Systematic Denial of the Right to Live and the Right to Exist as Humans (By Pauline Achondi)

Southern Cameroons (SC) by 1960 had a functioning government which was ready to drive the state into a bright future. When she asked for independence, the colonial power Britain refused to grant her the right to independence and self-governance instead gave her two terrible choices to either join the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Republic of Cameroon (RC).

The SC took the perceived better option at the time which was to join Republic of Cameroon and be given a referendum after 30years to decide the fate of the ‘union’.

Joining Republic of Cameroon was not a union to form a single entity as it seems to exist today but to form a Federal state with each half almost autonomous. Hence the referendum after 30years to decide their fate.

Since joining RC, the SC have seen their infrastructures, political and physical eroded and destroyed gradually and progressively.

A union was forged and the country was renamed the RC from the Federal Republic of Cameroon as was on the 1st October 1961 when both Cameroons came together. In a bid to rectify this fraudulent union, in 1993 there was an All Anglophone Conference one (AAC1) held in Buea and a declaration was made called the ‘Buea declaration’ in which the SC elites called on the government to restore and implement the 1961 constitution agreement which allows the SC to operate as an autonomous state. However, the government did not respond and a second All Anglophone Conference two (AAC2) was convened in Bamenda congress hall in 1994 where the anglophone elites agreed and made a declaration known as ‘Bamenda declaration’ that if the government does not restore the federal state of SC within a reasonable time, SC would declare its independence. After the AAC2, many movements such as Southern Cameroon Peoples Conference (SCPC) which was later changed to Southern Cameroons People Organisation (SCAPO) and Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM), Southern Cameroon Youth League (SCYL) were formed. In1995 SCNC was borne and was tasked with reporting the situation of SC to the necessary parties involved such as the UN, UK, AU.

SCNC delegation led by John Ngu Foncha in 1995 went to UN and presented a petition to the UN for them to intervene and resolve the crisis between SC and RC so that another Somalian crisis would not emerge. In 1999, SCNC members took over the radio Buea station and declared their independence read by late Justice Ebong Frederick Alobwede. SCNC has reported the plight of the SC to all the necessary parties that were involved in the union in 1961 which include the UK and the UN. So far little has been done to rectify this union hence reason why there is genocide in the Southern Cameroon today.

The fight for restoration as a result of systemic destruction and marginalisation has been ongoing. This escalated in late 2016 following protest of lawyers as a result of the abolition of common Law in the SC legal system. The protest was met with torture, arrest and imprisonment of the lawyers e.g. Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr Fontem Niba and others who spent over eight months in prison.

The educational system which has also been greatly affected with primarily French speaking instructors to head and teach in primarily English-speaking schools thereby leaving many SC teachers unemployed. The teachers also took to the streets to protest against this and were met with a similar fate as the lawyers.

The general public of SC decided that it was enough and took to the streets with peace plants in their hands. Their protests were met with brute force from the RC armed forces. They fired live bullets at protesters leaving many of them dead, many were tortured, raped, arrested and taken to unknown prison destinations within the country.

Early 2018 leaders of the interim government were arrested in Nigeria and were extradited to Cameroon where they have been imprisoned by the RC government and are languishing there. The killings are not limited to civilians but also extended to men of God such as Ghanaian pastor, catholic priest and a seminarian.

Villages were burnt down with current number of over 180 and in some cases, people were burnt inside especially the sick and elderly who could not escape example is the case of an 86year old woman burnt alive in her house in Kwa-Kwa (Mami Api). Most of the inhabitants who managed to escape the inferno ended up in the forest with the very lucky ones fleeing to neighbouring Nigeria where they are currently seeking refuge. This onslaught has continued until this day under the watchful eyes of the entire African countries, AU, UN, the entire world including the colonial power (UK) that pushed the SC to this tragedy and none has bothered to intervene and stop the genocide.

Despite the plea from those who are fortunate to escape the killings in SC, the international community has turned a blind eye to their plight. Also, many SC who have escaped with their lives to the colonial power that pushed them into the unfortunate situation in the first place, and cried for help are being forced back to face the slaughter, with their death to justify their claim

UK the colonial authority to SC is a strong advocate of human rights laws. The 2002 protocol 13 article 1 abolishes death penalty in all circumstances including crimes committed during a war or when the threat of war is imminent. UK is against the abuse of Article 2 (right to life) and Article 3 (prohibiting torture, inhumane or degrading treatment/ punishment) of the Human right acts of 1998.

