Every Cameroonian government minister finds being a board chair in parastatals attractive. Only the leadership of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate understands the wisdom of a government appointing cabinet ministers as chairman board of directors of state-owned companies. There are reasons why Cameroon government ownership of parastatals is attractive to CPDM politicians but costly to the taxpayer.

Cameroon under President Biya is known to have generated several parastatal related millionaires overnight without any explanation on how they made their money. In many of the cases, Biya regime’s miraculous millionaires do not have any business; they simply become millionaires through their relationship with cabinet ministers or parastatals.

Being a member of government in Biya’s Cameroon is one thing and being appointed into ministries that are responsible for parastatals is another.  During the implementation of the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Program in Cameroon some two decades ago, veteran Cameroonian journalist, Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai defined   Parastatals as companies that are owned by the public/tax paying citizens.

Frankly speaking, parastatals are organizations that are considered of significant strategic importance to the country or critical to the public but too unprofitable for a private company to invest in. Ever since Cameroon got the First Standby IMF Accord, questions have been asked about why the Biya regime is still holding on to parastatals when they are neither of strategic importance nor profitable. Some glaring examples that come to mind are the telephone companies such as CAMTEL, Intelcam, Cameroon Railway Company, CAMRAIL, CAMAIR-Co, CAMwater,  Chantier Naval  etc

The parastatal board (senior management team) is appointed by the Head of State, President Paul Biya. The CPDM law says decisions on how to spend money (including on tenders) is made by the parastatal board. However, the boards are not necessarily performance managed in terms of how much they improve shareholder value; they are considered ‘good’ if they are loyal to President Biya and play the CPDM ball. General Managers who come up with innovative ideas and strategies that represent the best interests of the taxpayer are sidelined because their ideas put the looter’s (CPDM baron) opportunities in jeopardy. That explains why Cameroon government ministers are very keen to ‘reshuffle’ the boards of parastatals soon after their appointments; they want to put ‘their people’ into the board – people who will do the minister’s bidding – people who do what the minister wants instead of what the public deserves. The internal wars currently going on at Camair-Co and Camwater tells it all.

Cameroon’s parastatals are costing the taxpayer a fortune and have contributed immensely to the national debt. They are unprofitable and do not represent value for money. In fact, in the case of Cameroon Airlines Company and the National Refinery Company, SONARA, the Cameroonian taxpayer’s money keeps pouring in as debt, and comes out on the other side in individual pockets. That is the reason why parastatals are the most heavily geared companies in the country – their debt outweighs equity.

But how are Cameroonian parastatals looted? If one follows the money, one can have a feel of where the money leaks out of these institutions. Two main looting opportunities are salaries and perks of the ‘boards’ and procurement/tenders. Salaries and perks are where executives are paid exorbitant salaries that are not commensurate with their responsibilities and performance. Needless to mention how much Communication Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary makes as board chair of CRTV,  the 99 year-old Senator Chief V.E. Mukete as chair of Intelcam or John Ebong Ngolle of SONARA

Procurement and tendering are other vehicles of looting. A minister running a ministry that oversees a parastatal and teleguides appointments into the board of the parastatal has a lot of say in how that parastatal award tenders. Like with Minister Edgard Alain Mebo Ngo’o of the Ministry of Transport, who by extrapolation is the board chairs of Camrail and Camair-co,  looting from tenders is generally done in three main ways; awarding tenders to cronies, inflating tender value in order to cream off the extra value or kickbacks or a combination of cronyism and inflated values. In all cases, the objectives are the same; steal from the citizens and benefit personally.

The cronies have also perfected the art of stealing; they make sure that they keep the ministers and the ruling CPDM party happy. They donate to the cause. The general manager of the National Hydro Carbon Company, SNH, Adolphe Modiki’s admission that he paid for the acquisition of a presidential jet for the head of state now known as the Albatross is just a tip of the iceberg.

President Paul Biya has in many occasions been alerted to financial scandals and he chooses to look away. There is a sea of high profile tenders in Cameroon parastatals awarded unprocedurally but nothing was done. That emboldens the looters and the vicious CPDM crime syndicate cycle goes on and the Cameroonian taxpayer continues to pay.

The Biya regime is even known to shun ‘foreign’ strategic investors particularly from the English speaking world because such investors are considered to stand in the way of the looting spree. We are not surprised to learn that internet providers are being told to switch off the internet in Southern Cameroons on a daily basis.

Any audit of all material tenders that have been awarded by Cameroonian parastatals would be interesting as we have seen at SONARA, CRTV, Chantier Naval, SIC, CNPS, FEICOM etc Who was awarded the tenders, did the tenders represent value for money for the taxpayer, whom are tender winners related to? An audit of those awarded tenders would even be more interesting as it gives insights into how they spend the money buying houses for girl friends and mistresses both at home and abroad. Like this writer had the rare experience of being in a flight from Douala to Brussels with the mistress and wife of a cabinet minister both of who were coming to do their nails and hair for a major reception at Unity Palace.

This is the Biya regime looting process in all Cameroon parastatals:

Citizens’ money is poured into parastatals such as SONARA, Camair-Co, Camwater

Parastatals award inflated tenders to cronies through a crony board appointed by President Biya

Cronies give kickbacks to public officials and donate to the CPDM party

Ministers look away and parastatals run out of cash

Ministers go back to the Head of State (who claims to represent the citizens) to ask for more cash and the cycle goes on

There is a fundamental corporate governance flaw in giving one person, President Biya, sole power of appointing boards of directors of parastatals. For transparency and accountability, such authority should lie with the National Assembly committee which would thoroughly scrutinise any deals.

Cameroonians including the Francophone soldiers, who are currently killing innocent Southern Cameroons citizens, strongly believes that at the centre of rebuilding Cameroon is good governance. There is no way good governance can prevail if a minister who knows very little about the ministry they run is given excessive powers to do as they please for as long as they keep the master, President Biya happy through looting of public assets.

