(A tribute to Southern Cameroon, envisaging the daily demise of those living and witnessing the

agony of French suppression and genocide, but with a mind of victory at the end.)

Cry my beloved country!

Raped, abused, tortured, killed, adducted, amidst violence, unrest, brutality, arrested development, no progress, hate, All because I asked.

Asked to be recognised, asked to live, asked to be accepted in my own home.

I am bartered and tortured. My children hiding in the bushes, some missing, how many are dead?

The pain is excruciating, I never dreamt of walking this path, I never dreamt of this dread, doesn’t it say tomorrow will be better?

But gloom has been lurking around.

What do you hear from the other end?

Noises, gunshots, screaming, agony, torture, another soul just departed, in an undignified manner,

What do you see? Houses going ablaze, flying bullets

Human carcases lying around like life doesn’t matter any longer.

The pain I nested yesterday, waiting for release has created a hallow in my heart, as the situation becomes worst.  Has it come to stay?

These questions keep going on in the mind.  Panic and fear of yesterday has turned into heroic bravery and disillusion. I am torn between two thoughts, and it keeps me in a spiral.

I feel the rage and urge to do something, but I feel disillusioned as my vision becomes so blurred, because my own words have come my very own victim.

 I am so scared, and my mouth is shut. I am the silenced victim

 No way to express, only the mind can process until it becomes disillusioned

Then life begins to appear in the shades of agony. Pain and sorrow has become the norm of the day.

Agony and disillusion has become a life style. The story from the next door neighbour is the same.

The next phone call is received with panic… did you hear what happened to…?

The next message is opened after a silent prayers, can this be another news

Laughter on the lips but the heart is sunk in deep sorrow.

I no longer know who walks besides me, I am suspicious of the other, what if I express my mind?

Will I be like him lamenting behind the big bars, will I end up being more afflicted and silenced

So I keep it all in my head, until I am almost losing my mind

I am losing my identity! Should I join them, to them it is either I am like them or extinct … assimilation?

I am torn from within. I cannot lose myself, that is who I am. This thoughts have been buzzling my head. My identity is my reality.

Until life is losing its very  meaning. Everyday is another cry for survival.

The sweet memories of the yesteryears are what I try to hold on to, but the pictures are becoming blur.

There is need for a tomorrow picture, but what do I see?  

A youthful population, exploited and extinct, fear and panic everywhere. I try to rise,  but I no longer know what tomorrow holds

Exchange of gunshots; but there is a contradiction to this

How can big machinery guns compare to local riffles?

My eyes are seeing the impossible

I am becoming accustomed to the despicable

The noise that made me run away in frenzy yesterday is what I wait to hear the next minute.

This noise has been likened to one of my favourite snacks “popcorn”.

I even laugh at the sound as it has become like a video game in my eyes and to my ears.

Pondering on the genesis of all these,  how I found myself in this union.

Thinking to myself;

I thought we were in agreement when we came together, I thought we had mutual respect for each other, I had given you all my confidence and support, but didn’t know you had an agenda.

How naïve I was to believe you. Now I am silenced and cheated. Downtrodden and exploited

My voice can be heard only within my own thoughts because I now fear you.

But this is over, we have come to a breaking point.

The spill must be out

The hallow must be sorted

The wounds must be healed.

I am no different from you. My name is my identity

I must be free from your dirty hands, stained with blood, hate and deceit.

My disillusion has turn to bravery.

The wells are boiling up and must spill over.

I am up to your challenge

I refuse to be silenced.

No more a victim but a victor

I have a voice

And with my voice I cry out!!!

My God is my helper and will come for me!

You must let go!!!!!

Freedom!!!!

