Southern Cameroons Struggle At Crossroads

By Sam Nuvala Fonkem

Two years ago, President Biya of La Republique du Cameroun in his traditional New Year message broadcast on CRTV, reminded his audience that the first of January marks the date in which one part of the country (French Cameroon) gained independence (January 1, 1960).

It was, indeed, a very thoughtful reminder that what passes for La Republique du Cameroun today is in effect a fractious entity made up of two states of equal status which came together on 1st October 1961 to form a federal republic that was subsequently abrogated in May 1972 by political fraud and subsequent presidential fiats.
Biya's motive for that reminder can only be perceived as a cynical exercise in downplaying the significance of the Southern Cameroons struggle to restore its sovereignty and nationhood that have been trampled upon by the assimilationists and annexationists forces of the Francophone led regime in Yaounde.

I do not recall any instance in which Mr. Biya mentions the October 1st 1961 unification in all his 24 years in power. The man would go down in history as the President who with a reckless stroke of the pen, buried the last relics of unification by simply changing the name United Republic of Cameroon (1972) to La Republique du Cameroun (1984) the name of French Cameroon when it attained independence in 1960.

Despite all political acrobatics to undermine and obliterate the political  identity of the Southern Cameroons, the vanguard for the restoration of the territory's sovereignty and self determination for its people has made significant diplomatic breakthroughs to win international recognition and support at the African Union Human and People Rights Commission, the Unrepresented Peoples Organisation, the UN Human Rights Committee etc.

The vanguard movement for restoration, the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC has experienced the rise of faction leaders like Justice Ebong and Mr. Henry Fossung but that has had little or no effect on the validity of the restoration struggle.

When leaders of the Free West Cameroon Movement, the Cameroon Anglophone Movement which later became the Southern Cameroons Restoration Movement, and many others converged at the Mount Mary Maternity in Buea in April 1993 to give birth to the SCNC, all Southern Cameroonians spoke with one voice and one sentiment and expressed the unshakeable desire to take their destiny into their hands.

All political processes based on the right to self-determination must overcome the first and most difficult hurdle i.e. that of creating a political consciousness. In this light, the Southern Cameroons struggle has scored very high marks.

Gone are the days when the demagogues in Yaounde  tried to falsify the Southern Cameroons predicament as a more minority question to be equated with that of minority tribes like the pygmy and the Baka of the Equatorial rainforest and the cattle rearing Bororos of the grassfield who are clamouring for equal rights and opportunity.

True enough, Southern Cameroonians have been treated like second class citizens and relegated to the background in the management of public affairs. A recent and shameless manifestation of this attitude was the appointment last week of six assistant government delegates each in the urban councils of Yaounde and Douala.

I don't recall any of them being of Southern Cameroons origin, yet Southern Cameroonians form a significant part of the population of these cities.
True enough, Southern Cameroonians form at least one quarter of the Cameroon population, but that does not make them an ethnic minority.

The former British-administered Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons is basically English-speaking with regard to the two official languages (French and English) but that does not simplify its aspirations to those of a linguistic minority.

The restoration movement has succeeded in dispelling the false notion that the Southern Cameroons question is an ethnic or linguistic minority issue. Attempts to dissemble the issue by the Yaounde regime has resulted in exposing the regime as a bunch of congenital liars with an incurable penchant for dishonesty and corruption.

There is absolutely no doubt that the regime shall never relent in its reductionist agenda, yet no amount of political chicanery can halt the momentum for self-determination. Examples abound. Take the Ethiopian Province of Eritrea which began its struggle in the early 1970's.

Take the Soviet satellites of Latvia, Estonia and Byelorussia. Take East Timor and very recently Montenegro in former Yugoslavia. Sovereignty has nothing to do with numbers.
At the time of unification in 1961, the Southern Cameroons population was officially estimated at 800.000, much larger than Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Burma and dozens of other smaller entities that are today enjoying full independence.

The Southern Cameroons was already operating a parliamentary system in 1954, three years before French Cameroon had a French-teleguided territorial assembly. Multiparty politics was the order of the day in Southern Cameroons.

The political and socio-economic institutions in the autonomous Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons before unification were indicative of a greater political maturity. Economic prosperity was guaranteed by the Cameroon Development Corporation with its vast plantations of cash crops like oil palm, rubber and banana; the West Cameroon Marketing Board and the West Cameroon Development Agency; a well-grounded Cooperative system and a promising Public Works Department PWD.

The actual and potential wealth of the Southern Cameroons coupled with the discovery of petroleum along the West Coast in the late 1960's fuelled the piratical instincts of the francophone-led regime in Yaounde to embark on the annexation of Southern Cameroons.

The story of the marginalisation of the Southern Cameroons is a tragic tale of greed, dishonesty and plunder. The restoration movement under the auspices of the SCNC has succeeded to a large extent in exposing the predatory nature of the annexationists and while it is at present intensifying representations in international bodies, it must be reminded that the struggle is after all very much home-bound.

