National Anthem is usually that song that reminds every person in the world who they are and which values they carry with them and service to their country; it is a song that when you sing, you feel united with the people of your country. In Africa it is usually the first song learnt in school as the government want them to incorporate a certain range of value, nationalism and patriotic attitude. Cameroon is a country in central Africa with its own problems like other countries. Officially, it is supposed to be a “unified” country; but it is hard to understand that a country is unified but has two different national anthems for French and English part of the country; we are not talking about the melody but about the message. Let us bear in mind that in Cameroon they sing only the first verse and the Chorus of their national anthem. Let us analyse both the French and English versions of it. Copy and translation of each version can be found on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Cameroon,_Cradle_of_Our_Forefathers ) Official English lyrics O Cameroon, Thou Cradle of our Fathers, Holy Shrine where in our midst they now repose, Their tears and blood and sweat thy soil did water, On thy hills and valleys once their tillage rose. Dear Fatherland, thy worth no tongue can tell! How can we ever pay thy due? Thy welfare we will win in toil and love and peace, Will be to thy name ever true! Chorus: Land of Promise, land of Glory! Thou, of life and joy, our only store! Thine be honour, thine devotion, And deep endearment, for evermore. English translation of official French lyrics from Wikipedia . O Cameroon cradle of our ancestors, Go, upright and jealous of your freedom. As the sun, let your flag be proud, A symbol of ardent faith and unity, May all your children, from North to South From East to West, live in love! May serving you be their sole purpose To fulfil their duty forever. Chorus: Dear Fatherland, dear land, You are our only true happiness. Our joy, our life To you, love and the greatest honor. Although both have the same melody, they both have a different message. In the first verse, the French one expresses their respect for their ancestor, acknowledges their freedom, that their flag should be a symbol of their faith and unity (please dear reader keep in mind that this song was adopted in 1957, which means 3 years before LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMROUN independence), that their children should live in love and serve their country forever. This is the verse sang by LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN (LRC) citizens, and yes most of them apply what it says in the national anthem’s first verse especially authorities, who had annexed Southern Cameroon. Remember LRC got their independence in 1960 with their National Anthem already; while the Southern Cameroon was still under British authority. And in 1961 Southern Cameroon freely joined LRC into a federation. After that several thing changed: The Flag, the Constitution (where the federation was protected by his article 47), the creation of the English national assembly, and some other things like the Name of the country. But the National Anthem remained the same no change what so ever, instead a new version was added to Southern Cameroonians anthem. After the so call referendum and unification what has changed, again the flag, the dissolution of the English assembly, the constitution (ignoring the protection of the article 47 from the previous one), and the name of the country get back to his old original name (LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN), again the National Anthem did not change and Southern Cameroonians stayed with that version which was imposed on them during the federation. It sounds like since the beginning of that union LRC had planned to impose their authority to Southern Cameroon, as they were always in control of the army, the flag, and the currency. This can explain why in Southern Cameroon there is an oil refinery but the bill and all the accountability is done in LRC by citizens of LRC; and the benefits of that oil money is invested in LRC. This can explain why in Victoria (Limbe) the army, the BIR (Fast intervention brigade) is LRC french force while the language there is English, this explains why there are over 35 army generals in the country and not even 3 from Southern Cameroon. This can explain why in Buea (Capital of Southern Cameroon) in every government institute the primary language is French when the main population speak English; why they had to move the CDC (Cameroon Development Corporation) headquarter from Victoria (Limbe) to Yaounde (LRC capital), the CDC was one of the last institutes respecting the rights and the thought of Southern Cameroonians especially the farmers; it was one of the last institutes that gave the feeling to people of Southern Cameroon that they are someone; it was one of those last hope of recognitions of their hard work. Basically Southern Cameroon works and produces wealth, and LRC takes all the profits exactly like during colonisation. In fact, instead of them working hard like their ancestors to make their land prosperous they use violence and guns to make the southern Cameroonian population to work hard for them. Like it says in the first verse: “May serving you be their sole purpose to fulfil their duty forever” even if it means oppressing, stealing and killing innocent people. Their chorus is just as clear: “Dear Fatherland, dear land, You are our only true happiness. Our joy, our life To you, love and the greatest honor” which literally means we will make our best to take everything back to our Land and under our control



