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
That’s really shrwde! Good to see the logic set out so well.