The collapse of many parastatals that used to perform very well at independence such as National Produce Marketing Board, Cameroon Airlines, and Cameroon Shipping Lines was not accidental. It was a product of many years of Biya’s systematic and state-sanctioned looting, which continues to this day. There must be an end to this madness and the only way of achieving this is through separation and building a sound and solid Ambazonia State electing a proper and responsible government where 80 and 99 year old such as Ebong Ngolle and V.E.Mukete will not be part of management.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Cameroon Concord News Group

Long ruled by a vicious, malicious and a sadist passing for a Roman Catholic , Cameroon could soon be in the hands of a military thug who may be more in tune with La Republique’s  overwhelmingly young population currently hostile towards the people of Southern Cameroons for their lack of understanding of the political history and reunification agreements that were signed in 1961.

The young man in question is a Beti-Ewondo army colonel (names withheld), whose role in the killings of hundreds of Southern Cameroonians last week has been highly appreciated by many French Cameroun political elites. But few in Yaoundé now expect a swift transition without chaos.

From his Intercontinental hotel apartment in Geneva, Biya ousted the vastly more experienced Anglophone military officials from command operations including Brigadier General Elokobi Daniel Njock,  General Ivo Yenwo and the newly appointed General Ekongwese all of whom have good working relations with the powerful Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Rene Sadi.

The move laid the foundation for the genocide currently going on in Southern Cameroons and ended a period of uncertainty within the Anglophone military top brass. It also raised questions about the wisdom of empowering an inexperienced army colonel so quickly when General Rene Meka is still in control.

In some ways, the decision was to assist the youthful defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo who has been having major difficulties dealing with the old guards in the army hierarchy.  Roughly 80 percent of  senior French Cameroun military officers are above the age of 70 and there is no one among them who has cultivated an image as a dynamic leader, keen to take a dying nation into the modern era.

Added to this funny arrangement is what they call in La Republique “reserve generals”. These are retired army generals who are still under the government’s payroll and are still enjoying all the benefits of a senior official in the Cameroun army. They include Pierre Semengue and Tataw James.

The young Francophone colonel has pushed to increase the influence of the Rapid Intervention Battalion and the National Gendarmerie who are roaming the streets and public places of every Southern Cameroons state, counties and villages, interfering in private lives.

The killings of dozens of Southern Cameroonian citizens and the policy of militarization of the territory however, has been reckless. This policy has prompted even the moderate leadership of the outlawed Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium led by Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho to join in resisting talks orchestrated by Prime Minister Philemon Yang and accusing Yaoundé of following an “extremist ideology”.

Biya has indeed created problems for Cameroon as a nation and for Nigeria following the influx of thousands of Southern Cameroons refugees into Ikom, Calabar and some to Lagos. The gang of young Beti-Ewondo officers now running the political show in Yaoundé have found common cause with anti Anglophone cabinet members such as the Minister of Justice, Laurent Esso who despite having Anglophone children in his first marriage with Justice Arrey gave his blessings to the genocide going on in West Cameroon, the Minister delegate in charge of the gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, Higher Education Minister, Fame Ndongo, Communication Minister, Issa Tchiroma and Defense Minister Beti Assomo.

In addition, the young soldiers have picked an unnecessary fight with the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Cameroons, partly because the Bishops did not cite with the Biya regime and support the crackdown like the Francophone Bishops have done.

The young soldiers and the hardliners in government have acted without thinking through the consequences. So, Biya has turn back to his Anglophone Prime Minister Philemon Yang for redress. We of the Cameroon Concord News Group think it is too little too late. Philemon Yang is not a wise and trans-formative Southern Cameroons politician. For the time being, he needs the guidance of more experienced hands, including men like Barrister Ben Muna and former governor David Aboum, whom many Southern Cameroons political elites consider their best friend in La Republique du Cameroun.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang said he was carrying a message of “peace and hope” from President Biya to the people of the Republic of Southern Cameroons. Yes Mister Prime Minister, for your information, “You do not talk peace with a friend or a brother!! You talk peace with an enemy.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Cameroon Concord News Group

The Anglophone crisis that has rocked Cameroon over the last twelve months seems to be heralding the end of an era that has brought pain and suffering to citizens of this country. The government’s reaction to demonstrations on October 1, 2017, has left the world, especially the international community, in great shock. It is alleged that more than one hundred people have been killed across the Anglophone region, with over three hundred missing and some two hundred injured. Today, the entire region has been militarized and the citizens are not allowed to move from one location to the other. Anglophones seem to have been rolled back into the dark ages against their wish. It also seems the government is helping to enforce the ghost towns that have been going on in the Anglophone region for one year.

In Manyu Division, in particular, it is extremely hard for the population to venture out. Many young men have been arrested and taken to unknown destinations and thousands have fled their homes and are now sharing space with dangerous snakes and tigers in the Manyu jungle. Some have headed to Nigeria where they are seeking refuge and waiting for the day they will run into arms to come back to liberate their fatherland from the control of those they consider as an army of occupation. Traveling to Nigeria has become very challenging. Residents of Manyu Division are being compelled to buy a pass just to get to the border with Nigeria and they are being obliged by government troops to pay all types of fees, with the most ridiculous being a development fee that goes into the pockets of the army soldiers who since October 1 have been running amok in that part of the country. It is like Cameroon has gone back to the dark days of apartheid when black South Africans had to obtain passes in order to move from one city to the next.

In border villages and towns like Ekok, Otu, Agborkem German and Nsanarakati, army soldiers are abusing the people, especially women. Many young girls are being abused and raped on a daily bases and the population does not know who to turn to for protection and services that are supposed to be provided by a responsible government. For those who have escaped, the unfortunate thing is that many of them may never return home, especially those who are hiding in the jungle as the conditions out there are not the best, especially with the heavy rains that are making the jungle inhabitable.

Today, Nigeria is home to about half a million Anglophones who are seeking refugee status. With the anger and frustration of having been marginalized and chased out of the country, these young men will surely constitute a strong pool of angry fighters if they lay their hands on weapons. Instead of fighting secession which is an idea with appeasement, the government has decided to kill an idea with bullets and guns and this is unfortunately not producing the desired results. The government has failed to understand that sometimes it is better to catch flies with honey. Using vinegar all the time may not be the best way to approach something that only exists in the mind.

In an environment of tension, it is always advisable to use the right words in order not to cause the situation to further deteriorate. But government actions over the last months leave much to be desired. Even declarations from the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma, are not helping, as his language and choice of words are designed to further upset and alienate Anglophones.