. On the other hand, the English version expresses in the first verse; their respect for their ancestor, acknowledges their sacrifices, their hard work, the fact that their land cannot be sold as any tongue can the worth of it; that the welfare of that land will be win through work love and peace (please reader keep in mind that this version came up after the Southern Cameroonians freely accepted to join LRC in a federation; and the land in this case is only about the Southern Cameroonian land). This is what is sang in the Southern Cameroons, basically they taught the Southern Cameroon population to love, to care and to protect their land. So there is no surprise when people who know the truth about our history, who grew up with that love of their fatherland, join the SCNC to fight for the freedom and the prosperity of that land; there is no surprise when those people are ready to die for what is right. As the chorus said it well: Land of Promise, land of Glory! Thou, of life and joy, our only store! Thine be honour, thine devotion, And deep endearment, for evermore. Southern Cameroon is a land of Glory, of life, of joy and a store where you can find fresh food in every season, a store of mineral resources and oil; where the population welcome everybody in love and peace. Southern Cameroonian must continue to fight and free their Land of Promise. We have two different educational systems from nursery school to high school, two different national anthems for each part of the country with two different messages for the same country but we are supposed to be unified. Nowadays the use of the new penal code is to keep us quiet as it is stipulate on it article 111 that can be found here https://www.prc.cm/en/multimedia/documents/4721-law-n-2016-007-of-12-july-2016- relating-to-the-penal-code-en . Can we really speak about “unity” in that country, or annexation of Southern Cameroon?

By Gutenberg Ngadjeu Mbakop

Southern Cameroons was the southern part of the British mandate territory of Cameroons during the colonisation. In 1961, people of Southern Cameroons voted whether to join Nigeria or the Republic of Cameroun, which had already obtained independence from Britain and France one year earlier ( 1 January 1960). The vote resulted in Southern Cameroons becoming part of  Cameroon ( The  Republic of Cameroun).

The separatist Southern Cameroons National Council ( SCNC ) – which is demanding an independent Southern Cameroons made up of Cameroon’s  Northwest and Southwest Regions is a Self determination movement seeking the independence of the English speaking  from la Republique the French  speaking  Cameroun. Because the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) advocates separation from the French  Cameroon, it has been declared an illegal organisation by the Cameroon Government. It is not worth mentioning the condition in which we the Southern Cameroonians live in. Our condition is deplorable, Southern Cameroonians live in abject poverty, where the basic need of children are not met. Prior to Cameroon independence in 1960, Southern Cameroons had some renowned companies that helped its inhabitant to work and care for their families. Nowadays, most of these companies where our people relied upon to survive, have been relocated to the French speaking Cameroon, leaving our people to suffer and to become street beggars. I will name you one or two prominent companies that have been removed:

National producing Marketing board, a subsidiary that produced Cocoa and Coffee and exported abroad.

Power cam dealt with electricity, it was removed from Muyuka to  Kribi a French City of Cameroon. Most recently, the last standing company that produces Palm Oil and Banana known as Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) is being moved to Yaounde the Capital of French Cameroon.

Long desired by Western powers for its beauty and natural resources, Cameroon was first occupied by the Germans in 1884. After the First World War, the French and British carved it up between them as League of Nations mandates – four-fifths went to France, the rest to the United Kingdom.

A Federation was declared in 1961, followed by the Annexation of the English-Speaking  region into the United Republic of Cameroon, with its Capital in Yaounde in 1972. Dissension continues to seethe, however, in the English- speaking regions which recent the lack of control over their assets.

Over the years, Cameroon has downplayed its problem with the English-speaking regions, while making token placements of a few of their citizens in its administration. this relationship of inequality has let to impoverishment of the territory and its population and a diminishment of their education and cultural heritage, while feeding the flame of ethnic strife between the people of the Northwest and Southwest Regions.




Cameroon’s government under President Paul Biya ( The Dictator Biya) is bearing down on a separatist movement fighting for the rights of minority English -speaking  Regions, using as its weapon a sweeping new anti-terrorism law introduced in December 2014.

Whoever undertakes in whatever manner to infringe the territorial integrity of the Republic shall be punished with imprisonment for life.
In time of war, or in a state of emergency or siege, the penalty shall be death.

And the Separatist Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) has been targeted under the New Law , which forbids public meetings , street protest or any action that the government deems to be disturbing the peace. But we as Southern Cameroonians know that this law was put in place to hinder, obstruct, slow down and probably stop our activities ( the activities of the movement).  which is to get the independence of Southern Cameroons back.

Many Southern Cameroonians are on exile due to excessive force, torture, arrests, imprisonments and killings of SCNC members by La Republique du Cameroun’s evil force.  some are still in prisons, many have been arrested and inhumanly tortured while many have been killed.

We southern Cameroons are calling the international Community to intervene and put pressure on La Republique du Cameroun to  stop marginalising  us and grant us our freedom and independence as a matter of urgency.

Alain Bougan Scnc Activist UK