Originally published on Scribbles from the Den
Exactly 48 years ago on October 1, 1961, the Federal Republic of Cameroon was born after the United Nations Trust territory of (British) Southern Cameroons merged with the French-speaking Republic of Cameroun - this, in accordance with the results of the UN-sponsored plebiscite of February 11, 1961.
On this anniversary day, we will not be looking at the ground covered or not covered by both territories since 1961 - that will be a task for the 50th anniversary. Rather, we will walk down memory lane to revisit some of the interesting post-plebiscite debates about the fate of Southern Cameroons in the British House of Commons; debates which indicated that the decolonization of Southern Cameroons was not as straightforward as it seemed to the uninitiated. One of such debates was between John Tilney, Conservate MP from Liverpool, an unapolgetic proponent of Southern Cameroons independence, and David Ormsby Gore, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, defending the new reality which emerged from the Plebiscite. We will post both of their declations in their entirety.
Later, we will use the case of John Tilney to demonstrate that the competing political and economic interests within the British political establishment over the fate of Southern Cameroons had little or nothing to do with actual Southern Cameroons interests - - even when they favored South Cameroons independence without "integrating" or "joining' either Nigeria or Cameroon.
1961 House of Commons Debates on Southern Cameroons - John Tinley, Conservative MP, Liverpool.
"Perhaps the Southern Cameroonian made the decision to join up with the Cameroon Republic through fear of the Ibo, or because of lack of finance or lack of leadership by the United Kingdom in the past, for we have tried our best to remain neutral; or was it because he had no third choice offered to him?" John Tilney, House of Commons, February 20, 1961.
1961 House of Commons Debates on Southern Cameroons - David Ormsby Gore, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
We are all anxious to prevent any repetition of recent events in the Congo. It seems to us that our best hope of doing this is to continue firmly on our present course. There are always dangers when new countries are born—always the possibility of something going wrong—but these dangers would have been greater if we had tried, or were now to try to enforce reunification with Nigeria in a way contrary to the United Nations mandate and against the wishes of the people. David Ormsby Gore, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Click here to visit Scribbles from the Den for full transcripts and more
More great stuff from Scribbles:
House of Commons Debates on Southern Cameroons, 1961:
http://www.dibussi.com/2009/09/house-of-commons-debate-1-john-tinley-conservative-mp-from-liverpool.html
Ho we were standing at the edge of a pit, and how Foncha jumped in.
Posted by: Ma Mary | Thursday, 01 October 2009 at 01:54 PM
The Roman Polanski of nations la Republique Francais du Cameroun rapes a brand new nation then justifies it to the whole world and blames the victim.
Konde, are you really Alain Dipoko?
Posted by: VA Boy | Thursday, 01 October 2009 at 06:21 PM
Landlady, why blame Foncha now?! Is it now that you know about Foncha's stupidity? Cry blood!When i chastise dem all, you join di nasty chorus to chant garbage. You too Anglophone fi me? I thought you were abreast of the history of the Southern Cameroons!
There are hordes of Youtube videos fi you. Am still searching fi more, and if i find aniting new, i'll upload dem fi di Anglophone nation to see di stupid vampire demmal.
If you watch them and not react with anger, then you must be nuts! A visionary weighs all the pros and cons, Foncha chosed death, even with the so-called PHD Fonlon by his side! Foncha was very happy as if to say that he achieved something magnificent. AMA SWEET TUTU, is basically into the same old stupid game, and when i cry foul, you still chant me di usual niggish!
Posted by: Ras Tuge | Thursday, 01 October 2009 at 07:32 PM
Ya,Ras Tuge,I share your passion,it is now an established fact that these men of yore really led us into a precipice with their eyes widely opened.The questions now are; what should we do to redress or neutralise the current trend of events?Should we simply remain contented with our present predicament and spend our lives bemoaning our fate and blaming those who plunged us into the abyss?Yes,as you rightly said,the seed of the old hydrae(Ama Tutu Muna)is still struggling to take root and may widely extend its tentacles if nothing is done now and fast too.
Posted by: The herald | Friday, 02 October 2009 at 06:45 AM
I think this is the right moment to call the attention of some of the traitors, some of the candy asses that are currently showering praises at this unification/reunification conspiracy. I'm referring to quislings like Ngolle Ngolle, Achidi Achu, Agbor Tabi etc who've placed their stomachs before their brains.
