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28, March 2019

Genocide in the Southern Cameroons: CEMAC Paul Biya’s Crown of Thorns ⁰

The CEMAC statement on the genocide in the Southern Cameroons in its just concluded summit in Ndjamena, Chad is worthy of note. French Cameroun’s President Paul Biya was elected President of the sub-regional organisation in his absence. He was therefore not present to officially take over the mantle of leadership of that sub-regional organisation. His absence made it impossible for him to personally contribute to the decisions and resolutions on matters of importance impacting on the life of the organisation. No publicly stated reasons were provided explaining his absence.

It was obvious that sub-regional and international economic and security matters would be discussed at the summit. It was also obvious that the incoming President would be given the mandate to execute the decisions that were going to be taken at the summit. Some CEMAC countries fall within the international security and economic powder keg in the Sahel, the Congo basin and the Gulf of Guinea. Cameroon Concord News Group is concerned that conferring the Presidency of CEMAC to Paul Biya who is a sub-regional Angel of death and General Overseer of a Crime Syndicate is potentially risky. He is genocidal, aged, sick, senile and potentially in the evening of his life.

The security and economic challenges confronting CEMAC required a vibrant, visionary and strong leader. Paul is not. He is a demented neo-colonial stooge. Some of challenges confronting France-Afrique of which CEMAC is the heart-beat, include the growing debate on colonial security, economic and cultural pacts, the CFA Franc, the Multinational war against Boko Haram, Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea, the instability in CAR and the DRC Congo etc. A sick despot with a failing memory cannot withstand these challenges. Cameroon Concord News Group can therefore only conclude that CEMAC has given Paul Biya a crown of thorns. This crown of thorns adds to the several attributes on Paul Biya’s despotic page in France-Afrique’s neo-colonial book of incredulity.

This crown of thorns came with an important statement from Paul Biya’s CEMAC peers which must have shaken the Angel of Death to the marrows of his evil bones. Fearing probably that he may abuse his mandate and the crown of thorns to legitimize the genocide in the Southern Cameroons, CEMAC leaders in a resolution warned about the consequences of continuing the war Paul Biya declared against the Southern Cameroons in the Gulf of Guinea. The CEMAC leaders resolved and urged him to find a negotiated solution as soon as possible. Coming from a sub-regional organisation whose presidency he was assuming, the resolution on the Southern Cameroons must have come through as a poisonous pill to criminal instincts of this notorious genocide mastermind. The clear message is that if he persists on his genocidal misadventure against the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, then he will be doing that at his risk. CEMAC took a clear stand before handing over the presidency of the organisation to him. It behoves him as the president of French Cameroun and as the President of CEMAC to embrace the path of international legality and not criminality and genocide.

What if he does not stop the genocide and engage in negotiations? Will there be consequences from CEMAC? Cameroon Concord News Group does not believe CEMAC will sanction him for non-compliance of its resolution on the Southern Cameroons. However, the CEMAC resolution deprives him of an instrument or toll with which he intended to legitimize impunity, geocide and other crimes against the Southern Cameroons. CEMAC were careful to point out to him that countries in the Gulf of Guinea would be negatively impacted by the war against the Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia. The CEMAC resolution on the Southern Cameroons clears the way for Intervention by the International Community to protect and prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Without this clear statement from CEMAC, intervention by the AU, UN, and the International Community at large would have been diplomatically hampered or slowed down. International Organisations, the United Sates of America, the European Union and International Human Rights Organisations have found strong evidence that Cameroun civilian and military commanders planned and are executing despicable crimes against Southern Cameroons civilians within the territory of the Southern Cameroons and the neighbouring country of Nigeria. There must be consequences for these acts of impunity.