Written by Emilia Efeti Agey

They forgot they said this. But I haven’t forgotten:
“The form of state is non-negotiable”
“Cameroon is one and indivisible” 
“When the lawyers are hungry, they will come back to court” LAURENT ESSO (October 2016)
– “Anglophones are an insignificant minority” ISSA TCHIROMA BAKARY (Nov 2016)
– “When the consortium collapses, they will ask us” LAURENT ESSO (January 2017)
– “The common law has no place in Cameroon” ATANGA NJI (January 2017)
– “English speakers have no problem”
– “We never asked people to join us, it was your choice to join us” AMADOU ALI
– “Anglophones will never govern Cameroon” AMADOU ALI.
– “What are you going to do? English speakers are 2 sugar cubes in a basin of water” FAME NDONGO
– “force will  be use to  enforce the law!” ISSA TCHIROMA
– “stop your dogs because if they go out we will kill them all” OKALIA BILAYI governor of SOUTH-WEST
– “We do not dialogue with the terrorists ISSA TCHIROMA
– “They are not English speakers but Pigin speakers.” MATHIAS ERIC OWONA NGUINI
– “There is no English speaking problem in Cameroon there is rather a Cameroonian problem MEON.  That explains why the conflict in the Anglophone regions has never been deliberated  upon in the Parliament 
– “the army must ratify these two English-speaking areas” JEAN JACQUE ZE
– “If a Cameroonian television channel gives the floor to secessionists, we will shut it down.” ISSA TCHIROMA
– “I asked my colonel son in the English-speaking areas to kill at least 30 English-speakers I have the means to defend him in the military court” SAMUEL OBAM ASSAM
“The Head of State has the right to kill all English speakers”
” a Bamileke will never be president in Cameroon ”
“They think they are more English speaking than who? LAURENT ESSO
“Paul biya has the right to kill everyone to preserve national integrity” BANDA KANI
“The government will use force  to enforce  law and order ” ATANGA NJI
“Any Civil Servant who does not go to work on  ghost town days declared by the restoration forces as civil disobedience will be considered a terrorist and will be condemned to death”.
“It’s not the English speakers, who are   fighting  as Ambazonians  it’s an external force coming from Nigeria” VISION 4
“A thousand deaths is nothing. Even God razed Sodom and Gomhorre ”Engelbert Essomba.
Remember that all these people are still in government and have never been worried. how can arsonists claim to stop a crisis  they started 

Written by Electa Shalo  Manyimuchua

 Asst Sec Gen SCNC UK .

A. Introduction: Lots of air, ink and ideas have already been wasted in trying to make sense out of the signing and timing of the military cooperation PACT between the Republic of Cameroun and Russia. This article shows you how the Biya regime betrayed its longstanding Western allies and outlines the stated and implied reasons for the timing and signing of the Russo-Cameroun military PACT. Bearing in mind that for every military action undertaken by one super power, there is always an equal or immediate reaction from the other super powers, this article makes a critical analysis of SEVEN possible consequences of Cameroun’s betrayal of her Western allies. The article concludes with an explanation of how Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) stands to gain more from the negative publicity French Cameroun has caused itself.     In a nutshell, the question therefore, this article seeks to answer is whether or not the timing of Cameroon’s decision to sign a military cooperation agreement with Russia amidst war in Ukraine and Ambazonia is a costly bluff or a betrayal? 
B. HOW THE BIYA REGIME BETRAYED AMERICA, FRANCE, THE UK AND UNO