Many Anglophones have been calling for his dismissal for months now. Mr. Tchiroma himself is an ex-convict, as he was among the coup plotters who almost took down Mr. Biya in 1984 in a coup that resulted in the deaths of more than one thousand northerners. Many Cameroonians hold that if the president could pardon Mr. Tchiroma and other coup plotter who almost killed him, why would he not come down his ivory tower to dialogue with Anglophones who are simply expressing their anger and frustration with a system that has robbed them of their dignity? They point out that Mr. Tchiroma has no moral standing to call on soldiers to kill other Cameroonians. They argue that a coup d’etat is more dangerous than a peaceful protest, adding that if the president could give Mr. Tchiroma a second chance to the extent of appointing him a minister, why does he think he has to rejoice when Cameroonians of English expression are being mowed down by soldiers who get paid with taxpayers’ money?

Anglophones have clearly stated their problems. A strike that started with lawyers and teachers was allowed to quickly degenerate into calls for federalism that waspromptly rejected by the government, with the country’s president, Paul Biya, stating that the form of the state could not be discussed. This has put him in a tight spot and, today, he does not know how to eat the giant humble pie he had made for himself. Anglophones are not backing down. The deployment of troops across the region is not synonymous with a return to the old days. While the country has been caught up in unprecedented turbulence, Mr. Biya is in Switzerland battling with cancer that is more dangerous than Anglophones who have robbed him of a good night’s sleep over the last year.

But all hopes are not lost. Mr. Biya’s era is gradually petering out and this is the time for those in leadership positions to start thinking of a new republic; a republic that will be predicated on justice and human rights. Many people have lost their lives in this struggle that will surely continue once the numerous troops in the Anglophone region get withdrawn. The school year has been ruined by the government’s action, but things can be dealt with in a different manner. Brute force will never cause the Anglophone problem to vanish. Anglophones have proven that they can stay the course.

Anglophone lawyers have gone without a salary for one year and the population has suffered a lot of abuse, but their determination to bring about change is still intact. The government has a few more opportunities to spare Cameroon the agony and death that other countries have gone through. The solution to the Anglophone problem is at the negotiating table. The government has to swallow its pride and accept that there is no return to the status quo ante. Cameroon will never be the same again and instead of killing and maiming ordinary citizens, it is time to meet Anglophones halfway so that the new republic’s future can be discussed.

Mr. Biya clearly belongs to the past. If he will be returning home, it will only be to bid farewell to his friends and family. Time and health issues have cut him down to normal human proportions. No matter how hard he tries, he will never reinstate the attractive aura he once had. He has wasted the goodwill Cameroonians had granted him when he came to power in 1982.  He has succeeded to transform Cameroon into a vast open air landfill. Cameroon ranks among the most underdeveloped countries on the face of the earth despite its natural and human resources.

Cameroon is bereft of infrastructure. Its hospitals have been reduced to consultation clinics. Its roads have consumed more lives than HIV and malaria put together. Cameroonians have lost faith in the government. Years of unemployment have reduced them to sorry spectators of events in their own country. Many have died of preventable illnesses and for many, the shadow of uncertainty is permanently looming large on the horizon. With Boko Haram ruining lives in the North, Central African rebels staging sporadic attacks in the East and Anglophones determined to pick up arms against the Yaounde regime, the government cannot afford to be blind to the importance of dialogue. Dialogue holds a lot of hope. It will prevent bloodshed and it will keep the country together. It will be wrong to miss an historic moment again. This crisis has gone on for one year. One year is too long. Mr. Biya’s men must be courageous enough to kiss him goodbye. His days are over. Like every mortal, he belongs to the ash heap of history. It will be wrong for those around him to spend time trying to save him. It is better to save Cameroon, as each and every Cameroonian will pass away, but Cameroon will be there forever.

The editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News/ Cameroon Intelligence Report Inc

Since the government of Cameroon brought death and destruction to its people in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon on October 1, 2017, an uneasy calm has enveloped the English-speaking regions of the country. The government’s raid is reported to have killed more than fifty people, with the international community calling for an investigation to shed more light on this troubling situation. Meanwhile, other organizations such as the Commonwealth, Francophonie and the African Union have called for restraint, while the United States has come out to decry the recklessness displayed by the government in its efforts to take the wind out of the struggle’s sail; a struggle that has played out in the country for almost one year.

Today, the country is going through its toughest moments, with its unity and indivisibility being put to the test. Anglophones are determined to walk away from the union and this is meeting stiff opposition from the government. Manyu division, which is considered by the Biya government as the Southern Cameroons Governing Council’s stronghold, is in total lockdown and residents have been advised to stay home. Even the sick do not have the right to go to the hospital, with many young men living in the dense equatorial forests where they are seeking refuge after government troops went on a killing spree on October 1.

Many young men have been shot in the foot and their homes have been destroyed in a raid many hold they are being punished for coming from the same region as Mr. Ayuk Julius Tabe, the Southern Cameroons Governing Council’s interim chairperson. Many West Cameroonians will remember this for a long time and it will strengthen their belief that they do not have a place in a united Cameroon that still considers them as second-class citizens, though in recent times, government officials, such as Mr. IssaTchiroma, the country’s communication minister, have been singing that Cameroon is one and indivisible.

As late as Sunday, October 8, 2017, the government was still arresting youths in places like Mamfe, Mile 16, Buea, Muyuka and Kumba in the South-west region in the false belief that the Anglophone crisis would disappear. The government is still stuck in the past as it thinks that brute force and manipulation can put an end to this crisis that has proven that the country’s unity is predicated on false and unreliable pillars. It is surprising to see that a government is treating its citizens with such disdain and it still believes that those citizens will accept its version of unity. The government’s response is not only making life hard to the residents of the Anglophone region, it is also radicalizing even the moderates who have been calling for dialogue with a view to seeking a long-lasting solution to the crisis that has put the country in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The government erroneously holds that its military actionsin the English-speaking region which have attracted a lot of condemnation across the world were designed to serve as a strong message to secessionists. It holds that those actionswill break the back of the Anglophone struggle that has been going on for almost one year. But the use of weapons against unarmed citizens does not look like an action that will restore peace and unity in the restive Anglophone regions. While there is some calm, it cannot be said with certainty that the grievances put forth by the English-speaking minority have been definitively dealt with in a military way. The calm is unsettling and it speaks to the tough times awaiting a country that is in the throes of a severe economic and social crisis.