The CEMAC resolution implicitly serves notice to the Buhari government in Nigeria and other countries that may be aiding the genocide. CEMAC whose presidency the genocide mastermind Paul Biya has assumed, has taken a stand in favour of negotiation and peace. The Federal Government of Nigeria which is a party to the multinational force arrangement fighting against Boko Haram with some CEMAC countries is on notice to readjust its position and weigh its diplomatic options in the light of this reality.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on the International Community to urgently deploy a peace keeping force to the Southern Cameroons- Ambazonia to protect and prevent against the ongoing genocide. The international Community should facilitate negotiations that must lead the way to the free exercise of the right of self-determination by the people of the Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia under the UN Charter, UN Resolutions and International Law.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on all Ambazonians and freedom loving people world wide to redouble all efforts to contribute towards ground zero operations, the protection and sustenance of Ambazonia civilians and refugees, the legal defence fund of Ambazonians and Ambazonian leaders in captivity, Ambazonia IG institutional governance and diplomatic actions which must intensify now when the world is paying attention.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on the IG and Ambazonians capable of carrying out diplomatic initiatives to know that international diplomacy warrants knowledge of diplomatic practice. Effective diplomatic engagement is never conducted on social media. Giving notice of attacks on supposed targets in the territory of French Cameroun at a time when International diplomatic actions are being triggered may constitute an act of sabotage to the Ambazonia self-defence efforts. The Federal Republic of Ambazonia are not the aggressors in this war. Ambazonia took up arms in response to this war of genocide in which French Cameroun is the identified aggressor.

Publicly announcing so-called diplomatic engagement in the Basque country in the heart of Europe by Cho Ayaba shortly after announcing that he will carryout attacks in the territory of French Cameroon is not in the interest of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. The Basque country is in Spain with its own specific historical peculiarity within Spain and the contagious areas of France. It is in the heart of Europe. The announced social media diplomatic engagement at a time the EU has commence to trigger its sanction regime against French Cameroun for the crimes, including genocide committed in the Southern Cameroons may not be in the interest of the Southern Cameroons. The Southern Cameroons problem has discrete international character which must not be complicated. Cameroon Concord News Group has consistently warned that social media activism, grandstanding and ignorance by some who want to personalise the struggle for their selfish interests, may compromise genuine diplomatic efforts which the IG and concerned Ambazonians have been making and which may already be yielding fruits.

The complexity of international diplomacy within which many Ambazonia professionals are operating as key actors may be too sophisticated for social media activists who are in search of relevance. Cameroon Concord News Group strongly encourages the Interim Government and Ambazonians of good faith to redouble the ongoing efforts with diplomatic discretion in other to achieve positive outcomes. Diplomatic procedural pitfalls must be avoided as much as possible. Sound diplomatic engagement must be discreet and must not be conducted in the social media. Cameroon Concord News Group calls on Ambazonians to strongly discourage or denounce the ongoing social media diplomatic circus.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-in-Chief

27, March 2019

Barcelona target Andre Onana hails Carlos Kameni experience in Cameroon camp ⁰

The Ajax stopper has told Goal that he’s benefiting from the veteran’s presence in the Indomitable Lions camp.Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has told Goal that he’s benefiting from Carlos Kameni’s presence in the Indomitable Lions camp, despite criticism about the latter’s continued inclusion.

Onana was in goal as Cameroon beat Comoros 3-0 to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Saturday’s final qualifier at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.

Coach Clarence Seedorf was criticised for including 35-year-old Kameni, who’s yet to play a game at Turkish giants Fenerbahce this season.

However, Onana, who has reportedly been attracting the interest of Barcelona in recent months, has defended his teammate, and revealed the specific advice the veteran gave him ahead of the showdown with the Comoros.

“I felt good being in goal for Cameroon [against the Comoros] as I received a lot of advice from Carlos Kameni,” Onana told Goal .

“It’s just luck that I was selected to start when Kameni is around, but he told me to be strong, and [to be] confident that I am good.

“He’s played more matches, and has experience in Europe too,” Onana added, “[but] I have the mental strength whenever we train together in the national team.