1. On March 22nd 2022, the Biya regime abstained when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of UKRAINE; 2. On April 7th 2022, the Biya regime again abstained when the United Nations General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council following her aggression against Ukraine.  3. On April 22, Cameroun signed a military cooperation agreement with Russia;
C. STATED AND IMPLIED REASONS FOR RUSSO-CAMEROUN MILITARY PACT;
1. Cameroun needs Russia training and equipment.2. To reinforce military ties between the two countries. 3. Cameroun intends to effectively combat terrorism (Boko Haram).4. Cameroun secretly intends to use newly acquired equipment and training for combat with Ambazonia freedom fighters.5. Cameroun has lost support from the US and France in its genocidal war in Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia).6. Russia is doing this for geostrategic reasons to win new allies around the Gulf of Guinea.7. To protect Russian 37.5% equity interest in Etinde gas project offshore Victoria located in Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia). 
D. SEVEN CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RUSSO-CAMEROUN MILITARY PACT;1. The Russo-Cameroun military pact signed on April 12, 2022 can be rightly described as a “costly bluff” to Cameroun. Cameroun claims that as a sovereign nation, it has a choice to discuss and to do business with any nation of its choosing. While this claim is not without any merit, it is equally important to mention here that this is more of a betrayal of old friends, hence a costly bluff on the part of Cameroun. During times of war or crisis, friends and foes choose their sides and the Biya regime has clearly chosen Russia over America, France and UK. It is often said that the hypocrisy of bad friends has no hiding place. The hypocrisy of the Biya regime towards America and her Western allies has been clearly and finally exposed by Cameroun’s neutrality votes in the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization when the question of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was put on the floor for vote and finally, through the signing of a military pact with Russia when Russia is being isolated by the rest of the world.
2. The Russo-Cameroun military pact could rightly be perceived by America and her Western allies as a betrayal and a slap on their faces by the Biya regime they have been blindly supporting. In America and the West, we grew up learning that, real friendship is shown in a time of crisis. But the Biya regime did the exact opposite by siding a military pact with Russia. It is inconsistent and inconceivable for Mr. Paul Biya to ask Russia and Ukraine to meet and talk over their differences on one day and then turn around the next day only to sign a military cooperation agreement with the same Russia. If this does not amount to granting a moral and psychological victory to Russia over Ukraine and the West, then what is it? If this is not betrayal, then what other name can any rational person use to qualify Cameroun’s decision to sign this agreement at this particular moment of pain and grief in Ukraine, Ambazonia and the world?
3. The decision to sign a military cooperation agreement with Russia and its timing, regardless of the argument that Cameroun is a sovereign nation doesn’t sit down well with any rational person or nation, let alone the United States of America, France and Britain that have been using “caution” as a diplomatic weapon to respond to Paul Biya’s bloody war in a supposed independent country – Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia). That is why the West see the Russo-Cameroun military pact as a betrayal of monumental proportions. America and the West rightly perceive Biya’s military agreement with Russia at this particular point in time as encouraging Russia, fanning the war in Ukraine and a calculated attempt to prolong the genocidal war in Ambazonia. 4. Russia can afford to mess with America, but Cameroun should not. That is why Russia and America are referred to as “super powers” of which Cameroun isn’t one. Therefore, anyone who advised the Yaoundé regime to sign this military agreement with Russia at this particular time hates the Biya regime and doesn’t deserve their employment anymore. Just like the West encouraged Ukraine’s standoff against Russia only to abandon Ukraine to face Russia alone during the invasion, the same fate could befall Cameroun. If America, France and Britain decide today to destroy Cameroun in retaliation and divide the country into two along their recognized international boundaries as obtained at independence on January 1st  1960 (for French Cameroon) and October 1st 1961 (for Southern Cameroons), there is absolutely nothing Russia can do about it. 
5. Following the magnitude of the damage Ukraine is undergoing in the hands of Russia, given the increase in the cost of living in Europe due to the ongoing war, mindful of the uncertainty about the future world order caused by the war in Ukraine, the West may never forgive the Biya regime for what it considers as a blatant betrayal. While America and Russia are fighting their cold war on one end, Cameroun stands the risk of catching the cold on the other end. 
6. The Biya regime can kill people in Southern Cameroons as they like and get away with gross human rights violations and genocide but they can’t get away with picking an irresponsible and ill-timed geopolitical and geostrategic war against France, Britain and the United States of America. It is easy to forgive the mistake from others but it’s hard to rebuild the trust a friend has destroyed. America may never trust Cameroun again. By choosing to sign a military cooperation agreement with Russia at a time that Russian military invasion and aggression against Ukraine is being condemned worldwide, the Biya regime just lost three vital allies in its bloody genocidal war and attempt to forcefully and illegally continue to retain the independent territory of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) as an integral part of French Cameroon territory that never was. 
7. Geopolitics is driven by military and economic interests. Only 11% of proven oil reserves in the Cameroons is located within French Cameroun territory, 89% is located within the territory of Southern Cameroons. What is even more, 100% of proven gas reserve is all located offshore Victoria. That is why French Cameroun could be rightly perceived by the West as a burden and no longer a benefit to either Europe or America. No wonder Ambassador Tibor Nagy upon learning about the signing by Cameroun of the April 12 Military pact with Russia saw this as Cameroun signing its own death warrant. In his twit regarding this “military cooperation Agreement” he loudly stated; “Can’t believe Cameroon government incredibly bad timing of signing military deal with Russia – at height of aggression in Ukraine. This is poke in the eye of US and France, two countries Cameroon may need help from in future. But good for Ambazonians.” 
E. Who stands to benefit from Cameroun’s blunder and betrayal of her Western allies?
Paradoxically, these Western powers have been shielding the Biya regime from being referred to the Security Council of the UN or the international criminal court to respond to alleged egregious crimes committed against humanity and genocide in Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia). It is certain therefore, that if America and the West come to the conclusion that; the Biya regime is aiding Russia, they no longer have control over the Biya regime and the territory of East Cameroon has been lost to Russia and China, America can change its policy towards Cameroon by recognizing Ambazonia as an independent State which will enable America to counter Russia via Ambazonia like they have done previously.  
America and her Western allies supported South Korea over North Korea, America and her Western allies Supported South Vietnam over North Vietnam and recently they also supported the creation of South Sudan from mainland Sudan, all because they were trying to counter either Russian or Chinese economic or military influence. Nothing can stop America, France and Britain from supporting Ambazonia to counter Russia and China, whose economic and military influence in French Cameroun is fast becoming a problem to the economic and military interests of American and Western allies in Gulf of Guinea. 
F. CONCLUSION: -The Russo-Cameroun military pact is a storm in a tea cup because people who leave in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Cameroon has so many visible faults (genocidal war, gross violation of human rights, huge embezzlement files, and illegal occupation of Ambazonia) which America and her allies are fully knowledgeable about and have been ignoring that could be opened up in retaliation to this ill-timed and ill-advised military agreement. 
-The Russo-Cameroun military pact is a violation of one of the cardinal laws of power which states that; “never step on the toe of your master.” Cameroun has clearly stepped on the toes of America, France and Britain. These three super powers have been shielding Cameroun’s illegal occupation of Ambazonia and have since been looking the other way while Cameroun commits unacceptable gross violations of human rights and genocide against the people of Sothern Cameroons.  Thanks to these three super powers, crimes that Gadhafi’s regime in Libya, Saddam Hussain’s regime in Iraq and Assad’s regime in Syria could not get away with, the Biya regime has been getting away with, surprisingly. 
Is this going to be the moment and the time Cameroon’s shift towards Russia will force America, France and Britain to open up Cameroun’s dirty files? No matter the answer to this critical question, in my personal opinion, Russia should not help French Cameroon against the interest of Southern Cameroons but should rather try to mediate between the two sides. Any war between Russia and America over the two Cameroons will not benefit the people, it will benefit only arms traffickers and those who thrive under chaotic conditions while the masses suffer. This is a storm in a tea cup that could have been avoided.   