Question

1) How many people have to be displaced, killed, refused basic rights of life and living before they are listened to?

2) How can a proof that your life is in danger be your death itself?

3) Are the displaced persons, innocent civilians killed and burnt in their homes on a daily basis high political profile?

4) Does the situation on ground in SC with heavy blood spill and mass graves everywhere not a call for concern and a need for protection of the people of SC?

Comrades Pauline, Erika, Dieudonne and Rose during the ‘No to Hypocrisy by the commonwealth’ demonstration.

The Anglophone Crisis and the Role of the SCNC in Achieving Freedom for Southern Cameroons

The Anglophone crisis is a conflict in the Anglophone southern Cameroons region of Cameroon with separatists fighting against the government of Cameroon. It is a long standing Anglophone problem in Cameroon.

Before 1961, southern Cameroons were a British administered territory from Nigeria. They elected to join the republic of Cameroon by UN Plebiscite in 1961 around the time of decolonisation.

A power sharing agreement was reached; the executive branch of the government was meant to be shared by Anglophones and Francophones but the agreement has not been respected and over the years Anglophone political representation has been steadily eroded.

The crisis came to light in October 2016 when lawyers and teachers led protest in towns and cities demanding that the integrity of their professional institutions be protected and minority right be respected.

As a result of these protests, the Cameroon government responded with reprisals, arrest, torture and detention of these Anglophone protesters.

The Paul Biya regime accuses some Anglophones of wanting to secede to create a new state thus making themselves outlaws. All it takes is to look back at the history of Cameroon to understand that it is not a matter of secession. It is about reclaiming a right granted to them by the UN, 57 years ago.  Actually we can only talk of secession when the state we want to separate from was a single bloc at a time of its creation (Independence).

However in Cameroon, when the former east Cameroon under the French mandate acquired her independence on the 1st of January 1960, the former west Cameroon under the British mandate was still fighting for her own independence. Thus on February 11th 1961, the UN organised a referendum in the northern part of west Cameroon, which agreed to join Nigeria, and in the southern part (current Anglophone region of Cameroon) which chose to join the republic of Cameroon (former East Cameroon under the French mandate).

On April 21st 1961, in resolution 1608, the 994th General assembly of the United Nations, with respect to southern Cameroon stated that; the trusteeship agreement of December 13th 1946 is terminated. This implies that southern Cameroon acquired her independence then.

Thereafter the government of southern Cameroons and the authorities of la Republique du Cameroun agreed on terms to come together. But ever since they came together, their living together has been that of mistrust as the then president of la republique du Cameroon Ahmadu Ahidjo manipulated over the federal constitution in violation of article 47 of the said constitution which prohibited any revision of the federal form of the state.

Furthermore, his successor Paul Biya modify the constitution and in January 1984 the united republic of Cameroon was changed to the republic of Cameroon .The change has resulted in the objectification of the Anglophones part of the country and the people’s feeling of being marginalised.

Therefore the  Anglophones believe that they are being neglected by the republic of Cameroon and wanted to go back to where they were on April 21 and before 1st October 1961; An independent state.

The fight for the return of an independent southern Cameroon began in October 2016 before the dictatorial and barbaric regime of Paul Biya began suppressing and pushing the advocates of the Anglophone cause to react just as violently.

The government of Cameroon has been using brute force on these separatists resulting to uncountable deaths on both military and civilian population.

 

The Role Of The SCNC in The Anglophone Crisis

The Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) has played a vital role in fighting for the restoration of independence for the British southern Cameroon. The SCNC is a non violent organisation which does not believe on  violence in achieving its goal.

Because the SCNC advocates for separation from Cameroon, it has been declared an illegal organisation by the government of President Paul Biya. Security forces regularly interrupt SCNC meetings, arresting members and detaining them for several days, months or years before released. Some have even died in prison due to poor living conditions.

In 1995, the SCNC rose to political prominence with host of efforts to push for separation of the Anglophone southern Cameroons from the country of Cameroon. The government of Cameroon was finishing its application to join the Commonwealth of Nations and the SCNC organised a number of publicity activities to oppose this inclusion.

