AAC III in Buea: My Contribution

Firstly I appreciate the Editorial Team of the Cameroon Journal that published this article on AAC 111 to which I wish to make my contribution. I also wish to thank them for the good work they have been doing and pray that they be blessed with means to reach the wider public that does not have the knowhow to go online for their enriching and inspiring publications.

Secondly I heartily thank Prophet Ntemfac Ofege for posting the landmark Bamenda Proclamation for the appreciation of those canvassing for the holding of AAC III in particular and the entire public in general.

It should be recalled that some three years back calls for AAC III were as well intense and hot. In response I put up a reaction drawing attention to Art. 6 and 7 of the Bamenda Proclamation. It was widely circulated and to bring some politicians up to date the Resolutions of the 1st Constituent Assembly were directly sent for their kind attention. I equally warned any individual or group making the legitimate struggle of the British Southern Cameroons people for freedom, restoration and independence via de-annexation a bargaining chip with the Yaoundé establishment for self-aggrandisement. The masses have seen it happen.

As will be pointed out, since April 1993 the British Southern Cameroons struggle for freedom and justice has moved from internal self-determination to external self-determination under the ambit of the UN Charter and international law. This should be well understood by friend and foe alike. This is not a matter of liking la Republique du Cameroun or not. It is a matter of legality and unbearable dehumanisation experienced under la Republique du Cameroun. The purpose of this contribution is to enable all of us refocus and draw well-grounded inspiration from the Bamenda Proclamation.

I sincerely pray all patriots and friends of British Southern Cameroons to read the Bamenda Proclamation with the attention it deserves before making further comments and statements.

I believe one of the qualities of any organisation or leadership, whatever may be its mission, is consistency and from this and capacity to deliver comes credibility (CCC). This is what leads to positive change and progressive history. Art. 6 talks of “meaningful Constitutional Talks” and “a Reasonable Time” and failure of which leads to legitimate transformation and restoration of sovereign statehood.

The question any genuine patriot should ask is (a) Did the meaningful Constitutional Talks take place? (b) How long was/is the “Reasonable Time? Or is it inelastic?

By some divine fortune VOA by phone interviewed me on the outcome of AAC 11 and the issue of “Reasonable Time.” On this delicate and sensitive issue my answer to the VOA as was agreed was simple, “Dealing with people of bad faith, you do not have to let your secret out of the bag.

Reasonable time is a top secret held close to our heart. It is our action that will dictate when the time is up.” In 1993 in Buea I was member of the Committee that drafted the Buea Declaration so was it same with the Committee that produced the Bamenda Proclamation in 1994. To put the record straight for the edification of compatriots, most especially the younger generation, it is pertinent that certain facts about the struggle since AAC1&11 be stated.

1.Later in 1994 the AAC, after due debate and consensus decision, metamorphosed into the Southern Cameroons Peoples Conference with the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) as the governing body. It had an Advisory Council. Our Committee in Bamenda in its submission had argued that every liberation movement defines and identifies itself territorially and that the British Southern Cameroons struggle was not just a mere linguistic issue. The change that followed in the year was thus in order. 2. In 1995 three landmark actions took place (a) A Nine Man Delegation led by the SCNC Chairman, Bar. Sam Ekontang Elad, went to the UN and deposited a Petition against annexation by la Republique du Cameroun. On its return journey while in London the Delegation issued the famous London Communiqué. It is instructive to note that the UN Delegation included elder statesmen of Southern Cameroons, namely, J.N. Foncha, S.T. Muna, Mola Njoh Litumbe, etc. (b) On their return home, in spite of military confrontation, there was a historic tour of the nation that registered resounding victory. From Victoria to Nkambe, the call for peaceful separation and restoration of British Southern Cameroons sovereign statehood was unanimous.

(c) This was followed by a signature referendum, which in-spite of efforts of sabotage by the occupation forces, registered an overwhelming support in favour of peaceful separation. The stand of the Southern Cameroons people on “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” as manifested in the signature referendum is at the UN and Yaoundé is fully aware of.

This explains Yaounde’s intensification of the militarisation of our territory, consolidation of annexation with their proconsuls, assimilation by imposing the civil law system and effort to annihilate the Anglo-Saxon Educational system and core cultural values.Contradictory signals have been from the educated elite hungry for sinecure posts and contractors falling for peanut contracts and not from the masses who want FREEDOM NOW.

3.During the UNSG Kofi Annan’s visit to Yaoundé in 2000, he called for “Meaningful Dialogue” between the stakeholders. Mr Biya ignored with impunity in spite of our declared readiness.

4Mindful of Art. 6 and 7 of the Bamenda Proclamation the Constituent Assembly was held in Bamenda in-spite of the repressive occupation forces in April 2000. This Constituent Assembly adopted state symbols, the FLAG, ANTHEM, SEAL, and COAT OF ARMS which have since gone into use.

It also adopted a plan of action for necessary deliberations at Constituent Assembly II in Buea which should be the final. These Resolutions were sent to the UN and the 50 UN Member nations that voted for Southern Cameroons independence in 1961, and to the (O)AU, Commonwealth, E.U, Non Aligned Movement, ECOWAS, etc. 5.October, 1, 2001, Southern Cameroonians under the SCNC commemorated the 40th Anniversary of their confiscated independence.