Written  by Electa Shalo 

Ass Sec SCNC UK

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.  Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

International human rights law lays down the obligations which Governments must comply to or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups.

One of the greatest achievements of the United Nations has been to define a broad range of internationally accepted rights, including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, also encompassing specific standards for women, children, persons with disabilities, minorities and other vulnerable groups against discrimination, alongside established mechanisms to promote and protect these rights and to assist states in carrying out their responsibilities.

It is notable that Cameroon is a contracting state party to a number of international and regional human rights law instruments that are relevant for purposes of human rights abuses. The Cameroon Constitution contains the traditional fundamental rights, freedoms and protection. This includes the right to life, liberty and security of persons, the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, fair trial protection before the law and non-discrimination and the prohibition of arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Under the Cameroonian  Constitution, international  law retains primacy over national laws.

In as much as the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon, Rules 144(5) and 132(4) from Rules of Procedure clearly makes provision for the violation of Human Rights, the peaceful protests promoted by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium against the marginalization of Cameroon’s Anglophone regions by Cameroon´s Government in 2016 was suppressed with extreme violence by the state authorities, thereby fuelling support for separatism. The armed conflict, ongoing since 2017, has killed thousands of people and led to a full-blown humanitarian crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions; To date, more than 3 000 civilians and hundreds of members of the security forces have lost their lives; the ongoing conflict in Cameroon has internally displaced over 1 million people; over 2, 2 million people require humanitarian assistance and over 66 000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring Nigeria; Cameroon hosts more than 447 000 refugees and asylum seekers as a result the spill over of this crisis affecting the West and Littoral regions. Cameroon’s English speaking regions have suffered gross human right violations by the Cameroon government as they have shown consistent disregard to human rights laws and have repeatedly refused to implement international  human  rights judgment in favour of Anglophones.