In august 1995, the SCNC Petitioned the UN to intervene and mediate between them and the government of Cameroon warning that a lack of intervention would create another Somalia.

Repression of this group increased significantly in 2001 when the organisation was declared illegal and clashes with police at a demonstration resulting in multiple deaths.

As a result of this, multiply branches of SCNC have been created in the Diaspora and a good example is the creation of SCNC UK which has been playing a great role in achieving the restoration of independence of southern Cameroons.

Several demonstrations have been organised by SCNC UK to internationalize its activities and to create awareness of the plight of the people of southern Cameroons.

  BY ROMARICE M TENE SCNC-UK Activist.

SILENCE AS A WEAPON TO THE ANGLOPHONE CRISIS

It’s been close to two years today that Southern Cameroons is experiencing the greatest form of sadistic murders and gross human rights violations where mass slaughter, torture, rape, arbitrary arrest of innocent civilians and burning of villages by the brutal Cameroon government forces have become institutionalized.

What shocks me most is the magnitude of silence by the UN in particular and International Community as a whole.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Martin Luther King,Jr

It is devastating, frustrating and painful just to imagine how the International community has remained silent to the mass murder in Southern Cameroons.

     My interpretation of this silence:

*Silence is a form of emotional abuse employed on Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) by UN and International Community.

*Their silence is designed as a great weapon to empower the Biya’s regime in their genocidal acts on Southern Cameroons. It is more or less an act of intimidation on Southern Cameroons and empowerment to the Republic of Cameroon.

*Silence to the Anglophone crisis and showing solidarity to similar situations in other countries tells us Southern Cameroonians are an inferior people and our lives do not matter.

*Silence goes a long way to showcase that the UN/International Community value their relationship with French Cameroon over Southern Cameroons.

*Silence means denial.

As the days lace by the situation becomes more frightful leaving Southern Cameroonians with a mix feeling hoping and wandering when they will see light at the end of this darkest tunnel of their revolution.

International Community and UN you can do it.You have gone to sleep for too long.Wake up and condemn the war crimes perpetuated on Southern Cameroonians by the barbican Biya’s forces.it is your responsibility to protect and stamp out genocide in Southern Cameroons.

It is absolutely disgraceful that the International Community,UN and the world at large have turned their backs to such flagrant violation of human rights in Southern Cameroons. Your silence speaks volumes. Being mute or neutral in situations of justice tells us you have indirectly taken sides with the oppressor.

If the International Community/UN implement justice in both the English and French Cameroons there will be peace and there can be no peace without justice.

Winifred Nenkaa Ndomo. SCNC UK-Activist

The Foumban Constitutional Conference: A bad beginning for Southern Cameroons

The Foumban Constitutional Conference of 1961 was not properly coordinated because the Southern Cameroons delegation had no constitutional powers to adequately discuss about relations with a third party. At this time, the Southern Cameroons had a constitution passed by the British Parliament on 1st October 1960 known as ‘Southern Cameroons Order-in-Council’ which was a British Colonial Law. This led to the creation of a Ministerial Government in Southern Cameroons with Capital in Buea and John Ngu Foncha as Prime Minister taking effect on the 1st October 1960 which is a day Southern Cameroons consider as Independence Day. On this day the British also ceased to govern the territory through the British Governor General of Nigeria.

The 1960 ‘Southern Cameroon’s Order in Council’ could not continue to administer Southern Cameroons as it was no longer effective. Hence, powers were given back to the British Government in London who assigned an expatriate Colonial Officer known as Commissioner for Cameroons representing the British government in Buea. The British then governed Southern Cameroons as a Trust Territory until September 1961 when the British Trust mandate over the territory expired.

The Foumban Constitutional Conference of 1961 brought no gains to the people of Southern Cameroons. The conference failed to achieve its objectives which were to establish a unique Federation of two states equal in status on the continent of Africa and secondly to evolve a bicultural society in which the distinct heritage of each of the parties to the union would flourish. The Foumban Conference was therefore the beginning of the untold misery of the People of Southern Cameroons Ambazonia. In fact, instead of containing a unique federation in the two Cameroons, the Southern Cameroons has become a People with numerous problems. The destruction of the Federal system of 1961 in 1972 by the then President Amadou Ahidjo was a gross violation of the 1961 constitution.

