The history of Southern Cameroons (aka Ambazonia) took a new turn on the 6th of October 2016, a day that will forever be engraved in the hearts of its people. On this fateful day, what began as a peaceful protest that was initiated by the lawyers and teacher’s trade union (to call for the protection of the common law system in Anglophone Cameroon) degenerated into a genocide which no one saw coming.
Regrettably, instead of dialoguing with the civil society, the response from the Cameroon government was extreme brutality with their military and police raids using violence and torture to suppress unarmed protesters. Outrightly, the regime was being terrified by people expressing and exercising their fundamental human rights. As a nation, Southern Cameroons have been subjected to marginalisation which dates as far back as 1960. The cruel reaction of the Cameroon government over a protest for better living and working conditions awoke the fringe of grievances against the regime.
The deeds of the Cameroon military were eventually exposed as the weeks following the protest were flooded with scenes of police and military atrocities that were captured on social media. Reportedly, thousands of civilians, protesters and activists were arrested, detained, beaten, and tortured. Dozens were shot, several missing or wounded. Couple of months later, the situation emerged as an armed conflict, following the spike of violence and war crimes from the Cameroon military. Southern Cameroonians were now pushed to the point of ‘enough is enough’; as the instinct was to switch to self-defence. Worth mentioning here is the story of a 30-year-old farmer, whose three children and wife were victims of a military crackdown in his village. His house was burned leaving him with just the clothes he had on. With deep anger and bitterness, he picked up his hunting rifle for protection.
In no time, Cameroon militarized the two regions that made up Southern Cameroons, and this erupted into fierce battles with fighters from Southern Cameroons. The indiscriminate killings by the military erased entire households and families, razed to ashes over 300 villages, destroyed vast livelihoods, provoking a precarious humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands internally displayed and others living in the bushes. These widespread human right violations and war crimes perpetuated by the Cameroon military provoked retaliations from Southern Cameroonians as the situation became unbearable.
Since the onset of the conflict, the government has been doing everything in their power to cover up its surge, pretending that it doesn’t exist and denying their gruesome acts. A prominent example is the Ngahbuh massacre which took place on the 14th of February 2020. About 40 government forces attacked the village, shotting civilians and burning down homes. Reportedly, 23 people were killed, including children and 7 of which were below the age of 5years. Amongst the victims were 2 pregnant women and two families with five children from the same household. This is just one of several massacres that has been perpetuated by government forces against the people of Southern Cameroons whose only crime was the expression of their right to self-determination. After several national and international investigations proved them guilty, the government of Camerron has still not been held accountable for the Ngahbuh massacre. Instead, they continued with deploring troops to the region to keep up the cycle of human rights violations and war crimes.
Independence versus federation
So far, the end of the conflict is not in sight and the return to stability is far-fetched. The need for a genuine dialogue in the presence of an internationally recognised mediator is crucial and cannot be overemphasized. The leadership of Ambazonia have made it clear that talks will not be possible in the absence of a mediator. It is the only viable solution to end the armed conflict as the military approach from the Cameroon government has so far proven ineffective. In the event of a dialogue, the options that are available to Ambazonia will either be a federal/decentralised union with Cameroon or the restoration/independence of their statehood.
For Ambazonians, independence is the unique opportunity to rewrite history and secure their heritage as a nation. With rising intensity in the battles between the armed forces of Cameroon and the fighters of Ambazonia, a vast majority have voiced out their firm stand for independence or resistance forever.
Will Ambazonians give up on their sovereignty and right to self-determination after paying the bloody price of going through a genocide?With the majority advocating for independence, federalism is being considered as ‘standing on the fence’.
On the flip side, Many Ambazonians do not welcome the discussions for federalism even when it is presented as a step towards achieving independence. The truth remains that a federation is a deadly mix given that it will not address the root cause of the conflict. It can be likened to ‘removing the cobweb but leaving the spider’. The same grievances that provoke the war will still build up with time because Cameroon as a nation has no regard for the fundamental human rights of Ambazonians.
The question that rises here is, will a federation bring sufficient consolation as to erase the profound feelings of historic alienation and the painful experiences of genocide? Returning to a union whether in the form of decentralisation or federation will never resolve the grievances of over 50years of marginalisation, suppression, discrimination, exploitation, and bloodshed.
So far, the Camerron government has been closed and turning down invitations for talks.
The question that remains is what will happen to the state of the conflict if the government continues to dismiss opportunities for dialogue?
However, until the talks hold, it’s agender and outcome cannot be determined in advance. One thing is certain, the concerns of Ambazonia will not be addressed outside the need to restore their statehood.
While waiting for an eventual dialogue, there is urgent need for a ceasefire, and I hereby appeal to the international community to take actions to end the war in Ambazonia. Heightened continuous violence and insecurity has created rising dead toll and a deeply concerning humanitarian crisis. Immediate response is crucial to save thousands of lives that are languishing in orphanages, bushes, prisons, and detention camps as well.
#notoimpunity
#endanglophonecrisis
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Dorothy Arrey
