreign affairs portfolio
could be a move to "calm down the ever rising temperature" over
France 's past in Rwanda .

As the war raged, Mr. Kouchner was allowed safe passage through the
RPF rebel strong hold to the east of Rwanda in early 1994 as he
negotiated the launch of the controversial "humanitarian cordon" -
commonly known as `Zone Turquoise'.

Recently he was also in the country seeking to have Rwanda approve
his nomination to head the World Health Organisation (WHO). He
however lost to a Chinese.

With the above and several numerous encounters previously that Mr.
Kouchner had with Kigali establishment, observers say he could be
probable link between France and Rwanda . There have been several
European led moves to bring France and Rwanda to talk but to very
little movement from either party.

[Apongwu]

Kudos to Fru Ndi.You are now talking and i think you will continue to have this nation at heart.I think as you have rightly said if we all together with the scnc can enter the same bus an speak with one voice then all must one day be well.If not then i don,t know where we are heading to .We should forget the polical manifestations of mr Biya and stand firm and God being with us we must succeed.

[Feli]

Rexon,
I just hurried through the contributions and stumbled on the part you addressed me directly. Though contrary to you, I do not have that much time in my hands, I would simply want to state clear that the following statement of yours is fallacious.
"Feli,
Granting that your SDF has been in La Republiques government in the past 10 years in both its legislatives and executive arms, can you please explain its achievements relating to its objectives of devolution of powers during this period."
It is fallacious because either you confuse the fundamentals of government or you do not fully understand how the state of Cameroon operates. I am not in a position to give you civics education but know that Cameroon is ruled by decree. The president decides on what and who is law. He also decides on where the said law is applied and how and to what extent. Such a system is called dictatorship. When this system was widely criticised by the SDF, Biya came up with the notion of Democratie apaisee which brought in cosmetic changes to the legislative.
The SDF intends to disassemble the whole of this structure and bring power closest to the people. To get there, it does not suffice to run councils or to have a few MPs. The reason being that although MPs have the right to sponsor Private member bills, this is only permissible at the discretion of the President of the Assembly who at the moment answers directly and only to the President of the Republic, who in turn rules the country by decree and has shown no political will of sharing his absolute powers.
This vicious circle can only be disrupted if the SDF poses the President of the Assembly in a case where the party boasts of a majority or close to such in parliament. To achieve this, elections need to be free and fair. To win the electorate in the case of free and fair elections, the party has to elaborate on its programme which is a Federation with devolution of powers to local governments (see SDF website). Now this programme obviously makes Biya's DOs and SDOs and Governors redundant, because in the case of a federation, these administrators would be replaced by State assemblies elected by the people and answerable only to the people. It is for this reason (fear of being unemployed or not promoted) that Biya's DOs and SDOs dread the SDF's political agenda and will leave no stone unturned to rig in favour of the CPDM.
To approach this dilemma, the SDF has learnt and has trained a large part of its militants on pre- and post-electoral vigilance. Thus, only massive participation and vigilance at the polls will usher in the federation and devolution of powers as defined by the SDF. It is only then that you can question the SDF's achievements in this aspect as the party would finally be in a position to give POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

DIVIDED WE STAND: The language of Annexation and Poverty
Innocent Chia

Dividing a people to conquer is so old a political ploy, it predates modern history. Yet most every leader makes the solemn public promise to unite those people under their leadership.

The Glory Days: An Elder & Fyffe Ship being loaded with Banana exports at the once bustling Tiko seaport in 1959.

As far as the politics of the West-Central African country of La Republique du Cameroun goes, its two life presidents (the late Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya) are responsible for systemic dogmas that preach national unity or national integration but practice just the opposite.

While President Ahmadou Ahidjo preached “l'Unite Nationale”, his goal was to bring about a systemic neutralization and assimilation of the Southern Cameroon’s minority. His successor, President Paul Biya turned it several notches up with sermons on “National Integration”.

The reality, however, is that of La Republique du Cameroun’s hegemony and annexation attempts over Southern Cameroon. It is true that the success of any policy requires human resources. Our last essay was a cursory look at some of the Southern Cameroonian surrogates, yes-men that will do everything that the slave master asks of them in order to share a slice of the spoils. Above all, the power of the purse has been La Republique’s most powerful tool and our focus today.

According to a 1960 Trade Report from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Information, the Victoria and Tiko seaports ranked 4th and 5th (after Lagos, Port Harcourt, Sapele and Calabar) in the amount of cargo that was loaded out of Nigeria ports, and accounted for all imports and exports to West Cameroon. (Ngenge T.S. 2003. “The Institutional Roots of the ‘Anglophone Problem’ in Cameroon,” in CAMEROON: Politics and Society in Critical Perspectives). Without contest, Ngenge states that “the Victoria and Tiko seaports contributed to the development of Southern Cameroons”. He adds:

But when the United Republic (of) Cameroon was created in 1972, the two ports were neglected as the government made it a policy that all transactions should be through the river port of Douala. Imports and exports became concentrated in the Douala river port, which subsequently accounted for 92% of all maritime traffic….While attention was paid to the seaports of Kribi, Campo and Garoua riverport, those of West Cameroon, including the Mamfe riverport, were abandoned. The move to reduce the ports of Tiko and Victoria to disuse or third class was publicized in the 1976-1981 Development Plan. In this Five-Year Development Plan, 18,426 million francs CFA were obtained from external sources, were allocated to the development of the Douala riverport. The seaports of Kribi and Campo had 536 million francs CFA and 168 million francs CFA for their development. (pg. 75).