The negotiations at the Foumban Conference were false and just for the benefit of one party present since there was no proper preparation for the discussions at the conference to have a positive effect on Southern Cameroons. Secondly British Southern Cameroons engaged in the discussions at the conference without any intention of reaching any agreement. But French Cameroon came in with an already prepared constitution for self-governance.

Perhaps, the British Southern Cameroons since the Foumban conference has been largely silenced by the power of the present Nation-state of Cameroon. As a result, there will always be conflict until Southern Cameroons gets its Independence restored as voted for in UNGA Resolution 1608 (XV) of 21st April 1961. The symbolic restoration of the Independence of Southern Cameroons Ambazonia was announced on 1st October 2017 by our interim President Ayuk Julius Tabe. It’s the duty of the UN to admit Ambazonia as its newest member and call on negotiations to begin between La Republique du Cameroun and Ambazonia for a peaceful separation. Ambazonia must be free.

By Anumboh Eveline Mafor

SCNC-UK ACTIVIST

UK must obey its international humanitarian obligations

Vincent Kushine ANUMBOH EVELINE MAFOR
Facing risk of deportation and being sent to Cameroon where they are likely to face persecution from Cameroon authorities because of their continues SCNC activism in the UK and their fight to see that Southern Cameroons regains its statehood.
In view of the current civil war in the Country, we are calling on the UK government to adhere to its international humanitarian obligations by preventing their deportation to imminent death.

 

By SCNC CHAIRMAN

*EVERY ELASTIC HAS A LIMIT The State of our Revolution , Southern Cameroon {AMBAZONIA}*

The periods between 1st October 1961 to 2nd June 1972 and beyond reflects a clear intent of France and French Cameroon {la Republic du Cameroon} to recolonise and assimilate the people of British Southern Cameroons also known as West Cameroon {Ambazonia}. Through a high level conspiracy between the international community and the United Nations {UNO}, the lives of a people were put in a great deal of uncertainty for the future. Even the history thought in schools does not reflect the true history of the people, little did they know that nothing hides under the sun forever and there will come a generation that will stand firm to rewrite the history of the past and put glory to our forefathers who sort out to tell the world about a failed union but were brutally killed and therefore stretching the elastic limit of the people.
Every union with bad faith will never last. The union between French and West Cameroons cannot last any further for a simple reason of bad faith; if the so called Cameroon government had good faith then West Cameroons {Ambazonia} would not be in a revolution fighting to restore her independence. Simple demands from striking teachers and lawyers were met with armed force brutality on them. University students crying out about unjustified fees levied on them ,were also met with brutality of various forms ,the general population set out for a peaceful protest with peace plants were equally met with untold brutality .How far can you push a people and expect them to stay quiet?. Self-defence is a right and even the laws defend that.
A conniving vicious government like that of French Cameroon {la Republic du Cameroon} cannot be left to govern a gentle peaceful people of Southern Cameroons {Ambazonia}.The youths after 1st of October 2017,realised the only option they have to be free is to fight back and defend their communities. Event that have unfolded after October 1st legitimizes the reasons for the population to defend themselves, villages have been burned to ashes ,families displaced, people living in bushes, targeted killings going on and mass graves spotted in different localities across Southern Cameroons, thousands across the border as refugees in neighbouring Nigeria. What more do we need to tell the world ?. The population has been pushed to its elastic limit leading to young boys and girls to pick up arms to defend themselves. We all encourage the government of la republic to facilitate an unconditional, free and fair dialogue to avoid any further blood shed.

 

By FUALEFAC FUANYI

The plight for Justice

The current crisis is a particularly worrying resurgence of an old problem. Never before has tension around the Anglophone issue been so acute. The mobilisation of lawyers, teachers and students starting in October 2016, ignored then put down by the government, has revived identity-based movements which date back to the 1970s. These movements are demanding a return to the federal model that existed from 1961 to 1972. Trust between Anglophone activists and the government has been undermined by the arrest of the movement’s leading figures and the cutting of the internet, both in January. Since then, the two Anglophone regions have lived through general strikes, school boycotts and sporadic violence. Small groups have emerged since January. They are taking advantage of the situation to educate the population with support from part of the Anglophone diaspora. While the risk of partition of the country is low, the risk of a resurgence of the problem in the form of armed violence is high, as some groups are now advocating that approach.