The current violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions in Cameroon cannot be properly comprehended outside of the historical context in which it has arisen as it is a deeply rooted problem.The British governmentthrough its Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) Organization significantly  participated  in and co-shaped Cameroon’s socio-politics and culture till 2014 when they withdrew just two years before the conflict broke out. The continuous  relationships  from colonialism into present has arguably  created  a moral duty  for the British state to help resolve  the Anglophone  Crisis in Cameroon. It is noted that, considering the gravity of the human rights abuses that have been committed during this crisis, the international community including the United Kingdom has been lacklustre.

Various treaty bodies and of the United Nations have condemned the ongoing violations of human rights especially in the Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon over the decades. These violations have included a pattern of torture perpetrated  by French Cameroonian security forces; arbitrary arrest extrajudicial killings including women, children and disabled persons; enforced disappearances and incommunicado detention. All these violations have been documented by United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT.) and UN Human Rights Committee (HRC). The committee has been specific on the elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination and has noted its concerns with reports on the inequality of rights that exists between the English and French speaking populations. The following are links to several pictures and videos for more information.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2021-0573_EN.htmlhttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4840878992635779&id=100001411785290&sfnsn=scwspwa , https://mimimefoinfos.com/anglophone-crisis-military-killed-burned-in-mbengwi-chrda-co-conclude/

Human Rights Watch have reported several incommunicado detentions and torture of people suspected  of having ties  to armed  separatist groups at the state Defence Secretariat (Secretariat  d”Etat a la defense,SED) prison  in Yaounde. Gendarmes and  other security  personnel at the SED used torture, including severe beatings and near-drowning  as well as other ill-treatment  to force suspects to confess  to crimes or to mortify and penalize them. Amnesty International, Aljazeera have all reported widespread human rights abuses.

The list extends with the most recent one on the assassination of the Senator in Bamenda Barrister Henry Kemende, because he dared to ask pertinent questions about the government. Sadly, though President Paul Biya keeps signing ratified protocols on Human Rights, he still kills and even burns his people in their homes

Unfortunately, not enough has been done to stop all these atrocities as English speaking Cameroonians have been robbed of their essentiality and dignity, their economic systems have been torn down and we are being humiliated in our birth land.

Dialogue is a precondition for peace, and President Paul Biya’s government has consistently rejected direct talks with any separatist leaders from the Anglophone regions and convened a monologue on September 30th and 4th of October.

The rule of law is not being upheld by the state of Cameroon as the country´s judiciary system is primarily filled with corruption and is politically influenced by the president as he appoints judges and dismisses them at will and as such, they are forced to do what the government wants.

Civilians are tried in military courts using the 2014 anti-terrorism law and some are given dead sentences. These military trial proceedings are marred by serious substantive and procedural defects, in which the presumption of innocence, the right to adequate defense, and the independence of proceedings of the judiciary in general are all seriously undermined. Examples of such a trials are the cases of Fomusoh and two of his friends who were sentenced for sharing an SMS joke and most recently Antionette Kongso who was also arrested simply because she was an ex-partner of a Separatist General “No pity´´. She was arrested while pregnant and actually gave birth while in prison.

https://mimimefoinfos.com/bamenda-four-persons-arrested-by-soldiers-remain-unaccounted-a-week-later/

About 58% of Anglophones arrested have not been tried and might not even get a trial whereas President Paul Biya has been granting clemency for prisoners but many of the detainees currently held in pre-trial detention in relation to the Anglophone crises won’t benefit from it. Overcrowded prisons with poor access to Healthcare and dire living conditions and approximately a doctor per 2000prisoners.Inmates are malnourished and most of them are sick with tuberculosis. Notwithstanding the additional vulnerabilities created by the COVID -19 Pandemic. Many detainees have died in custody due to the harsh living conditions

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4840878992635779&id=100001411785290&sfnsn=scwspw

Clashes between Anglophone separatist armed groups and government security forces are increasing in frequency and severity. Humanitarian aid has also been heavily disrupted in the affected regions due to non-state armed groups and lockdown measures, leaving people in those regions out of food supply and depriving tens of thousands of people access to vital healthcare. Few exceptions to the lockdown measures were granted on humanitarian grounds and, as a result, aid disbursement was significantly disrupted and UN agencies have been forced to suspend humanitarian activities, notwithstanding the additional vulnerabilities created by the COVID-19 pandemic;

Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence whereas government and separatist forces are continuously perpetrating reprisal attacks against one another, intentionally targeting civilians; the government forces have continuously carried out extrajudicial killings of civilians, including women and children with torture and ill-treatment, committing sexual violence, including rape, gender-based violence, destroyed and looted properties, including villages, homes, health facilities and hospitals, arrested and detained citizens arbitrarily, all as a result of hostilities or presumed collaboration with separatists. Also, in the first five months of 2021, armed separatists carried out at least 27 attacks with explosive devices in 13 towns, more than in all previous years of the crisis combined and have raped, killed, tortured, violently assaulted, threatened and kidnapped hundreds of people, including women, humanitarian workers, teachers and children, presumed to have been collaborating with the military.

The conflict has had a heavy impact on children, with 700 000 students having been deprived of their right to education due to forced school boycotts across the Anglophone regions. As of August 2021, children in Cameroon make up 28 % of all survivors of gender-based violence and face a higher risk of child recruitment, child labour, and child abuse, and over 50 % of children in the country have reportedly been abused. According to the UN Population Fund, 38 % of women in Cameroon aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18 and 13 % were married before the age of 15.

The signature of the presidential decrees providing for the transfer of competencies and the gradual transfer of human and financial resources to the decentralized authorities for the concrete implementation of the decentralization process is pending; despite the special status granted to the Anglophones.

The government continues to restrict the freedoms of expression and association and has become increasingly intolerant of political dissent, hundreds of opposition party members and supporters were arrested following demonstrations calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Anglophone regions. Also, restrictions are persistently placed on political opponents, protestors, journalists, and civil society;

The Cameroon government forces are unable to effectively protect the affected population, but kill and torture its own people which they have a national duty to protect.

Various organizations and countries have given recommendations on how this conflict can be resolved but the Cameroon authorities are adamant and uncompromising. For instance, on the 23rd of November 2021, the European Parliament proposed a motion for a resolution on the human rights situation in Cameroon. Another exhaustive report was done by The University of Oxford(Faculty of Law)

In conclusion, our concerns as Southern Cameroonians are well documented. The British have a role to play in assisting and aiding to resolve this crisis and justice to be given to all who are guilty for committing atrocious crimes against humanity.

Written By: Emilia Efeti Agey 

SCNC UK

WHAT IS THE DUTY OF THE MILITARY?

According to Google, military duties are to plan, organise, and lead troops in military operations, and to help and preserve peace and democracy.

The military of la Republic du Cameroun does not know this!. They are there not to preserve peace, but to kill anything or anyone who gets in their way. The Camerouns army is trained to kill their fellow countrymen. There is No peace, No freedom, no voice for the people of Southern Cameroons(Ambazionian).

PEACE
My understanding is that peace means freedom from disturbance, it means tranquillity. At this moment, the definition of peace is been erased by the military of without mercy. For example, in the space of three months, young girls and boys have been killed recklessly by the military. The people of Southern Cameroons will not give up until our independence is secure. Mr Biya will dissolve in the way he planned for the Ambazonians. We will then be given independence.

HOPE FOR TOMORROW
We, the people of British Southern Cameroons, are calling on the US, UK, UN, GERMANY and the whole of Europe to intervene and bring our homeland to life again. The military has taken away so many lives, especially those of innocent children who do not know what is happening!… They have taken away their hope for tomorrow.

SO
Indendence is the way forward. Long live southern Cameroon’s, short lift our struggle.

By Vivian Ngum fomukong.

CORRUPTION IN CAMEROON UNDER PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA

ANTI-TERRORISM  LAW AND ITS USE (Case Study   Cameroon

By

Electa Shalo Manyimuchua

In Cameroon  the Oppressive  regime of President Paul  Biya   uses this law  to silence  political  activists  and forced the people into submission .

Under the leadership of president Paul Biya,  of Cameroon continued to use the anti-terrorism law enacted in 2014 to suppress political critics and freedom of expression by arresting journalists and activists in connection with the ongoing crisis in the Anglophone regions.The separatist Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) which is demanding an independent Southern Cameroons made up of Cameroon’s North West and Southwest regions has been targeted under the new law.This law is use to   forbid public meetings, streetprotests or any action that the government deem to be disturbing peace. The law also prescribes death penalty for persons who are suspected of involving in any activity which may trigger political dissent, especially the North West and South West regions.