From every indication, it is clear that militarizing the Anglophone region and preventing Anglophones from moving around freely will not restore the peace many people have said can only come through genuine and honest dialogue. On the contrary, the raids have left Anglophones with a deep feeling of bitterness and revenge which many people fear may come in a way nobody might be suspecting and this will surely complicate things and diminish the chances for any meaningful dialogue. Prior to last Sunday’s decision by the government to implement its plan, considered by many Anglophones as a genocidal plan, a few bombs had gone off in Bamenda and Douala and this does not augur well for a country that is in the throes of a terrorist menace in the northern region. Anglophones hold that the complete lockdown of the region and the shutting down of the Internet are ploys by the government to hide its atrocities and the true figures of the casualties.

Many question the rationale behind such extreme measures and clearly point out that if the government had yielded to calls for dialogue, things would have been easily sorted out and the country would have stopped being in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. They argue that the government’s action has simply put an end to the academic year as parents and students are scared of possible reprisals from those whose relatives have been killed or hurt by government troops. They point out that the ghost towns will intensify and this will further destroy the economy that is already on its knees.

The statement by the Southern Cameroons Governing Council’s chairperson on Sunday, October 8, 2017, speaks to the determination of Anglophones to stand up to a government that has been ineffective and arrogant throughout this crisis. It is obvious that Cameroon will be going through a rough patch as many Anglophones are prepared to hit the government where it hurts the most. The Governing Council’s Chairperson has called for his compatriots back home to remain firm and hopeful, adding that their freedom will not be given to them on a platter of gold. He urged them to avoid the blame game and embrace the struggle that will bring a different life to Anglophones who have been victims of marginalization for more than five decades. His speech, which was broadcast live on the Southern Cameroons Broadcasting Corporation, speaks to the determination of Anglophones to address, once and for all, those issues that have hurt them for a long time.

If the government thinks its raids and massacres will address the Anglophone crisis, then it has not understood the scope of the problem. Its management of this unfortunate situation has been, at best, mediocre. The inability of government officials to use the right language during this crisis speaks to their belief in brute force as the magic wand that can kiss goodbye to this problem that still has many more scenes which will surely be playing out in the days ahead. By militarizing and locking down the Anglophone region, the government is clearly helping to implement the ghost towns that have been going on in that region for one year.

The government might have been ineffective in dealing with this crisis, but it has the possibility of working with other stakeholders as well as the international community to lay to rest this crisis that is giving it a bad name. If the country’s president thinks that silence is golden in this context, then he has no clue of what is playing out in his country. Cameroon is imploding and it needs sound and effective leadership. His long and unexplained absence from the country clearly point to his inability to hold the country together. It is time for Mr. Biya to understand that a country belongs to the people and not to one person. Nobody, no matter how important, can be a president without a people. If he is sick, as it is rumored, then it is up to him to do the honorable thing. It will be wrong for him to bequeath chaos to the people of Cameroon once he leaves the political scene. The situation is serious and time is of the essence. He should not wait for a response from proponents of restoration before he wakes up from his long slumber. This response may not be the best and it may come in the form of a mushroom cloud and this will only make matters worse. There is still time for dialogue and it is up to the government to take the first step.

 
By the Editorial Desk
Cameroon Concord News Group

October 5, 2017.

Dear Fellow Anglophones:

I know you are still shocked by the scale of what happened on October 1, 2017, in our beloved country. It is unfortunate, indeed revolting, that such disproportionate force had been used on armless and peaceful demonstrators. We wish other methods could have been used to resolve the issues that have pitted the English-speaking minority against a government that has decided to bring death and destruction to its own people. My heart really bleeds for the families that have lost loved ones and those who have been physically and psychologically scarred.

Of course, it will be hard to forget such ferocious brutality and I know your minds are full of revenge. I clearly understand your pain and your pain is clearly mine. We never chose to be Anglophones. We were born in West Cameroon by our parents who were made Anglophones by the United Nations against their will. It was never their choice. It was an imposition that has hurt us for more than five decades and if proper measures are not taken, it will hurt future generations. But revenge has never really addressed any issues. A progressive people never really focus on the negative side of things. Progressive people will always stick to the positive side in order to come up with new and innovative ways that will help to cushion the impact of any disaster that has befallen them.

Our people are in dire straits and this is the time they need some consolation from us. I know a lot has been published about Sunday’s violence, but talking and writing will not address all the issues. We currently have many people lying in hospitals across West Cameroon and I know many people want to help. This is a great moment for us to further tell the world that we are united for a purpose and that the slogan – one-for-all and all-for-one – is real.

To this end, we should immediately set up a Gofundme for those who are in agony in our hospitals. Our minds are full of the milk of human kindness. Let us share that milk with those who are struggling to save their lives in our hospitals. Of course, we will not always agree on many things, but when we disagree, we should avoid to bedisagreeable. Issues of money can easily split people, but since we know why we are raising these funds, we should go ahead and do it in a way that will portray us as a constructive people.

However, be mindful that there will be detractors who may use this opportunity to split us, but we must stick together as a people with a common objective. We may not be able to repair the damage done to the bodies of our brothers and sisters by the bullets sprayed by the country’s military, but we can make them and their families know that we can be there for them in their darkest moment.

The last time I checked, we are over two million abroad and if each of us chips in just a dollar, we will be able to pay for hospitalization, medication and a little gift for those of our brothers and sisters whose lives are hanging by the thread in our hospitals back home. There is power in numbers, let us make the most of our numbers. I have no illusions that some people will not contribute, as they don’t agree with what our brothers back home have been doing. Some of us are still in denial of the marginalization that has been ours for more than five decades. I will urge those who believe in this cause which is designed to right the wrongs of the past to be tolerant of their views. We must understand that it takes all sorts to make the world. But we must act like Jews who believe in collective action to improve upon their fate.