The government has taken several cosmetic measures since March – creating a National Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism; creating new benches for Common Law at the Supreme Court and new departments at the National School of Administration and Magistracy; recruiting Anglophone magistrates and 1,000 bilingual teachers; and turning the internet back on after a 92-day cut even though the internet was later taken off again. But the leaders of the Anglophone movement have seen these measures as too little too late.

International reaction has been muted, but has nevertheless pushed the government to adopt the measures described above. The regime in Yaoundé seems more sensitive to international than to national pressure. Without firm, persistent and coordinated pressure from its international partners, it is unlikely that the government will seek lasting solutions.

Doralice Carole

Activist

“Ambazonia African Newest Nation”

For years past many of the likes of Biya’s francophone dominated regime have denied the existence of the anglophone problem but History have proven them all wrong. The anglophone problem as it is commonly known has dominated the political agenda of Cameroon.
Tensions can be traced as far back as the pre- independence era. Cameroon a German colony was awarded to Britain and France by the treaty of Versailles. Britain and France split Cameroon into two spheres. (British Cameroons and French Cameroons).
On October 1st 1961, both Cameroons  unified on the bases of equality as provided by the foumban constitutional conference.(Federal state). Later in may 1972 the federation was abolished, marking the turning point of the anglophone problem. The problem became glaring when Biya replaced unitary republic of Cameroon to LA republque du Cameroun, a name given to former French Cameroons before federation talks.
Since then anglophones have been agitating and boiling until  November of 2016  where teachers and lawyers protested the use of French in English subsystem of education and the anglophone Saxon common law respectively. Later in that same year the general anglophone population joined the strike, and there was a shift from a mere protest to a civil disobedience.
Tensions soon heightened in October 1st 2017 when anglophones symbolically proclaimed the declaration of the restoration of their independent state of ambazonia. since then the anglophone

crisis have taken an ugly twist.

The military have carried out crackdowns, raids, curfews which have resulted to mass killings, villages razed such as kembong, kwakwa Bole, extortion, rapes and other atrocities. As a result of this, many anglophones have fled their homes for fear of the unknown and villages have been  deserted.
It should be noted that since the crisis erupted anglophone regions have been heavily militarized, with armoured cars spotted everywhere. Also mass graves of civilians have been discovered in bushes as well as lifeless bodies.
How ever Armed separatist groups have emerged who have continued to clash with security forces and have taken hold of some areas like toko, menji , akwaya  in the south west region.
Statistically, since the declaration of war by President Paul Biya,  more than 1000 thousand people have been massacred ,5000 thousands unlawfully detain, 40000 thousands in refugee camps, and 100 in exile.As I write, Tensions are high in Ndian, meme manyu and labialem were security forces have been gunned down.
Terence Nyanga Manih
Scnc activist U.K.

What Ambazonia is not   

                                    Introduction

The Republic of Ambazonia is the world’s newest nation, but it seems a lot of people around the world have a lot of difficulty understanding the problem between Ambazonia and her Neighbour La Republic du Cameroun which is seeking to annex its territory. This was evident by a tweet from the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary after discussions with the prime minister of La Republic du Cameroun during the Commonwealth summit erroneously referring to our territory as Anglophone regions. Other actors have also called for dialogue with Anglophone leaders despite the fact that this is not synonymous with Ambazonia leaders. This confusion is further visible when western media try to report on the conflict, referring to Ambazonians as secessionist, separatist and various other connotations that are not in conformity with the fight for the recognition of our statehood. Therefore, it is important to have a clear picture of what we are and discard any attempts by anyone to label us otherwise. Our liberation must start from our minds. We must also continue to educate the world about our cause.

  • We are not in the South of la Republic du Cameroun

Southern Cameroons is on the west of la republic du Cameroun and was actually referred as west Cameroon in its purported union with its Neighbour La republic du Cameroon. The name Southern Cameroons comes from the decision by the British to partition its UN mandate territory into Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons. This territory had a distinct status of its own with international boundaries on the west with Nigeria established by the Anglo-German treaty of 1913.On the East it had boundaries with La Republic du Cameroun as agreed by the Simon-Milner agreement which was the dividing line between the British and French troops as they fought to overtake the German colony Kamerun during the first world war. This agreement was also acknowledged as the international boundary by the treaty of Versailles.