The Anti-Terrorism law has triggered a wave of criticism from the media and the international community. Many believe that the law is not only intended to silence freedom of the press  or speech, as its hidden intent is to target Southern Cameroonian groups such as Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), Ambazonian Defence Forces(ADF), Movement for the Restoration of Southern Cameroons (MRSC), Southern Cameroons Governing Council (SCGC), Ambazonian Governing Council (AGovC) andthe Southern Cameroon Public Affairs Committee (SCAPAC) etc.Specifically, the law is  against fundamental liberties and Human Right of the Cameroonians, especially Southern Cameroonian political activists who are clamouringfor the independence of Southern Cameroon alais Ambazonia. The case ofSCNC National chairman Dr Nfor Ngala Nfor, Sissiku Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Agbor, Dr.Fontem Neba, Bibixy Mancho, Ngalim Felix and many other Anglophone activists is an illustration of how the law has been twisted since it was enacted

. This law  twisted  law shows itsnegative impact on Human Rights and Freedom vis-a-vis the exercise of Cameroon military court’s jurisdiction over civilian cases in Cameroon.In October 2019, the government released 333 low-level detainees arrested forsuspicion of being Anglophone separatists and facing misdemeanor charges. This was a charade to taie off some pressure  from the international  communities. However,hundreds of others remain in detention.

 The government continued to arrest ordinary armless civilians and charged them for terriosm especially those from the Southern and Northern regions of the country . In  August 2019, sentenced separatist leader Julius Ayuk Tabe and the Nera 10 to life imprisonment. Other activists such as Bibixy Mancho and Pen Terence are serving a15 years term. You also have the likes of Tsi Conrad  a journalist  who was arrested  in Bamenda  reporting on anti government  protest on the 06/12/016l He  has been incarcerated  in the kondengui  maximum  prison under deplorable  condition , He was  sentenced  for anti state charges (terrorism, secession, rebellion  against the state ,propagation  of false news )

As we speak  thousands of Southern  Cameroonians  activists   of   the   SCNC   and   other groups are incarcerated all over French Cameroon based on the 2014 Anti-Terrorismlaw. Many of them have been sentenced to 13-17 years.

In effect, the  2014  Anti-Terrorism   law  has  significant  deficiencies.  For  instance,   the  offences  that   constitute   “act   of   terrorism”   are   not   clearly   defined  by  the  same  law.“Peaceful protesters have been arrested under terrorism laws and have been labelled terrorists   while   only   exercising   their   unalienable   human   rights.

   Anti-terrorism efforts have been too broad in scope at times, and as a result, the negative effects of terrorism efforts have been felt far too often by civilians.

  One common theme is clear. Terrorism offenses   should   be   narrowly   defined   and   clearly   limited   to   actual   behaviour   that  is related to terrorism. Peaceful protests should be a positive reflection of the democratic values of a country and not wrongly condemned as terrorist acts”.Cameroon has since seen the acts of armed secessionist groups as acts of terrorism and launched several military crackdowns which has resulted to the death of hundreds of civilians.“

Anti-terrorism laws which are ambiguous and lack clarity can negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights. The government of Cameroon’s Law No. 2014/028 of 23rdDecember   2014   on   the   suppression   of   acts   of   terrorism   in   Cameroon   has   raised concerns from policy makers, activists and governments alike. Its potential infringement on important Human Rights and freedoms protected under the Cameroon Constitution and   international   human   rights   law   was   immediately   signalled   by   the   barrage of criticisms   that   followed   its   promulgation.   Contra   Nocendi   International   and   ContraNocendi Cameroon have raised such concerns in the past, especially with respect to the freedom of expression and of assembly. We have equally raised concerns about thepossibility of abuse of the law to silence political opponents leading to disproportionate punishment for the exercise of civil rights and liberties. Persons actually  earns death penalty   for   the   sole   reason   of   exercising   their   freedoms   of   speech,   opinion   and association..Like the four Southern  Cameroonians who were recently condemned  to  death by firing squad in the Buea military  Tribunal.This is so Barbaric   ,inhumane  and degrading.