Let us also understand that there will be time for the bereaved families to bury their dead. And when that time comes, we should be there, at least financially, for those families that have lost their loved ones.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment for us to ensure that those families that are in pain get some relief, no matter how small. I know such fundraising initiatives had existed when this struggle started. I would urge all Anglophones of goodwill to set up bank accounts wherever they are, especially in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Germany, France and Nigeria where there are huge concentrations of Anglophones. Let us understand that united we stand and divided we fall. We may disagree on the final objective, the strategy to achieve our goal and who should be our leader, but we must agree that those who are in pain need our help. Let us not fail them as they and their families are looking up to us. This is not the moment for us to start bickering on who is a federalist or a secessionist. Let us bear in mind that the big picture is for our people to know a better life.

Thank you for your understanding and may God bless you all.

Joachim Arrey

About the Author: The author of this piece is a keen observer of Cameroon’s political and economic landscape. He has published extensively on the country’s political and economic development, especially in the early 90s when the wind of change was blowing across the African continent. He has served as a translator, technical writer, journalist and editor for several international organizations and corporations across the globe. He studied communication at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and technical writing in George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. He is also a trained translator and holds a Ph.D.

The Anglophone problem which started like a joke has finally spiraled out of control following the slaughtering of some twenty armless Anglophone protesters in various cities across Southern Cameroons. The protesters had been out to celebrate their independence on October 1, 2017, but were interrupted by security forces who had received orders to shoot and kill from the country’s president, Paul Biya, who is currently living in a five-star hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, where he is doing battle with prostate cancer and other old-age related diseases. Mr. Biya has presided over the country’s destiny for thirty-five years and has nothing to show for all the time he has been leading the country. He has surrounded himself with some “beni oui oui” who are doing their best to loot the country.

Yesterday’s killings have not only jeopardized any chances of dialogue with striking Anglophones, they have also heralded the beginning of a new phase in the struggle to liberate Southern Cameroons from the yoke of Francophone-French condominium. Speaking to a Southern Cameroons Governing Council insider in Washington via phone who also opted for anonymity, www.cameroonconcordnews.com gathered that Anglophones will continue to mount pressure on the crumbling government using all the means available to them. The insider advised that the gloves were off and that the pain and frustration of the people of Southern Cameroons must be taken to the enemy.

He said their response to the slaughtering of fellow Southern Cameroonians will surely come in a different form, advising that Anglophones have the means and resources to make the government pay for the deaths of innocent Anglophones. He pointed out that for so long, the SCNC and the Governing council have been working together to ensure that ordinary Francophones do not get dragged into the conflict, but after yesterday’s killings, it is clear that the equation will be altered to ensure that those who have died must not be forgotten.

“I can tell you, for sure, that the gloves are off. It is hard to dialogue with a government that is intent on killing Anglophones as if their lives mean nothing. We regret the loss of life, but beginning today, those on the other side of the Mungo will also have to have a taste of what we have been going through. They have been sitting on the fence for too long and their position can be interpreted as an endorsement of the death the government is inflicting on our people,” he said.

He added that “we never chose to be Anglophones, but we have the right to live our lives based on our culture which I think the government of Cameroon must respect. It must also understand that we are different. Our mentality does not allow us to accept injustice for too long. We are unlike our Francophone brothers who have lived under oppression for decades and will never rise up against injustice.”

He stressed that Anglophones would go underground to wreak havoc on French and Francophone interest in Southern Cameroons, adding that we will not surrender until the injustice of the last fifty-six years is corrected.
“Our parents lived in a prosperous and functional parliamentary democracy which made us the envy of many African countries. We had a parliament and a Prime Minister. We voluntarily opted to join our Francophone brothers in 1961 and today they are treating us like animals, with television journalists and Francophone governors branding us as rats and dogs,” he said, stressing that “we will never be cowered into submission by a bunch of people who are ruling their country as if they are mercenaries.”

With more than two million Anglophones out of the country, with high concentrations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, it is likely that most of these people will be happy to raise funds so as to engage the expiring government of Mr. Biya into running battles that may result in many more deaths, our insider said, adding that it is impossible to eat omelet without breaking eggs. “We regret the loss of lives, but we must move forward and we must implement the next phase of our plan.”

“Cameroon is at the crossroads. The country will never be the same again. We may not achieve all what we want, but we have proven that a minority is capable of bringing meaningful change to a country that is being ruled by people who are not patriotic,” he said.

“Francophone must join us if meaningful change has to occur in Cameroon. Their indifference is annoying. The battle lines have been drawn and everybody must choose their side. The government has delivered death to us on many occasions, though we have all along been calling for sincere dialogue. But this cannot continue for too long. Our people have a right to self-defense and we in the Diaspora owe them the duty of providing the necessary resources for them to achieve that goal,” he stressed.

We will fight the government city to city, house to house and street to street until it will run out of steam. We have the wherewithal and there is a pool of willing fighters back home to deliver the punch that will daze the moribund government,” he pointed out, adding that “there will be collateral damage, but that will surely help our leaders to put on their thinking cap.”

From every indication, Cameroon is down a slippery slope. The international community still has enough time to save lives. It will be morally wrong for it to let the situation to escalate before it starts looking for ways to mediate. Cameroon is gradually imploding. With Boko Haram insurgents blowing up people in the north, and central African rebels launching attacks in the east of the country, it will be dangerous for the government to wait for Anglophones to transform themselves into walking bombs before it can think of genuine dialogue. Despite yesterday’s killings, there is still room for dialogue. Many mistakes have been made and the handling of the Anglophone crisis right from the beginning has been at best mediocre. There is still a lot of time for the international community to save Cameroon and that time is now. Cameroon is begging for help and the world should not be looking the other way while the country keeps on bleeding.

A Cameroon Concord News Production
By the Editorial Desk

The Anglophone crisis that started in October 2016 reached its apex on Sunday, October 1, 2017 following the declaration of independence in various cities across Southern Cameroons despite the heavy deployment of government troops to intimidate Southern Cameroonians who have clearly displayed their determination to quit a badly and hastily stitched union with East Cameroon. City after city in Southern Cameroons hoisted the new nation’s flag with pride and dignity which Southern Cameroonians think they have been robbed of for more than five decades.
Across the region, Southern Cameroonians could be heard chanting their nation’s national anthem joyfully in the presence of Cameroon government troops who had been given orders and ammunition to shoot at protesters. Mamfe, the birth place of Anglophone activism, registered one of the worst incidents on Sunday, with more than two people shot to death and many others seriously wounded. Due to this unfortunate situation, residents of Manyu Division have vowed to topple local authorities and roll back Cameroon government influence in Manyu which is noted for its radicalism.

