STOP GENERATION -A Southern Cameroons Production
The need to decolonize the Southern Cameroons aka Ambazonia.
Preamble:
It should be recalled that, the 1961 plebiscite vote by the people of Southern Cameroons to gain independence by joining was not meant to form La Republique Du Cameroun. The vote was meant to form a federation of two states, equal in status with La Republique DU Cameroun, thus keeping the culture, way of life and identity of a “people”- the Southern Cameroons people. The following points comes to mind:
1) In 1972 President Ahidjo said the federation was too expensive and organized an unconstitutional referendum opting for a unitary state (United Republic of Cameroon) and it was a 99.99% victory for him. A vote which involved both Southern and French Cameroun. President Ahidjo forgot that, the Southern Cameroons were a “people” that freely got into the union because a federation was mentioned. If at all there was to be a change in the status of the Union, the referendum organised on 20th May 1972 should have included only the people of Southern Cameroons-the same people who voted to join the Union freely, La Republique had no business to do with the referendum.. Looking at how it was organized, one will say there was no need for a referendum since the result was already known even before it began. Even if all Southern Cameroonians had voted “NO”, it would not have changed the results putting the population of the two states side by side.
2) In 1984, the new President Paul Biya followed an already laid down script to completely annex the Southern Cameroons. He issued a presidential decree that changed the name of the country from United Republic of Cameroon to La Republique du Cameroun- the same name La Republique had prior to the federation with the Southern Cameroons who had also let go her name (Southern Cameroons). For a president to reverse to La Republique Du Cameroun meant they had opted out of the federation and Southern Cameroonians had the right to revert to their own name prior to the federation. Southern Cameroonians like Chief Godji Dinka, Albert Mukongetc stood against this and the answer from the new colonial master was arbitrary arrest and imprisonments.
3) With this new development which infringed into the very core of the 1961 plebiscite, Southern Cameroonians saw a need for an All Anglophone conference (AAC) which was held in 1993 in the capital city of Southern Cameroons-Buea. Southern Cameroonians came out with an ultimatum requested Paul biya to revert to the federation or the Southern Cameroons will have no choice than to revert to an independent nation by restoring her independence. As any colonial master will do, Paul biya humiliated them and spat on their faces taking it as a none event.
4) In 1994, there was a follow up conference in Bamenda termed the AAC 2. Here after heated debate, Southern Cameroonians opted for the zero option meaning “ Southern Cameroonians shall stop at nothing but independence under the banner of the Southern Cameroons National Council” (SCNC). The colonial regime of La Republique du Cameroun still did not read the handwriting on the wall that said a stitch in time saves nine. Their response was arbitrary arrest, tear gassing and granite lunching on armless Southern Cameroonians. As a barbaric and alien regime they increased their military barracks in the Southern Cameroons.
5) In 1996 the architects of the defunct federation Dr John Ngu Foncha and Hon ST Muna amongst others went to the UN and tabled a bill informing the UN that the planed federation between the two states has failed. A copy was issued to Paul Biya, note here that Biya has not even for once called for a dialogue between the two peoples.
6) In 1997 members of the Southern Cameroons Youth League (SCYL) preparing to defend the land were arrested and jailed in colonial prisons in la Republique Du Cameroun. One would have thought that at this time Biya would try to come out with a solution, but no he doesn’t want to dialogue with his captives.
7) 1998-2002 Southern Cameroonians announced the independence over radio Buea and the response was arrest and torture in an underground prison. In 2002, over 70 members of the SCNC were arrested and whisked to jail for celebrating the Southern Cameroons independence day. Still no attempt to dialogue from the tyrant.
8) In May, 2000 the then UN secretary general Koffi Annan in a visit to the Cameroons asked Paul Biya to get into a constructive dialogue with the SCNC. The response was still brutal force, arrest, maiming, killing and imprisoning of Southern Cameroonians.
9) The Banjul ruling of 2005 prescribed that Biya gets into a constructive dialogue with the SCNC/SCAPO for a peaceful resolution of the Southern Cameroons question. The Biya regime called the Southern Cameroons leaders terrorists in the African court but were swiftly reminded by the judge that terrorists don’t come to court. According to the colonial regime they don’t negotiate with terrorists, but one would note here that the Biya regime has negotiated with the Boko haram terrorists in their country more than 3 times.
10) Southern Cameroons lawyers on 9th May 2015 gave an ultimatum to Biya concerning the Southern Cameroons question. The President of La Republique du Cameroun has still not responded.
It is therefore evident that from these ten points listed above, one would conclude that there seems to be only one language the colonial regime is willing to speak. Southern Cameroonians had spent time begging for freedom. The Stop generation is now taking another twist to this saga. The Southern Cameroons question cannot have a political solution. The stop generation just realized that in other to kill the snake that has invaded the compound, they had spent their time beating at its shadow. Now it is time to leave the shadow alone for it has no effect and go for the real object.
It is therefore imperative to conclude that Biya should be held responsible for anything befalling the Cameroons.
Your Humble Servant
M.Kaavi the Southerner
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