It must be reminded that Yaounde will not willingly withdraw its forces of occupation and its colonial appointees just for the asking. It would be naïve to think that as long as the regime continues to tap the resources of the territory while occasionally dropping one or two crumbs for a few Anglophone lackeys, the gold-digging marauders of Southern Cameroons will suddenly realise their thieving injustice and voluntarily pack out of the territory, with or without apologies. Sorry!

Thirteen years after Mount Mary, the Southern Cameroons' nationalist struggle has succeeded in establishing a machinery for the reaffirmation of its people's identity and a psychological tool for asserting self-pride. A Southern Cameroonian today, more than ever before, can now say with confidence that "I am not a second class citizen.

I know I have a homeland, a mentality and a world view." But what he cannot assert in truth is " I am in control of my homeland." Thirteen is the age of puberty and a critical age at that. The direction of the restoration movement henceforth would determine the kind of support it gets.

Failure to match aspirations will appropriate action could usher in a more radical and revolutionary force to the centre - stage that would not be bothered with intellectual niceties; a force that would not be too eager to caress western diplomatic circles with anti-terrorist lullabies and the virtues of non-violence.

Southern Cameroon's consciousness did not reawaken only 13 years ago. The late Dr. Bernard Fonlon made timid noises about Anglophone marginalisation in highly private memos to President Ahidjo as far back as 1964.

Twenty years later, the late S.T. Muna, former Vice President, and Prime Minister of West Cameroon, at the time, President of the National Assembly, also made a rather sheepish memo to Paul Biya about some problems facing Anglophones. None of these highly restricted memos touched the crux of the matter i.e. Southern Cameroons' truncated march towards total independence.

The non-negotiable position for sovereignty was sounded by the Free West Cameroon Movement at the All Anglophone Conference at Mount Mary Maternity in Buea (AAC I) and was only adopted at AAC II in Bamenda in April 1994.

It had dawned on participants that the accommodative federalist approach of AAC I had become irrelevant and that the path to self-determination called for a more drastic appraisal of the plight of the Southern Cameroons. Only drastic measures can move the struggle to its logical conclusion.

In as much as people pretend that secession is not the answer to the question, a dispassionate diagnosis of the malady dictates that there can be no relief unless the boil is excised. It is rather paradoxical that the advocates of accommodation with La Republique du Cameroun at the expense of Southern Cameroons God-given right to self-determination are the very surrogates licking the crumbs from the francophone table.

They are usually rewarded with cabinet and other lucrative position, forgetting that they owe their appointments to the nationalist struggle, bearing in mind that their appointment is intended to appease the justified anger of Southern Cameroonians and deceive international public opinion that national integration is a reality in Cameroon.

Integration is a voluntary process, not imposed by high-handed political manipulation. Integration is not synonymous to annexation and, unless the forces of occupation peacefully withdraw (which is not likely), they would have to be evicted - one way or another.

Comments

[rexon]

We are really tired of all these Memo's to Bandits masquerading as head of states of La republique francaise du cameroun. The earlier we understand that our freedom will be determined by our ability to unite as southern cameroonians and fight the common enemy, the better. All those forming baseless groups like the SDF on groups that it is going to provide any solution to the southern cameroonian movement are just dreaming.

[rexon]

La République du Cameroun's flag set ablaze.
Southern Cameroons delegates from different German states converyed in Essen, to demonstrate against the 45 years of illegal occupation of Southern Cameroons by La République du Cameroun.
Escorted by German policemen, the protesters walked the streets of Essen with their banners, flags and placards. At the consulate of La République du Cameroun in the Heierbusch street 28, the Southern Cameroons anthem was sang. Followed then were speeches from Fuabeh Victor, Cho Ayaba, Akosah Francis and other delegates.
A symbolic change of guards took place with the flag of Southern Cameroons transferred from hand to hand by all the members present.
The apex of the demonstration was setting the flag of La République du Cameroun ablaze and hoisting the flag of the Southern Cameroons. All these under the careful watch of the German police.
The demonstration ended peacefully with the protesters heading to their different locations.

[Muki StoneHall]

Rexon,
All those of baseless groups like the SDF are not worse than those of baseless hope in the paper liberation of Southern Cameroons.Any person,or group of persons preaching that SC can be liberated by pen and paper is misleading Southern Cameroonians and is therefore an enemy of the people.All we need to do is FIGHT!.

[Fon]

This edition of the post is quite informative and educative. Those spearheading the fight for self determination should think of sponsoring a free distribution of this edition to all Southern Cameroonians.

A true southern Cameroonian will give a second thought to the SCNC struggle after going through this edition .

[rexon]

Muki,

Your opinion is well understood.