You've chanted so much in order to fill your pockets and shield your family from the general frustration that has kept Southern Cameroonian Youths miserable amid the awful discrimination in La republique. Now your pockets are full. Your immediate families have taken new nationalities abroad. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT? Your people have been reduced to beggars. How long do you want to continue being praise singers?
The Herald, it's obvious we would not get a peaceful settlement. We've even pleaded for a return to federalism and its been taken out of the tables. So I think we have two options. We either rally behind any candidate that seek to immediate redress the Southern Cameroon problem come 2011 or we start thinking of hiring some Niger Delta rebels or some Pakistani extremists to do the job for us. We can contribute towards this with ease.
Posted by: Bob Bristol | Friday, 02 October 2009 at 08:26 AM
Brother Bob, this is and shall never be a battle of guns and ammunitions. Rather, it is a battle of our minds man. Culture, the way i see this thing is very simple; Anyangwe, Nfon Ngala Nfon, Ekontang Elad, Ayamba etc, must all step aside now. This people have been useful to an extent, but they all have outlived their usefulness.
Yea, Anyangwe is a PHD and more, but so too was Fonlon! Bagging a PHD doesn't make anybody a leader of such a cause. Anyangwe can't speak, frankly he has no command of the situation. Nfor Ngala is just not fit to act the kind of press secretary that he is trying to. This battle has to be won here in the West, nothing else. I don't see anything difficult once these old and feeble minds make way for the vibrant youth.
Herald, you see man, i am a true born Anglophone child and i want the best for our kind. Most of us were not even alive yet when this thing transpired. But no history book has ever been as revealing as some of these Youtube videos we see today. I am enormously grateful to whoever uploaded them. This tragedy was never meant to be. People chosed it out of sheer callousness and self-aggrandizement.
That's why i get so fucking upset! For over forty years they lied to us that Foncha was forced into this shit. Garbage! But like i've said before, it is as easy to fix as a glass of cool drinking water once the younger generation gets fully involved. No blood shall be spilled if these old vampires don't bring confusion.
Posted by: Ras Tuge | Friday, 02 October 2009 at 11:59 AM
SOUTH WESTERNERS WANT A GRAFFI AND BIAFRA FREE SOUTH WEST PROVINCE. FRANCOPHONES ARE WELCOME.
Comrade Dr. Alain Dipoko, called you a son of a whore but I would add you are worst than being a bastard. You are a Biafra. You found yourself in Cameroon like the graffi people, “come no go” when your parents’ fishing boat accosted the shores of either Ngeme or Limbe. If those places in the south west are what you call them, then what is Ikang like? Ibio bio son of a bitch.
You see why we must deny Nigerians from attending schools in Cameroon? When we allow them this privilege, they start behaving as Cameroonians. South westerners should not collaborate with north westerners politically. Graffis are full of perfidy. This nonsense called the SCNC is full of the graffis. We do not want any thing to do with them. They should pack and go back to their barren north west.
Foncha deceived us, John Fru Ndi deceived us and collected a colossal CFA 3 billion from the same government all along he has been calling the Satan. Foncha like Endeley asked for the independence of the southern Cameroons only to turn around and ditch the territory on the laps of Ahidjo. Today you want the South westerner to trust the graffi man? The SCNC is asking all French citizens to leave the territory of former West Cameroon, but the south westerner is asking all graffi people to leave the south west.
We do not like you the graffi people. Apart from your filthy lifestyles, we hate your perfidy in life. Why must you always come to the south west to preach and create your nonsense in the south west? Do that rubbish in Wum, Nkambe, Bali, Bafut, Banso, and Santa but not in the South west province. Let the south west province be the wretched place on earth but south westerners would prefer to live in that wretched place without the graffi people and the Biafras.
Posted by: Son of the Soil | Friday, 02 October 2009 at 04:31 PM
in southern cameroons there is no northwest
no southern west, no graffi, no bakweri, no bayangui. we are all one people fighting for our independence.
Posted by: dango tumma | Thursday, 08 October 2009 at 12:34 AM
dango tumma,why bother yourself with Dipoko alias son of the soil's rantings?He and his frog leaders can never succeed to split southern cameroonians apart,because what God has put together,no body can succeed in putting it asunder,even if the one posesses unlimited PHDs.He will surely labour in vain.
And conversely,nobody can put together what God has put asunder.La Republique and Southern Cameroon are two strange bed fellows that will remain stranger to each other world without end.
After all things have started drifting apart;even if this does not happen in our life time,posterity will do.
Posted by: The herald | Thursday, 08 October 2009 at 07:03 AM