“It’s great being around him.“

Kameni spent eight years with Barca’s rivals Espanyol, where he won the Copa del Rey in 2006, before signing for Malaga in 2012.

Cameroon entered the campaign despite qualifying for the tournament as the original hosts, with the results of their matches counting for the other teams.

However, Caf’s decision to take the tournament away from the reigning champions and award it to Egypt means that Clarence Seedorf’s Lions still had to officially qualify to defend their title.

Onana appears to have won over Seedorf, and has started all of the Lions’ last three matches ahead of his cousin Fabrice Ondoa, who was between the sticks when Cameroon won the Afcon in 2017.

“It’s true that I play regularly with Ajax in Europe, which may likely influence the coach’s choice of the goalkeeper, but together [with Ondoa and Kameni] we make a great team.”

Kameni has 70 caps for the national side, and Seedorf told reporters last week that he had been included for his experience, which was an area that the coach had addressed as a point of weakness within the squad.

“Kameni brings in great leadership to the team and this is something we need in the squad at the moment,” Seedorf began, as per BBC Sport .

“His leadership qualities are more important to the team now than whether he is playing or not. We have two other good keepers,”

Onana is now poised to appear in his first Afcon after turning down a pre-selection request by former coach Hugo Broos ahead of the 2017 triumph in Gabon.

“It will be great moving to Egypt this year,” Onana concluded, “we want to retain our title.”

Cameroon are among the six top seeds for the Afcon group-stage draw, which will take place in Cairo on April 12.

Source: Goal.com

27, March 2019

US troops pull out of Cameroon ⁰

More than 100 soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division returned to Fort Campbell from their deployment to Cameroon on Sunday afternoon.

These “First Strike” soldiers made up the majority of Task Force Talon, which deployed to northern Cameroon from October 2018 through March 2019, according to a Fort Campbell news release.

During their deployment, the task force conducted security and infrastructure missions at Contingency Location Garoua, Cameroon, in order to provide force protection and enhance United States government strategic relationships, access and influence in the area, the release said.

The task force also worked with the U.S. State Department, the Cameroonian Armed Forces, non-government organizations and host nation partners to expand positive relationships and enable security in the region. In addition, they worked closely with U.S. Army Civil Affairs teams to provide outreach to local communities, the release said.

Source: Leaf Chronicle

27, March 2019

Algeria: Army chief calls for President Bouteflika to be ‘ousted’ ⁰

Algeria army chief says the presidency should be declared vacant the latest move in efforts to get ailing president Abdul Aziz Bouteflika to leave office.

Chief of Staff Gaid Salah’s call is thus seeking the application of article 102 of the constitution which stipulates that a president can be removed from office if he is unable to execute his duties.

His address was carried by the El-Bilad TV network as he addressed top military officers. Political watchers hold that it could be the main reason that Bouteflika could be forced to resign.

“The solution that must be adopted to end the crisis and answer the legitimate demands of the Algerian people is the solution that guarantees the sovereignty of the constitution and the continuity of the state,” Gaid Salah stressed.

The North African country has for months now been roiled by anti-government protests demanding the immediate resignation of Bouteflika at a time he was preparing to contest in April polls.

Under mounting pressure, the president announced earlier this month that he was not going to contest in the polls but that he was going to remain in charge till his successor was chosen.

Source: Africa News

27, March 2019

Lessons for Cameroon’s docile army: Algerian military urges removal of President Bouteflika ⁰

The army chief of staff, Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah demanded that President Bouteflika be declared unfit to rule and removed in line with Article 102 of the Algerian constitution. There are remarkable lessons from the Algerian experience. No person is indispensable. In consonance with the Shakespearean advice, men must learn to ‘quit the stage when the ovation is loudest.’

The 82-year-old Bouteflika got bitten by the African leaders’ bug after 20 years in power and wanted to continue even when it was clear that he was physically incapacitated. It is redeeming that not all past and current African leaders have swallowed the deceit of power forever.

Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Dr. Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf of Senegal stood out to be counted when it became necessary that they moved on. Currently, three African presidents- Paul Biya of Cameroun, Al Bashir of Sudan, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda continue to desecrate the altar of true leadership by extended and unconstitutional stay in office.

The national constitutions have been amended to feed their penchant for clinging to power even when all the indications point in the direction of retirement.

Bouteflika would have belonged in the pantheon of worthy statesmen if he had relinquished power when he suffered a stroke in 2013. But like in Cameroon, the cabal that benefits from his stay in power has not allowed this to happen. This is a disservice to the people of Algeria and to Africa in general.

The tragedy is that these leaders who perpetuate themselves in office do so for very primordial and selfish reasons. That the army is now calling for his removal from office; is the ultimate triumph of people power in Africa.

26, March 2019

UN says funds urgently needed for displaced Southern Cameroonians ⁰

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is today asking donors for stepped up support for half a million displaced Cameroonians who have survived over a year of ongoing violence in different parts of the country.

Violent clashes in Cameroon between the military and armed separatists over the past thirteen months have forcibly displaced thousands, including across the border into Nigeria.

The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. And there are fears now that more people will become displaced over the coming months.

According to UN estimates more than 437,000 people are currently displaced in Cameroon, 246,000 of them in the Southwest Region, 105,000 in the Northwest Region, and 86,000 in the Littoral and West Regions.

Most of these are women and children. And people who become displaced face grave situations whether in Cameroon or Nigeria. Having fled with very little, they are arriving in impoverished host communities where food supplies are strained and with few facilities for health, education, water and sanitation.

As well as causing internal displacement in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, the deadly conflict has also forced over 35,000 Cameroonians to seek asylum in Nigeria. With the fighting continuing, this number is expected to rise.

UNHCR now requires US$184 million for its operations in Cameroon and Nigeria – including US$35.4 million needed urgently for critical life-saving assistance.

In February, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon launched the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) that includes the situation in the South and North West regions. UNHCR activities and related funding requirements for this program in Cameroon are part of the HRP. UNHCR advocates for international support to the plan.

Inside Cameroon, many of the displaced in the Southwest and Northwest Regions are living in overcrowded conditions, without proper shelter or health and sanitation support.

Underfunding and insecurity have restricted protection and assistance activities to affected populations. The safety of women, children, unaccompanied and separated minors, people with disabilities, and lactating and pregnant women are of deep concern to us in light of increased protection incidents and the severe underfunding. The most frequently reported security incidents include destruction of homes and other domestic properties, extortion, torture and inhumane treatment including rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

In Nigeria, refugees are currently being hosted in settlements, and more than 47 villages along the border. There is significant pressure on existing social services, and facilities for health and education. Refugees in settlements are depending on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.

UNHCR

26, March 2019

US will not ‘stand idly’ as Russia dispatches troops in Venezuela ⁰

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russia Monday the United States will not “stand idly by” as Moscow inserts military personnel into Venezuela to support the regime of President Nicolas Maduro.

In a phone call with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Pompeo denounced the growing Russian military reinforcements as prolonging the political crisis in the South American country.

Pompeo told Lavrov “the United States and regional countries will not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela,” the State Department said in a statement.

“The continued insertion of Russian military personnel to support the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela risks prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people who overwhelmingly support interim President Juan Guaido,” he said.

Sergei Lavrov reacted later on Monday by releasing a statement accusing the United States of plotting a “coup” against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido is supported by the United States and most Latin American and European nations but he retains the support of Russia and China, US rivals who have offered political and economic support to him.

Pompeo urged Russia to “cease its unconstructive behavior” and support Guaido.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

26, March 2019

UK: House of Commons finally takes control of Brexit ⁰

British lawmakers have voted in favor of taking control of Brexit, undermining the government of Prime Minister Theresa May.