In Kumba, the stories were not different. Several protesters were killed and many wounded. Buea, Muyuka and Tombel stood up to be counted among the brave Southern Cameroonians who have succeeded to demonstrate their will and determination to stand up against a moribund regime that is noted for its brutality and manipulation.
In the North West, brave Southern Cameroonians in Bamenda successfully hoisted the Southern Cameroons flag at Liberty Square and sang their anthem in the presence of army soldiers who were helplessly watching. But it was Kumbo, Bui Division’s capital, that stole the show. The city’s central prison was torched while protesters proceeded to demonstrate across the city, bearing the Southern Cameroons flag and singing their newly minted national anthem.

As usual, the regime in Yaounde noted for mowing down its own citizens, organized fake marches of peace to mask the killing of Southern Cameroonians in their own territory. In Yaounde, the ruling party’s members of parliament converged on the reunification monument where they pledged their support to the country’s absentee president, Paul Biya, who is currently in Switzerland where he is battling prostate cancer. On his Facebook page, the octogenarian condemned violence, adding that it was normal for citizens to express their views in a republic, but in a respectful and non-violent manner.

He however did not indicate that for almost one year, his government has been mowing down its own people and arresting armless and innocent citizens for expressing their views. It should be recalled that Cameroon’s president spends most of his time out of the country, leaving the country’s struggling economy at the mercy of members of his party who are doing their best to loot the state’s treasury. More than fifty of the president’s former ministers and closest collaborators are currently languishing in jail for looting state coffers, although some schools of thought hold that charges against those in jail are politically motivated.

It should also be pointed out that prior to the declaration of independence by Southern Cameroonians, Cameroon’s minister of communication, Issa Tchiroma,on Saturday, September 30, 2017, had visited media houses to court their support where he advised them not to give an opportunity to Southern Cameroonians to present their own perspective of events to the public. He called on private media houses to side with the government in its effort to silence Southern Cameroonians. He argued that there was no Anglophone problem in Cameroon, adding that all those who were protesting in the Anglophone regions were terrorists who were being manipulated by some power-hungry and disgruntled Cameroonians living abroad. The minister of Communication, it should be recalled, has once been jailed by the Biya government for his role in the 1984 coup d’état that almost saw Mr. Biya out of power.

Sunday’s protest might not have led to a total takeover of government institutions by protesters and the arrest of government officials who have been enforcing the government’s Machiavellian policies as declared by the Southern Cameroons governing council, it has however proven that Southern Cameroonians can defy government orders and challenge institutions that do not serve the people’s interest. The clashes between protesting Southern Cameroonians and security forces have also simply pushed the Anglophone struggle underground, as government determination to win by military means leaves the protesters with no other options.

The government might have disrupted things on Sunday, but the revolting Southern Cameroons are prepared to engage the government in running battles that will make the region completely ungovernable. They are counting on hit-and-run tactics which will lead to the sabotaging of facilities such as oil tankers, oil installations and other facilities that will help them bring the country’s economy to its knees. It should be recalled that prior to Sunday’s events, a few bombs had gone off in Bamenda and Douala, and October 1 clashes will only lead to more of those bombs wreaking havoc in the country.

Meanwhile it has been alleged that the American billionaire, George Soros, is using his vast resources to help Southern Cameroonians walk away from their oppressors of fifty-six years. Similarly, it is also alleged that a Canadian firm has signed an oil contract with the Southern Cameroons Governing Council regarding the Anglophone region’s vast oil fields. If this is true, then the struggle has moved into a very critical stage and this will imply the entire school year will once more be disrupted.

However, the Cameroon government still has a last chance to preempt the possibility of the struggle degenerating into an armed conflict. Many leaders across the world, including the United Nations Secretary-General, have already called for sincere and genuine dialogue as the surest means to find sustainable solutions to issues raised by Southern Cameroonians. If the government can listen and if its surrogates can change their rhetoric, attitude and approach to the problem, a conducive environment could be created for the holding of a meaningful dialogue that will spare the country the agony and hardship usually created by every armed conflict.

A Cameroon Concord News Production

The Anglophone problem that started like a joke has finally reached a critical point with Anglophones set to declare their independence on Sunday, October 1, 2017, despite threats from the Francophone-dominated government that has ruled the country for fifty-six years without regard to the Foumban Agreement that was signed between Southern Cameroons and East Cameroon in 1972. The determination of the English-speaking minority to walk away from the hastily stitched marriage has left the government scrambling for solutions to contain Anglophone protesters who are no longer scared of government intimidation. Even the heavy deployment of Special Forces and battalions of army soldiers is not striking any fear in the minds of disgruntled Anglophones.

To deter Anglophones, the Yaounde government has been flexing its atrophied muscles. A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been declared to curb the movement of persons and the country’s borders with Nigeria have been closed till September 2, 2017, but Anglophones are not listening to all of that. In their view, Cameroon’s borders are the most porous in the world. The inept government in Yaounde has never really developed any real border posts with Nigeria. In places like Akwaya, many Yaounde government officials are already moving out for fear that they will be arrested as instructed by the Anglophone Governing Council. The fear of the unknown is perceptible, as demonstrations across Southern Cameroons on October 22, 2017 informed the government that it really had a sticky situation on its hands.  Last week’s demonstration will surely be reduced to a dress rehearsal, as the young and old will take to the streets to let the beleaguered government understand that they are not being manipulated.