Ambazonia with its international boundaries with La Republic du Cameroun and Nigeria

We are Ambazonians not Anglophones or English minority:

It is very disappointing when diplomats and politicians keep referring to the problems in Ambazonia as that of a minority English speaking region or Anglophone problem. This has led to the international community dismissing us as a people fighting over an imperialist language. This cannot be further far from the truth. Our dispute is entirely about a territory illegally annexed by our neighbour. Most people in Ambazonia or La republic du Cameroun are perfectly bilingual, being fluent in English does not make one an Ambazonian. We refuse to be equally belittled as a territory or region in another country.We are a nation with defined international status and boundaries for almost a century. So please call us Ambazonians .

We are not secessionist:

To secede is to withdraw formally from membership of a federal union, an alliance or from an organisation. Since there is no act of union between Ambazonia and la Republic du Cameroun,we cannot be termed as such. More appropriately we are restorationist, as we are trying to restore the statehood and independence of Ambazonia under annexation by our neighbours since 1961.

We are not terrorist :

 As a Country trying to restore its place in the committee of nations, we cannot be terrorist and we do not seek to terrorise anyone. Rather we want to use every democratic and peaceful means available to us to achieve our goals. Terrorist will be more appropriate to the government of la republic du Cameroun. As army of occupation continues to burn homes roasting venerable people like women children and elderly inside, they rape our women, loot our properties and kill indiscriminately. They arrest innocent civilians and torture them mercilessly with aim to intimidating our people to subjugation. This regime continues to carry out human right abuses in Ambazonia. After unilaterally declaring war on Ambazonia ,La Republic du Cameroun has flagrantly breeched the Geneva conventions and protocols it is signatory to, while the international community watches but remain silent.

Our problem is not marginalization:

Since we do not consider ourselves as a territory of another nation, marginalization is very inappropriate to use as the source of the problems in Ambazonia. Living under the control of an annexationist, one is bound to feel left out and oppressed. But we  are not fighting against marginalization. Marginalization are internal disputes of a country that requires different solutions to that demanded by all Ambazonians. We want to live as free men and be able to determine our own destiny.

We are not seeking for a Federal union with La Republic du Cameroon:

 If our forefathers rejected any union with la republic du Cameroun, how can we now decide to enter into another with La Republic du Cameroun after 57 years of being annexed? There was no agreed union between the two countries and La Republic du Cameroun constitution imposed on our people was rejected by then premier of Southern Cameroons  J.N  Foncha and thus was not signed. Anyone advocating for Ambazonia to be a federal state in another country is living in fantasy. Until we live as free men in a free Ambazonia we will continue to resist.

 Anglophone leaders do not represent Ambazonians:

Many countries, diplomats and organizations have been calling for negotiations to resolve the conflict. However what is very wrong and dangerous is the fact that they call on La Republic du Cameroun to negotiate with Anglophone leaders. Since our problem is not that of Language, Anglophone leaders do not represent Ambazonians. In fact, this people who claim to be English speakers are the source of the problem as they have been used by La Republic du Cameroun to hold grip on our territory. To say the government should negotiate with Anglophone leaders is like asking it to negotiate with itself. The only people that represent Ambazonians  is the interim government of the Republic of Ambazonia.

Conclusion

It is the duty of every Ambazonia to recognise that we are a nation annexed and denied its right to self-government by an international conspiracy championed by France. Irrespective of the results of the 11 February referendum of 1961 and the failure to negotiate a treaty of Union, Britain should have handed power to the democratically elected government of Southern Cameroons. Rather it directly handed it to another state giving it the prerogative to annex our territory as it did by marching its army and occupying our land.

We therefore have a right protected under international law to seek to govern ourselves. The arguments for statehood should always be confined to international law. We should not confound this with the internal problems of La republic du Cameroun, such as lack of democracy, marginalization ,the language divide or dictatorship. These issues belittle our just cause for freedom, because these are internal issues within a country. Our problems are not an internal dispute but an international one. It is the illegal occupation of our Territory by La republic du Cameroun by crossing its internationally recognised boundaries.

Ambazonia was given an international status as a UN mandate territory in 1922.On 9th of January 1931 the “Cameroons boundaries commission” met in London and under the supervision of the league of nations the  international boundary between the two nations was landmarked and concrete pillars were built to demarcate this boundary. The agreement was co-signed by administrators of both territories.