Some Southern Cameroonians were murdered in cold blood, many wounded, maimed, many including the leaders were tortured, arrested and detained and finally charged to court in Bamenda, the centre of the commemorative activities and other towns. After many months of trial, they were all discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence. This is the subject of a book “IN CHAINS FOR MY COUNTRY” BY Nfor N. Nfor, published by Langaa Publishing House, 2014, Bamenda.

6.Since 2001, October 1st has become an issue in the political life of the autocratic Yaoundé regime. Remember the 2011 and 2012 commemoration in Buea when hundreds of patriots from all the Counties of Southern Cameroons were arrested, tortured, detained under life- threatening circumstances and finally charged to Buea Court.

7.In March 2002 the British Southern Cameroons struggle for external self-determination, de-annexation obtained a historic court Ruling in Nigerian Federal High Court, Abuja which recognised British Southern Cameroons as a distinct territory under international law and empowered the Nigerian Government to take the British Southern Cameroons Question to the UN, ICJ and any other international organisation for a logical conclusion on their right to self-determination.

8.In 2004 British Southern Cameroons was admitted into UNPO, The Hague; with the SCNC as representative organisation. This opened the door to intensification of diplomatic offensive. Given this opportunity the Southern Cameroons legitimate struggle has been officially presented at international conferences in The Hague, EU Parliament, Brussels, Rome, Houses of Lords, London, among others in addition to countless peaceful demonstrations in different capitals of the world, including Washington, New York, London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, etc.

9.March 2005, for the first time since April 21, 1961 the voice of British Southern Cameroons was loudly heard at the UN Human Rights Council as the two Cameroons clashed on the floor of a UN Organ in legitimate self-defence. The submission made was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council and forwarded to the UNSG for necessary action. This and more in the booklet “NATIONAL RENAISSANCE: SCNC ON DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE” 2014.

10.To cut short a long list of victories and focused efforts within and without, the next major victory scored is the Banjul Ruling on Communication 266/2003 of 2009 which declares that Southern Cameroonians are a distinct people from citizens of la Republique du Cameroun and called for Constructive Dialogue under the good offices of the African Commission. Although this landmark Ruling was approved by the AU Summit, the highest organ of the Continental Body, President Biya has still ignored it with impunity.

These victories and meaningful efforts and many more made by other liberation movements, too many to list here, should convince you of how far we have moved from AAC11 IN 1994. We are here examining the calls for AAC III as if since AAC11 we went dead and having come out of a stupor have deemed it necessary to resurrect our AAC11 and go in for AAC111. Will this be a mark of growth and development of a nation struggling for freedom and independence, a nation so blessed with intellectuals as Southern Cameroons is?

To concretely advance we must know from where we are moving, where we are moving to, why and define the means by which we must move to our desired destination. If these calls from patriots are genuine the facts presented and the spirit and content of the Bamenda Proclamation should call for a critical re-review and necessary strategy for a permanent solution and not the resurrection of an old label long buried.

We have facilitated la Republique du Cameroun occupation for too long and now la Republique is determined to put pepper into every Southern Cameroonian eye even the eye of the unborn child. That is why assimilation through the imposition of Napoleonic code and bastardisation of our Anglo-Saxon Educational system is being seriously intensified. Annexation and assimilation can never be reformed or panel beaten to any acceptable form to accommodate the will of or reflect the supreme interest and identity of the annexed and subjugated.

Patriots mindful of groundwork that was put in place by the CAM Leaders and others to effect the holding of AAC1 and how Yaoundé forged the signatures of Elad, Anyangwe and Munzo and over CRTV announced a postponement of AAC11 at the eleventh hour when many patriots were arriving or had arrived must seek to know who the organisers of AAC111 are.

In 1994 the forged document was easily detected and CRTV repeated announcement dismissed because Southern Cameroonians knew who their leaders were. They knew the mind set of Yaoundé vis-à-vis the wellbeing of Southern Cameroonians and their struggle for identity. But today, as the organisers of AAC111 are masked and want to remain anonymous, how shall we fight back if 1994 episode were to repeat?

With Bamenda militarised to block the holding of AAC11, there was the plot to arrest Chairman Elad. The dynamic Bamenda Boys (BB) in their characteristic patriotism smuggled Elad out of the hotel in broad daylight with population and troops outside. With masked and anonymous organisers if such devilish acts were to occur in Buea how will the leader or leaders be protected? Shall the organisers send invitations anonymously and preside at this would be historic AAC111 anonymously since Yaoundé “believes in intimidation and divide and rule,” and bribery?

Finally, have we failed to get la Republique du Cameroun out of this land because we have not held AAC111 or the answer lies somewhere else? Let us be serious and sincere with ourselves.

Here, as one dealing with the masses at the grassroots anxious for freedom and Southern Cameroons independence, I rest my humble contribution. Call it reasoning from below if you wish. The TRUTH SHALL PREVAIL. And SOUTHERN CAMEROONS by God’s grace WILL BE FREE!