Years of marginalization and mistreatment have hardened the Anglophone and he is determined to change things so that future generations do not have to walk this humiliating path. Over the last fifty-six years, Anglophones have never occupied the ministries of defense, interior, national security, territorial administration and communications. Currently, out of 39 ministers, there is only one Anglophone while the President’s Beti-Fang ethnic group that does not even account for 5% of the population has about 28 ministers and it is running 21 of the 34 state-owned corporations. Out of 34 state-owned corporations, Anglophones only head two. Out of more than 30 army generals, Anglophones have only two full generals, with the Beti-Fang ethnic group taking the lion’s share.  But the really vexing issue is the country’s oil company that is located in the country’s southwest region. The oil deposits are located in the Rio Del Rey Estuary in the same region, but Francophones account for 95% of the refinery’s staff. South-westerners have clearly been cut out of any oil deals and this has been accomplished with the connivance of the region’s so-called elites and colonial governors and administrative officers who have been working hard to inflict pain on the population. In 2016, the government’s investment budget for Biya’s South region with a population of 700,000 was more than double that of the two Anglophone regions that account for 20% of the population. The details of the marginalization are simply revolting. This explains, in part, why Southern Cameroonians will be more than pleased to arrest these officials on Sunday for them to explain why they have been working against the people.

The international community understands the seriousness of the issue. It has been carefully watching and it thinks dialogue will be the right response.The United Nations has not been indifferent to the chaos playing out in Cameroon. It has, on many occasions,intervened, but this time around, it has been calling on both sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that might result in an escalation of tension. The global body has reaffirmed its respect for the country’s integrity, adding that the government should engage with the natives of the North West and South West regions, while the Commonwealth has reiterated its determination and willingness to support efforts at peacefully resolving the issues that have pitted Anglophones against the government.

But Southern Cameroonians are not buying into the UN’s rhetoric. They have been victims of government-orchestrated marginalization and injustice for more than fifty years and they want to live in a brand new republican democracy that respects human rights and freedoms. In many cities across Southern Cameroons, young Southern Cameroonians, who are anxiously looking forward to Independence Day, have been working hard to clean up the environment in preparation for the great day in line with instructions given by the Governing Council’s Interim Leader, Ayuk Julius Tabe. All these activities are taking place in the presence of the army of occupation that has been mowing down demonstrating Southern Cameroonians throughout this crisis.

The Anglophone Diaspora, for its part, is determined to make sure the government pays the price for its irresponsibility and poor policies. Ever since the conflict broke out, the government whose position has been vacillating, has accused the Anglophone Diaspora of all the crimes and sins in the world, lashing out that the Diaspora has been fanning the embers of chaos and enmity. It has also accused the Diaspora of bank-rolling the conflict with its vast financial resources, arguing that the Diaspora has no stake in the country. But the Yaounde-based government that seems to be living in a bubble fails to see that from their quiet abodes abroad, members of the Diaspora have been helping to sustain their families back home, even paying for healthcare and education. Some have built homes for their parents and even helped to purchase expensive hospital equipment for hospitals the government has built but has failed to equip. With such a contribution, members of the Diaspora cannot be accused of not having a stake in the country of their birth. What the Anglophone Diaspora has been doing is exactly what a credible government should do for its citizens.

Members of the Diaspora have been taking the hardship in strides for decades, yet for fleeing marginalization and economic deprivation, they have been stripped of their citizenship and have no way to exercise their citizenship in their country of birth. The Anglophone Diaspora has very high stakes in this struggle, a lot higher than many think. The Diaspora wants to help make the country a better place for all so that it too can know some respite. The constant demands for assistance have been blighting the lives of members of the Diaspora and this cannot come to an end if the despotic government in Cameroon is not held accountable for its actions. The Anglophone Diaspora is also educated and its huge war chest makes some of its members to feel that they deserve to play a key role in the political life of their country and if the government does not acknowledge that role, then they will continue to destabilize the government and the country. This is what is driving the Anglophone Diaspora that has many dollar millionaireswho think this is an achievable goal.

The decision to quit this hastily arranged marriage has already been made. Indeed, an entire region cannot be mad. There is nothing like collective madness. From every indication, the die has been cast. Anglophones are prepared to bite the bullet. They understand that anything short of total independence will never guarantee them a good life. While they agree that dialogue is the best path to tread, they also hold that that dialogue should focus more on how Anglophones can walk away without bloodshed. The Yaounde government is not repentant about the errors of the past. It speaks from both sides of its mouth and it is never as good as its word. In the minds of Anglophones, it will be hard to trust such a government; a government that has run the country aground; a government that is known to burn through money like wildfire, with its president spending most of his time abroad with a large entourage.

As the D-Day approaches, Yaounde government officials have been running all over the place like neckless chicken just to get a solution that can stop Anglophones from walking away, as such a situation will imply walking away with 60% of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, government surrogates have been spreading across the Anglophone region like ragweed just to give the impression that Anglophones can be stopped from leaving the lopsided union. So-called elites have stepped up their fake meetings to give the impression that they are working. That will surely please their Yaounde masters, but will never cut ice with the Anglophone who is in independence mode. They also fail to understand that Anglophones are prepared to lay down their lives just to correct the errors of the past. Their philosophy – one for all, and all for one – is having a huge impact and it is giving the government real food for thought.

Yaounde government surrogates may be all over the region like a bad rash, but Anglophones are not paying any attention to them. Their focus is on the independence they want for themselves and future generations. From every indication, a violent confrontation is in the offing as Anglophones will have to take over government buildings and arrest those who have been aiding and abetting the Yaounde government in its effort to exploit and intimidate Anglophones.  The message of their leaders has gotten across and they will stop at nothing to make that dream come true. They know the government is capable of anything, from shutting down the Internet to slaughtering large numbers of protesters, but that is not stopping them from reaching the Promised Land – Buea – on October 1, 2017.

By the Editorial Desk

Cameroon Concord News Group

The Anglophone problem that started with just simple socio-professional demands by lawyers and teachers in October 2016 has today developed into a full blown crisis due to the politicization of the issues and the radicalization of the English-speaking minority by the government via its response. This response has been marked by denial, disregard, intimidation and repression, and it has gone a long way in diminishing trust between both parties. It has also diminished the chances for any meaningful dialogue and Friday’s demonstrations across the entire Anglophone region speak to the severity of the crisis.