[Francis Nche]

It is unbelievable that Sam Nuvala Fonken who spent all his life and great journalistic talent as a propaganda machine for Ahidjo and Biya's regime for whitewashing Cameroon History resurface from his retirement home to eloquently talk about how Southern Cameroon was more populated at independence than Gambia,Burma, Equatorial Guinea. Good that Mr. Sam knows that these are small impoorished dictorial countries that have never moved a single step forward since independence. Mr. Sam Nuvala Fonken should have been better placed to know that those tiny nations including Togo and Swaziland makes negative headlines and Nobody cherish that for Cameroon.
In his tenure as the chief Editor of English Radio News in Yaounde for over 2 decades, he could have exposed Anglopone Marginilization but he elected to Sing Praises to Ahidjo potraying him as a God and then relay the rhetoric with Paul Biya as he puts it " God sent saviour to Cameroon. I respect his intelectual power but I must admit he is not different from Muna and Foncha who confessed having made errors in dealing with the leaders of our French speakng brothers and joined SCNC just after they were forced out of oligocharcy cycles of Biya regime. Muna for instance cried out for marginalization but he refused even to sign the tarring of Bengwi 30 km strip of road from Bda to his house, not withststanding the polical ploy with Ahidjo in 1961 against Njua.
Even God regretted having creatng man beause Man became an instrument of the devil on earth. Even if these people are regretting having brought us together, we are proud to continue the fight against injustice in one and indivible prosperous Cameroon, our ancestrial land.
May God Bless Cameroon

[rexon]

Francis Nche,

For once, you should refrain from using words whose meaning you dont know

"we are proud to continue the fight against injustice in one and indivible prosperous Cameroon, our ancestrial land"

U and who are proud? how prosperous is Cameroon, where is your ancestral land in La Republique?

For once, you should think before you scribe your CPDM rhetoric in this forum. Like Dr AA, your motive will be proven by members in this forum as time unfolds.

As the special envoy for the Cameroon Liberation Action Force, i hope you are not in Cameroon to lobby for sponsorship funds from the Biya regime or say Fru Ndi, Muna, Inoni, Danpullo, etc (his colleague in business) as your tone seems to suggest.

[Ma Mary]

Francis - please get the terminology right before you get in the fray, otherwise you are like somebody in soccer trying to score a goal with his hands. It is "the Southern Cameroons", not "Southern Cameroon". This is historical. This is fact. This is legal. This you can take to the bank.

The union is DEAD.

The union is not a sacred deal made in heaven.

It was sacred as long as its terms were respected.

Never mind Sam Nuvala Fonkem's past. It is what he does with his present and his future that counts. Sam like most of us had some hope in Ahidjo's pipe dream, before we realized we had been taken.

If we could forgive Foncha and Muna before they died, because they acknowledged their error and blessed the path that we are taking, we could forgive Sam or even Francis, who are but kids in this saga.

[Kumbaboy]

Francis,

If "de-annexation" is the new creed of the occupied people of Southern Cameroons then Sam Nuvala Fonkem could easily be the St. Paul. There are many St. Pauls in the country.

There probably would be no Christianity in the new world but for the missions and writings of St. Paul.

[abili liese]

DO YOU PEOPLE EVER SIT AND THINK ABOUT THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF A DIVIDED CAMEROON? DO YOU PEOPLE EVER THINK OF THE MANY INTER-TRIBAL MARRIAGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN ANGLOPHONE AND FRANCOPHONE PEOPLE?

BEFORE COLONISATION CAMEROON WAS ONE

[M Nje]

Lise abili,

"BEFORE COLONISATION CAMEROON WAS ONE"
(liese abili)

Go back and study history of German Kamerun or Cameroon. You have no idea what you are talking about. I mean no idean. What use to be German Kamerun or Cameroon consist of part of what is today Chad, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, La Repblic Du Cameroun, Southern Cameroons, Gabon and Northern Cameroons. All of these were separate states and they had their independence separately.

German Kamerun ended in 1916.

So where did you get the phrase "BEFORE COLONISATION CAMEROON WAS ONE"

Before colonisation our anciestor lived in their villages separatedly. There was nothing like Cameroon before colonisation. It was colonisation that brought in Cameroon.

If you want to reconstitue German Kamerun, then you will need to bring the followintogether:Chad, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, La Repblic Du Cameroun, Southern Cameroons, Gabon and Northern Cameroons.

[AngloCameroonian]

Hmm...I am really amazed by all these educated folks.
Rise up...rise up...rise!!!
Writing and counter writing does not help the course.
Organize the freedom march back home. Not in europe or anywhere else with a handful of friends.
I can bet your that if we anglophones were to vote for a REFERANDUM whether to separate or not, majority(what the CPDM call landslide) will vote against any separation.
Why because the people are ignorant and really don't know what they need. Less than 1% use the net, except for mails and chatting. Go home and talk to the people.

So, whether SCNC or any banner must first educate and unite the people before making any step.
Otherwise it will end in factions, others relaxing infront of their computer and writing epistles of freedom to forum members, while others are languishing in prison cells.
Why then will the people not unwilling but desparately send motions of support to biya.
Lets be reasonable and proactive.
Join the movement!!