MPs voted 329 to 302 late on Monday to give the House of Commons more authority in handling the country’s possible exit from the EU.

They also rejected a personal plea by the British premier to stop the measure.

Brexit will not liberate UK from EU

Introduced by Conservative MP Oliver Letwin, the amendment would enable the MPs to bring forward their own Brexit motion and indicative votes for alternative Brexit paths Wednesday.

The move could bring about a soft Brexit customs union compromise, or even a second referendum on the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

According to a spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the European Union, it “upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future.”

UK Chancellor backs second Brexit referendum

“While it is now up to parliament to set out next steps in respect of this amendment, the government will continue to call for realism,” the spokesperson said, calling for MPs to choose options that were “deliverable in negotiations with the EU.”

Source: Presstv

26, March 2019

Ambazoniagate: Academics hail court rulings on deported lecturers ⁰

Nigerian Academics have welcomed the judgement by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordering the repatriation of six academics from the former British Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) and four other refugees who were all in Nigeria and who were abducted and illegally deported from Nigeria on January 5th 2018, on frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilize the government of La Republique du Cameroon (LRC) President Mr. Paul Biya. Two separate judgments were handed down by presiding judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere, on 1st March 2019 in connection with the matter.

In the first case – brought by a group of human rights lawyers against the National Security Advisor and Attorney General – the judge ruled that the arrest of 5th January 2018 and subsequent detention of the academics at the National Defence Intelligence Agency(DIA) was illegal and unconstitutional. In the second case – brought by the deportees – the judge ruled that the deportation on 26th January 2018 was illegal and violated the deportees’ rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.

Power of the courts
The court ruling has been hailed by the university community and staff unions as a sign that the courts can still protect and defend the rights of foreign nationals and citizens who are either working, residing or are refugees in Nigeria. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has promised to ensure that the judgement is enforced. The academics are part of a larger group of 57 Cameroonian refugees and asylum-seekers who are Anglophone restorationists. Some of them have been living in Nigeria for decades and at least one has a Nigerian wife and children. The university lecturers are: Professor Augustine Awasum, Faculty of Veterinary Surgery & Diagnostic Imaging at the Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) Zaria; Dr. Henry T.Kimeng, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering also at the Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) Zaria; Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, Assistant Vice President and Pioneer Head, Information and Technology, American University of Nigeria in Yola; Dr. Fidelis Ndeh, Assistant Professor and Director, Academic Planning, American University of Nigeria in Yola; Dr. Cornelius N.Kwanga, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University in Katsina; and Dr. Egbe Ogork, Associate Professor of Structural Engineering, Bayero University, Kano. On the issue of their illegal arrest and detention, the judge ordered the state to pay damages of NGN5 million (US$13,800) to each detainee “as general and aggravated damages for illegal violation of their fundamental rights to life, dignity of person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association”. On the issue of their deportation, the court ordered the state to pay damages of NGN200, 000. The judge also ruled in both cases that the Nigerian state was under perpetual injunction restraining it from further violation of fundamental rights without lawful justification. She also ordered that the deportees should be returned to Nigeria as soon as possible.

Solitary confinement
Since their deportation from Abuja to the Cameroon capital Yaoundé in January 2018 at the hands of Nigerian and Cameroonian security forces, the deportees were initially kept in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison facility without access to sunlight, family, lawyers or specialized medical care for 11 months after which they were moved to another maximum – security prison facility with some limited access to family and lawyers. They are yet to be charged or arraigned for any crimes because lawyers in Cameroon have consistently challenged the jurisdiction of the Military Tribunal in LRC to try scholars who faced a death penalty if eventually the ‘kangaroo military tribunal’ brings them to trial. The lawyers argue the composition, jurisdiction, language and historical precedence which makes the court incompetent to hear the case or guarantee a free and fair trial of the academics. As refugees who were abducted, their lawyers have persistently insisted that the national and international laws should be respected and the scholars be returned to Nigeria from where they were kidnapped.