Relocating the business of the seaports to a relatively impoverished La Republique was just the beginning of economic and financial strangulation for West Cameroonians. It was, as well, a systemic ploy to ensure complete dependence of an otherwise well structured, thriving and independent system. So, along with the port went other businesses, including CAMBANK, R&W King, Printania, Glamour, Emens Textiles, Cameroon Commercial Corporation, UTC, Socopsa and PMO. Meantime, Power Cam, SONAC, Standard Bank of West Africa, Alliance Company and Renault Motors. These business that were located in Victoria shut their doors altogether. Ngenge further lists other companies that closed shop in Tiko; Peugeot, Volkswagen and Opel motor companies. Above all, he notes:

The after-effect of the collapse of the West Cameroon economy was the exodus to French Cameroon of young Anglophones in search of economic opportunities. Many of these would-be-workers had been schooled in the English system and did not have a strong command of French. Consequently, they were at a disadvantage in the labor market, which became very tight in the 1980s as the economy contracted and the central government was compelled to implement structural adjustment measures, which, among other things, meant freezing government hiring.(Pg. 77).

There is also no doubt in my mind that the minimization of economic prosperity, to dependence and subsistence, in Southern Cameroons by La Republique set the stage for the corrupt patron-client relations now common currency in the country. Attaining this goal also meant the infiltration of reputable institutions in Southern Cameroons. The Mutengene Police Academy was once known for its no-nonsense graduates that upheld the law. Its language of instruction was the English language. Hardly is it a shadow of itself today. The majority of the courses are now taught in French. This is not so because the instructors are necessarily of that expression. In large part, it also has to do with the fact that the majority of its students are conveniently from La Republique and French is their first official language.

As for those candidates that are of the English expression, their troubles mirror what obtains in other professional schools and universities in the country. In these schools, over 80% of the course work is taught in French. Teachers/lecturers/professors who may have studied in America or England, and are even from Southern Cameroons, are forced to teach in French, excepting those in the English Language Department. But even here, as the story goes in what is supposed to be the “Anglo-Saxon” University, former University of Buea Vice Chancellor Dorothy Njeuma convened to have a special tutoring program for its French speaking students. Whereas, English speaking students are literally forced to learn how to read and speak the French oppressor’s language in comparable schools and campuses across the nation.

There are a couple of salient consequences from such a cacophony: 1) Lost meaning in the process of communication and, 2) Emergence, persistence and proliferation of the sub-culture of unpublished works (poly copies) by the teaching staff that has decided to cash-in on the misery of the Southern Cameroonian student.

Hence, once many a Southern Cameroonian has gone through this system, the brain washing is almost complete. The language of choice becomes French. This explains why most police officers shamelessly speak their half-baked French on street corners, continuing in their unending enterprise of petty-bribes from motorists and passengers. It also speaks as to why the late Bernard Eding, General Manager of the National Oil Refinery (SONARA), answering a question on why the refinery had very few Anglophone employees, even though located in Southern Cameroon, replied that Anglophones had not acquired the technological skills required to work at SONARA. (pg. 80).

The situation is no different today. This is not because Anglophones lack the technical and technological training and expertise. It also has to do with the fact that even those positions that would have been reserved for Southern Cameroonians have been given to English speaking Francophone Cameroonians that are gradually and systematically filling the classrooms in English speaking schools.

Taking these jobs, however, does not translate into them speaking English at the work place. Not even when the job is to serve a predominantly Southern Cameroonian population. We need to look no further than the Senior Divisional Officers, the Divisional Officers and others. Even when assigned to work in a Southern Cameroon hinterland, the official language in which they address the populace is in French. Is there any communication? Does it matter? Or, is it all part of annexation and spitefulness of a people that are identified within their own territory as “Biafrans” and “enemies within the house”? The example is set from above. Ahmadou Ahidjo uttered four words in Eglish: “I do so swear”. Paul Biya is towing the line. Even Southern Cameroonian Ministers struggling to be the best slaves must make their speeches in stitched French. Oh, what spite!

Talking about spitefulness, it was the turn of Charles Nana, (MBA graduate from the University of Chicago with an impressive resume including stints at General Electric and other consulting gigs) to show off the deep-seated disdain that even an English-educated Francophone Cameroonian has for Southern Cameroons and the desire of her people to prosper. On a local Chicago yahoo group for Cameroonians, Charlie Nana’s reaction to the working blueprint of Southern Cameroon Peoples Organization (SCAPO) on its website was to dismiss it as a pipe dream. Indeed he wrote: “Il est permis de rêver” (It is OK to dream). And yes, it may all be a dream to him.

What is most significant is the failure to demonstrate what type of fiber he is made of. At the very least, the rest of us would have been thrilled to see a thread of critical and pragmatic thinking at variance with SCAPO's blueprint. Finally, that one who is an otherwise prolific English language contributor on several media should resort to such cheap shots in French is beyond any words.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Klemenceau-Shalom]

Hi Kiki

Thanks for what you posted from Innocent Chia. In fact reading through it makes me almost shade tears.
Should we sleep and see these Francophone devils and their French masters ruin our land and people? GOD FORBIDE!

We must fight and God willing, we will succeed. The Chinese say "NO Pain, No Gain" Can we regain our country without any pain?

Shalom

Klemenceau