This international status was maintained by the United Nations and in 1961 when there was a failure to agree on any act union of the two countries, Southern Cameroons automatically retained its independent status as a nation.

Thus we will either live in a free Ambazonia or die fighting.

Long live the Republic of Ambazonia.

SCNC-UK

References:

  1. Legal argument for Southern Cameroons independence http://www.africafederation.net/SouthernCameroon.htm

UNCERTAINTY REIGNS AS THE MILITARY OF LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN RESORTS TO THE BURNING OF VILLAGES IN SOUTHERN CAMEROONS

 It all started in October 2016 when citizens of the Former British Southern Cameroons decided to join the Lawyers and Teachers to stand up against the continuous marginalisation, oppression and occupation of Southern Cameroons by La Republique du Cameroun.  As peaceful protests were being held in the entire Southern Cameroons, La Republique du Cameroun’s military responded by brutalising unarmed civilians and fired at closed range leading to the death of 8 protesters. The protesters demanded for a return to the Two States Federation as was the case in 1961. However, this is a minority because a greater majority of Southern Cameroonians including myself are in support of the restoration of the statehood of Southern Cameroons https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/958772480709185536.

The peaceful protests of 28th September 2017 actually confirmed that the majority of Southern Cameroonians are for an Independent Southern Cameroons Ambazonia. Hundreds were killed between 28th September and 1st October 2017 when the Interim President of Southern Cameroons Ambazonia declared the restoration of the Independence of Southern Cameroons Ambazonia and made it clear to Mr Paul Biya that he was open for dialogue to negotiate the terms of separation. Mr Paul Biya has since declared war on Southern Cameroons Ambazonia where thousands have so far been killed. The Yaoundé regime of 85 years old Paul Biya who has ruled the country for 36 years, has embarked on mass abductions and illegal arrest of Southern Cameroonians believe to be in support of the separation movement. Over 1000 are in jails in Yaoundé and other Prisons around the country and their only crime is for standing up against the regime. Others are suspected to have been systematically silenced like the case of Woliem Vitalis who was incarcerated at the Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde even with his frail health and later died in hospital. Reports also have it that some arrested cases of Southern Cameroonians have simply been executed like the case of Sam Sawyer who was arrested with two others in Belo but later found dead in the Bamenda Regional Hospital mortuary having been slaughtered by the military of La Republique du Cameroun. As a result of these deaths, Belo has been turned into a battle field unlike other areas in Southern Cameroons Ambazonia. There has been heavy casualities on both sides and the population has now deserted the town to seek refuge in the bushes while some courages young men resist the military in self-defence. Several houses continue to be torched by the military on daily basis in most villages in Southern Cameroons.

Southern Cameroonians in the diaspora on their part continue to mount pressure on the Government of La Republique du Cameroun to release or show proof of life of the Leaders of their Interim Government abducted and illegally extradited to Cameroun by the Nigerian Government. Major protests have been held in London and major cities around the world and civil disobedience is promoted back home in the form of ghost towns every Monday and a complete boycott of schools. The diaspora groups have also called on the Cameroun Government to unconditionally release the over 1000 prisoners in their prisons before any form of dialogue can take place. Various foreign Governments have also added their voices to call on Cameroun to dialogue with the People of Southern Cameroons including those in detention. The most recent call was made by the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson after meeting Philomen Yang, Prime Minister of Cameroun during the Commonwealth Heads of Governments’ Summit in London (https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/987036101981409281). However, the Foreign Secretary’s support of Decentralisation attracted so much criticism from Southern Cameroonian Activists on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/988833086602383360). Mr Paul Biya reacted by blocking several Activists who raised concerns about his poor management of the crisis in Southern Cameroons Ambazonia and the brutality of the military on civilian population in Southern Cameroons (https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/987789184734846976).

We in the diaspora would like to call on the International community to step in now to stop the killings, looting, rape, maiming, burning of homes, destruction of property and the abductions perpetrated on Southern Cameroonians by the military of La Republique du Cameroun (https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/985842705354907648 )

 

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/985842705354907648

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/987037969637953538

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/987230538263072768

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/988809600009949186

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/988776481097646080

https://twitter.com/vincentkushine/status/987692700173467648

By Vincent Kushine

Scnc-uk Activist

 

 

 

 

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