Soon after their deportation, a team of human rights lawyers led by Barristers Femi Falana(SAN) and Abdul Oroh filed a case in the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging their detention and deportation. In their submission they rejected the allegation that the groups were terrorists bent on overthrowing the LRC government. In July 2018, University World News reported that Oroh, who is representing the detainees, said the deportees were members of a political organisation demanding a complete restoration of their homeland, the British Southern Cameroons to complete independence and be free from the annexation by the La Republique du Cameroun.
In an exclusive interview with University World News following the 1st March 2019 judgments, Oroh said he had written to Nigeria’s Attorney General Abubakar Malami, informing him of the judgments.

“In my official letter to the attorney general, I attached a certified copy of the two court rulings on this subject matter. I received a call from the attorney general acknowledging the receipt of my letter. He assured me that my letter was receiving urgent attention and that his ministry would soon comply with the court ruling,” said Oroh. Nigeria’s academic community has welcomed the rulings and hopes are high that the repatriation will be expedited as quickly as possible.

‘The world is watching’
Professor Caleb Abraham from the Faculty of law at the University of Uyo said both Nigeria and Cameroon are signatories of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. “In the light of these rights, the arrest and deportation of our colleagues is illegal and unconstitutional. Therefore, both the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments should implement this court ruling by ensuring these teachers and others are repatriated to Nigeria and their rights in Nigeria are enforced. The entire world is watching,” he said. Professor Adekunle Akinlaja from the Faculty of Law at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, said both President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and President Paul Biya of Cameroon may find it difficult to explain and rationalise their actions on this matter within the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN’s Universal Declaration. “However there is still room to rectify these wrongs,” he declared. Highlighting the lack of irrationality in the government’s actions, Dr Muktar Ismail, based in the Sociology Department at the University of Jos, said Dr Egbe Ogork was married to a Nigerian. “By right they are Nigerians. How would the Nigerian government rationalise its actions against those who by marriage are now Nigerians? Dr Kolawole Akomolafe from the Economics Department of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, noted that the list of the “alleged plotters” included names of responsible scholars and teachers. “These are scholars and teachers who have dedicated their lives to the development of Nigeria. I have known them for over 20 years,” he declared.

Source: The Guardian

26, March 2019

Southern Cameroons War: Citizens are losing hope that their country can remain united ⁰

For the past three years, civil strife has been tearing Cameroon apart. New public opinion data from Afrobarometer suggest serious — and widening — rifts in fundamental perceptions and attitudes between the country’s Anglophone and Francophone regions.

A snapshot of Cameroon’s turmoil

For more than half a century after independence in 1960, Cameroon’s Francophone majority (formerly ruled by the French) and Anglophone minority (ex-British colonial subjects) lived in uneasy, but largely peaceful, union.

In 2016, occasional protests against what many English-speaking citizens see as discrimination and exclusion intensified and turned violent. Now, militant Anglophone separatists skirmish with government forces almost daily. Human Rights Watch and other observers have accused both sides of killings, kidnappings and other abuses.

According to the United Nations, the violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, including thousands who have fled to neighboring Nigeria. In October, English-speaking Cameroon boycotted the presidential election en masse; Paul Biya, who has held that position since 1982, won — but many observers declared the election marred by irregularities and violence.

How deep is the divide between English- and French-speaking Cameroon?

Pulling farther apart on fundamental questions

Public-opinion data show that the Anglophone and Francophone regions have moved quite far from each other since 2016 on fundamental questions of democracy, trust in the state and national identity.

Afrobarometer has interviewed nationally representative samples of 1,200 adult Cameroonians in 2013, 2015, and May-June 2018, producing results with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. We did our analysis based on region, rather than primary language.

