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Live at the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN) talks, senior law expert Dr. Simon Munzu burst out at the repeated taunts he had over time received from separatist leaders like Ayaba Cho Lucas and others who equally participated on the online talks.
Amongst a host of other things, the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations in one of their panel discussions sought to examine the root cause of the Anglophone crisis, the perception of the international community and the possible solutions to the on-going conflict in the crisis.
Participating in a session of the panel discussions are significant angophone activist as well as secessionist leaders including Ayaba Cho Lucas, Dr. Fontem Neba, Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr. Nick Ngwanyam, Mrs Edith Kah Walla, Dr Simon Munzu, Dr. Akoah Asana.
Speaking on the evolution of the crisis in the Anglophone regions, separatist leader Ayaba Cho Lucas mentioned that Anglophones had no choice given to them other than the prospect of picking up arms against the oppressive regime in Yaounde.
He also reiterated that picking up arms in self-defense was the only way to draw international attention to what was happening in Cameroon.
“We knew from the beginning that if we do not reinforce and strengthen our defences and capabilities to defend our bloc and neighbourhood, international diplomacy would be useless,” he purported.
Ayaba Cho also reiterated on the importance of even further strengthening the resistance to counter the threats of the Biya regime as the only way to achieving the much sought independence.
“The solution to our independence is in the defence of our homeland. There is no second way. We must remind our people constantly that the only way to defeat Cameroon will be to strengthen our forces and give them the ability to defend themselves, our villages and our communities,” he declared.
Dr. Akoh Asana, another secessionist on the panel talked about what he considers as an already fractured relationship between the Anglophones and the francophones in Cameroon.
“French speaking Cameroonians look at us as people whom they control and people who do not have any rights. It is so obvious when u see people go out in the streets in Yaounde and Douala to protest, they are handled diligently but where I come from, when my people take to the streets for their basic rights, the government responds repressively saying you are not entitled to those rights,” he claimed.
He went a step further to say that dialogue was the only way to end the crisis, and that the Biya regime in Yaounde had categorically denied to organise a dialogue, but that they would do so when the war spreads to the French speaking regions.
“… now they look at us like the Egyptians looked at the Israelites. But one day when that conflict gets to their own section of the country, then they will be forced to get to the dialogue.”
Dr. Simon Munzu, Agbor Balla, and Edith Kah Walla were however not in accordance with the idea of a fractured relationship between Anglophones and Francophones in Cameroon.
“In the past four years, francophones have come to understand our plight and have shown sympathy and realisation for our course,” Dr. Simon Munzu opined within the discussions.
Dr. Nick Ngwanyam also supported, saying the problem in Cameroon was not between the Anglophones versus the francophones but against the elites who know the root cause of the problem but did little to stop the crisis.
“The problem in Cameroon is not between the ordinary Anglophones and francophones but against the elites who know the true problem but are gunning for what works for them instead,” said Ngwanyam.
On the way out of the crisis, it was an almost general consensus that the only way out of the crisis was through a dialogue with a third party mediation.
Dr. Simon Munzu however reiterated that international mediation was not a necessity and that if Cameroonians saw it fit, they could mediate dialogue talks within themselves.
CPP party president, Edith Kah Walla was categorical in the fact that Cameroonians and especially Anglophones in the Biya regime have lost the people’s trust as they keep acting as informants to false news of what is happening in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
She implied it was not a matter of asking about whether or not an international mediator was possible but to reason ways in which the Biya regime would be dragged to the dialogue table.
“The Major National Dialogue that was organised some time ago was not a dialogue… how do we get the dictatorship to bend to the will of the people. Majority of the neutral francophones who do not belong to the CPDM are all in favour of the dialogue,” she said.
Barrister Agbor Balla made an appeal to the Ambazonian leadership in the diaspora to stop fanning the flames of discord on Cameroonians from abroad and to come to the country and fight the regime from within if they felt the need to.
“For people to sit in the diaspora and tell us what to do, I find it dishonest…let them come here to Cameroon let us fight the regime together,” he charged them.
Dr. Simon Munzu who also felt a wave of attack launched on him also lashed out at separatist for their continuous attacks on his personality.
“I am fed up with separatist picking on me. Mr Cho Ayaba was talking on how I have betrayed their course by taking up a job at the UN with the help of the Biya regime. Let me make it clear that I had received no offers from the regime. When I left Cameroon, I left as a fugitive. Most of these statements are made because they know I am not there to respond,” he scolded.
The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiation talks continue on their official Facebook page as possible solutions to the crisis in the Northwest and the Southwest regions is sought.
In a recent survey published by the CDN, it was portrayed that more than 86 percent of Southern Cameroonians will prefer total independence to the status quo.
Many have argued that the more the government delays in finding solutions to the Anglophone crisis, the more Anglophones are convinced that secession is the better option.
©Mimi Mefo Info