The Anglophone problem has never been this serious and those who thought it would lose its steam over time are gradually coming to terms with the fact that they now have a complicated crisis on their hands. Anglophones want out of the unification their forefathers had signed, arguing that it has left them with a sense that their territory is in economic decline following the centralization and dismantling of West Cameroon’s economic structures such as the West Cameroon Marketing Board, the Cameroon Bank and Powercam, as well as the abandonment of several projects, including the port of Limbe, and airports in Bamenda and Tiko, with investments in the Francophone part of the country winning out. The complete take-over of the country’s lone oil refinery by Francophones and the exclusion of Anglophones from key ministerial positions over the last five decades have complicated relations between the country’s English-speaking minority and the government.

This bitterness also stems from the feeling that unification had resulted in a democratic setback, cultural assimilation and a downgrading of their political status. Many Anglophones are clearly convinced that the Francophone-dominated government had followed a strategy to marginalize them and this has run down relations between the government and Anglophones who are today locked in in a battle of wills; a battle that has resulted in the death of many Anglophones and mass arrests, making it hard for any meaningful dialogue to take place. The government’s approach towards this problem over the last twelve months has been characterized by violence and this has only made matters worse and last Friday’s demonstrations clearly tell the international community that the fragile relationship between the two parties has broken down irretrievably. The calls for federalism have now given way to incessant demands for an independent Southern Cameroons, and this is causing many people around the world to be jittery as Anglophones have already scheduled Sunday, October 1, 2017, as that day wherein they will be taking their destiny into their own hands.

If the government still had any doubts about the people’s determination to steer their own lives, those doubts were indeed dispelled last Friday as those demonstrations did provide it with a clear picture of things and a proper response – Anglophones are walking away from the false union that had been hastily stitched together with the connivance of Foncha and Muna. They have also clearly indicated that Mr. Biya, the country’s president, lacks what it takes to run a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural political entity like Cameroon. His management style over the last 35 years has been predicated on corruption and manipulation, enabling him to employ so-called elites to sedate their people with lies and tricks.

While Francophones may still be under the effects of the political sedation, Anglophones, for their part, have found a cure to the manipulation and corruption that people like Peter Mafany Musonge, Yang Philemon, Atanga Nji, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Benjamin Itoe and others have been administering on them. Anglophones have told them, loud and clear, that they belong to the past and that they belong to another political epoch whose hallmark – manipulation – leaves much to be desired.

While the government has been dilly-dallying to sincerely engage Anglophones, the English-speaking minority has, for its part, decided to take matters into its own hands. Anglophones have already decided that October 1, 2017, will be their Independence Day and last Friday’s mobilization was simply a dress rehearsal for the D-Day that many young Anglophones have been looking forward to. Their overwhelming show of unity and strength on Friday, speaks to their ability to come out en masse to let the government and the international community know that the wall of fear has collapsed and that nothing will stop them from achieving their cardinal objective, even if it means laying down their lives for future generations. The wall is down, but they want to push things a little further. They want to live in a new nation; a nation that will be predicated upon political responsibility, fairness and democratic justice. And they have already gone ahead to create the symbols of that nation they think will bring them peace, prosperity and development.

But before they actually get to the business of nation building, Anglophones will want to have a clean break with an ugly past; a past that has brought pain and death to many of their people. They will want to bring to justice – their own justice – those of their fellow Anglophones who have been aiding and abetting the Francophone-dominated government in Yaounde to inflict pain on them. A mass trial is therefore in the offing, especially as there is word out there for Anglophones to arrest those they consider as colonial SDOs, Dos, Parliamentarians, Mayors and Governors who have been enforcing the Machiavellian policies of the Yaounde regime on the D-Day. October 1 will see the writing of a new page in the long story of an Anglophone revolution that has been in the works for many decades. A few more scenes will, for sure, play out before the arrogant government in Yaounde actually thinks that it is time to dialogue with a people it has erroneously tagged as terrorists. Using the anti-terrorism laws for political ends has not intimidated Anglophones. On the contrary, it has emboldened them and it has weakened a government which only understands one language – intimidation.

This is a devastating blow to proponents of violence. It has not met their expectations. It has unfortunately dumped the country in a more complicated crisis with both parties sinking further into their dangerous positions. Even those who thought it will help to address this issue are today losing sleep. Time is rather acting as the minister of justice, given Anglophones the means and resources they need to achieve their goals. Old ways are failing the old guard and the defiance staged by Anglophones seems to herald the end of an era; an era that has brought pain and death to many Cameroonians, especially Anglophones. Those who thought the revolution will fizzle out are in total bewilderment as Anglophones keep on proving that they have the capacity to mobilize their people and enforce their own laws. Ghost town operations have been a total success and the closure of schools intended to give the government a black eye have told the world that the government is helpless and incapable of handling tricky situations.

But all hopes are not lost. Cameroon can still be spared the agony of a man-made catastrophe. Dialogue is incontestably the right tool to address most of the issues that have soured the relationship between Anglophones and the Yaounde-based government. This is a complicated job and the government must approach it with a big and proper tool box. Many moderate Anglophones, who are for a federal structure, still think that all is not lost. Proponents of statehood, for their part, argue that any measures taken by the government at this stage will be coming a little too late. The horse is out and it will be wasted effort to shut the barn. They assert that it is difficult to envisage any credible dialogue with a government that has never taken any conciliatory measures, adding that until trust is rebuilt between the parties, it will be hard to dialogue with the government. They contend that the presence of a neutral third party will be vital as the government has never complied with its own policies and recommendations. They point out that a discourse of tolerance, openness to dialogue and recognition of the Anglophone problem by the head of state would constitute a first important gesture.

They further posit that such recognition in the humblest of languages should be immediately followed by several measures such as releasing all those who have been arrested during the crisis; inviting exiles to return home; opening legal proceedings against security forces responsible for abuses; reshuffling the government and increasing the political representation of Anglophones and replacing senior officials whose actions have caused tensions to escalate. They say the government has been ignoring the dissatisfaction and anger of a fifth of its population and this may be detrimental to a government that is already dealing with Boko Haram in the Far North and militias from the Central African Republic in the East.

They argue that it will be hard for the government to change its ways, pointing to the ongoing militarisation of the Anglophone region, especially after Friday’s demonstration of courage and determination by the country’s English-speaking minority. They however point out that no militarisation will deter Anglophones from righting the wrongs of the past and that if the government does not change its mind on the issue of sincere dialogue before October 1, then the world should be ready to welcome a new nation.

By the editorial desk
Cameroon Concord News Group