Controversial Southern Cameroons Peace Process: Faith leaders call on stakeholders to be God-fearing ⁰

Catholic, Muslim and Protestant leaders in Cameroon have called for prayers as well as work on confidence-building measures to bring an end to the protracted English-speaking crisis in the country. Responding to the Canadian government’s January 20 announcement of peace talks between some of the separatist factions in the war-torn northwestern and southwestern areas of Cameroon, the religious leaders released a statement.

 Canada had accepted the mandate to facilitate the peace process, as part of its commitment to promote peace and security and advance support for democracy and human rights.”Having been first hand witnesses to the ravages of war and the evils that have come with the armed struggle in these two regions of Cameroon and as frontline advocates of peace, we, the religious leaders of the north west and south west regions welcome this statement as a major step towards the search for true, sustainable, and lasting peace in these two regions,” the religious leaders said.

However, Yaounde on Tuesday denied asking Canada for any help to mediate an end to years of separatist unrest after Ottawa said it had a mandate to facilitate a peace process.

Following the denial from government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi, the foreign ministry in Canada maintained its version, saying meetings had already taken place with Cameroon government representatives.

“Following recent reports by certain media, the government states… that it has given no country or external body, any role whatsoever as mediator or facilitator,” the Yaounde spokesman said in a communique.

It was for Cameroonians to solve the nation’s problems, he added.

Reported by Crux and Camcordnews