Here’s what we found. Most Cameroonians living in Anglophone regions no longer view their country as a functioning democracy. That’s a drastic shift from four years ago — and contrasts sharply with the views of their compatriots in Francophone regions. The proportion of Anglophone residents who consider Cameroon “a full democracy” or “a democracy with minor problems” dropped from more than half (52 percent) in 2015 to just 1 in 8 (12 percent) in 2018. Among those living in Francophone regions, the proportion of those who agree has slowly increased from 36 percent in 2013 to 45 percent, as you can see in the figure below.

Cameroon is a democracy | Anglophone vs. Francophone | Cameroon | 2013-2018

Respondents were asked: In your opinion, how much of a democracy is Cameroon today? The graph shows the percentage who say “a full democracy” or “a democracy with minor problems.” (Mircea Lazar /Mircea Lazar)

Similarly, as you can see in the figure below, satisfaction with the way democracy is working in Cameroon has plummeted among Anglophone citizens, from 43 percent who said they were “fairly” or “very” satisfied in 2015 to just 7 percent in 2018. Among Francophones, meanwhile, satisfaction remains low but fairly steady, at 33 percent.

Satisfied with democracy | Anglophone vs. Francophone | Cameroon | 2013-2018

Respondents were asked: Overall, how satisfied are you with the way democracy works in Cameroon? The graph shows the percentage who say “fairly satisfied” or “very satisfied.” (Mircea Lazar/Mircea Lazar)

Fewer than half (45 percent) of Anglophone Cameroonians now say they prefer democracy to any other political system, a sharp drop from 64 percent in 2015. Among Francophones, support for democracy has remained steady at two-thirds, or 66 percent. Popular support for elections as the best way to choose leaders shows a similar pattern.

Political scientists often consider popular trust in the police and the army to be a core indicator of broader support for the state — and so here, too, our survey findings may trouble policymakers. As you can see in the figure below, almost 6 in 10 Anglophone citizens, or 58 percent, say they do not trust the police “at all,” up from 39 percent in 2015 and more than double the proportion of absolute distrust among Francophones, at 24 percent. The divide is even greater when it comes to the army: The proportion of Anglophones who say they don’t trust the military “at all” has nearly tripled since 2015, from 22 percent to 62 percent, compared to just 13 percent of Francophones who say the same thing.

Don’t trust police and army ‘at all’ | Anglophone vs. Francophone | Cameroon | 2013-2018

Respondents were asked: How much do you trust each of the following, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say: The police? The army? The graph shows the percentage who say “not at all.”

Another key indicator of a growing chasm is identity: Do citizens identify more with their nation or with their ethnic group? If it’s the former, a fundamental national unity may exist that can help prevent civil conflict. Until recently, in Cameroon only small minorities — between 6 percent and 12 percent — of both Anglophone and Francophone citizens identified more closely with their ethnic group than with their nation. But as you can see below, since 2015, the proportion of Anglophones who identify more strongly with their ethnic group than their nationality has quadrupled, to almost one-third (31 percent). Among Francophones, the increase was from 7 percent to 13 percent.

Ethnic over national identity | Anglophone vs. Francophone | Cameroon | 2013-2018

Respondents were asked: Let us suppose that you had to choose between being a Cameroonian and being a ________[respondent’s ethnic group]. Which of the following statements best expresses your feelings: I feel only [ethnic group]? I feel more [ethnic group] than Cameroonian? I feel equally Cameroonian and [ethnic group]? I feel more Cameroonian than [ethnic group]? I feel only Cameroonian? The graph shows the percentage who say they feel “only [ethnic group]” or “more [ethnic group] than Cameroonian.. (Mircea Lazar/Mircea Lazar)

The results reveal that Cameroon’s national unity is fragmenting

These growing divides between Anglophone and Francophone Cameroonians suggest that beyond the headlines, some citizens may be starting to abandon a belief in the country’s unity. Despite Cameroon’s long history of individual English and French speakers living peacefully as friends and compatriots, these tears in the national fabric will take both time and skilled and inclusive political leadership to mend.

Culled from The Washington Post