The former United States diplomat to Africa, Tibor Peter Nagy, has said he hopes the Canada-mediated dialogue to end the Anglophone Crisis will not be a chance for the government to offer another cosmetic solution to the conflict.
In a tweet on Sunday, Tibor Nagy, who has often criticised President Paul Biya’s government for malhandling the crisis, said he wishes Canada would succeed in restoring peace to the embattled Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon.
“Wishing every success for Canada’s efforts to bring peace to Southern Cameroons (#Ambazonia). But also praying that this will result in an outcome and is not another ‘process’ used by the Cameroon government to delay a real resolution. Let’s see results,” he said.
Canada Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Jolie, announced last week the country’s willingness to mediate a dialogue between Ambazonia separatist leaders and the Cameroon government, nearly six years since separatists have been fighting to break out of the Central African country.
Separatist leaders have shown their resolve to engage in the dialogue, with Ayaba Cho, commander of the Ambazonia Defence Forces, embracing the initiative.
Tibor Nagy, however, fears that division between the separatists could weaken their stance. A majority of separatist leaders who are abroad are clamouring for separation, but there are some, in the country, who will prefer a federation.
The Canadian dialogue will not be the first aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.
In 2019, the government organised a major national dialogue in Yaounde, but it was not inclusive of separatists. The dialogue’s outcome had been premeditated, observers say, and both federation and separation were not discussed.
Critics have termed the dialogue’s major outcome, which was a special status for the Anglophone Regions, a cosmetic solution as it failed to end the conflict.
