French MP faults France, International community for continuous silence over growing violence in North West, South West regions

French lawmaker, Honorable Sebastien Nadot has called out the International community, accusing it if not being willing to bring the over four-year-long armed conflict in Cameroon’s English speaking regions to an end.

France, a key stakeholder in the process, given it’s ties with Cameroon, the MPs says has what it takes to seek dialogue, but has chosen to side with long-term president Paul Biya who too “has shown incapable of doing so”.

Nadot who has been at the forefront of a campaign for the French parliament to rule on the armed conflict has also opined that the only way to end the violence and atrocities, is to bring stakeholders on one table.

Honorable Sebastien Nadot was interviewed by Mimi Mefo Takambou on Deutsche Welle.

Read full transcript below ??

MP Sebastien NADOT: I asked the French Minister of foreign affairs if he was going to continue supporting dictatorship of the Paul Biya regime in Cameroon , given the outbreak of violence in the country, particularly in NW and SW regions.

MIMI: In one of your recent outings you said that President Paul Biya of Cameroon is not willing to put an end to the conflict. What makes you think so?

MP Sebastien NADOT: To put an end to the conflict, at the moment you have to be able to bring the different parties together at the same table. Paul Biya has shown that he is incapable of doing so.

MIMI: You’ve been talking about Cameroon and the role of France, you say that France has been indifferent to atrocities on the ground, especially in conflict-hit NW and SW regions of Cameroon. Are you saying that FRANCE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO STOP THE WAR BUT IS UNWILLING TO DO?

MP Sebastien NADOT: Yes of course….France could facilitate the necessary discussions to resolve the conflict within the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. Instead, the French Minister said he was satisfied with the current regionalisation process that would be underway in Cameroon.

MIMI: Does France has any interest if the conflict lingers on?

MP Sebastien NADOT: Of course France has a lot of interest….all countries have interests to do something or not to do something with Cameroon. But the question is; What is the most important aspect? And at this moment the most important for France is not the situation..it is not human rights and so that is where the problem lies.

MIMI: The Anglophone crisis which is now in its 5th year has been ranked the world’s most neglected conflict, Do you think there is this global desire to put an end to the current impasse?

MP Sebastien NADOT: There is no worldwide desire to put this crisis to an end….since when has it been a question of desire? We are talking about massacres! it is an obligation, it is duty, humanity is threatened, nothing else.

MIMI: Will things have been better if we had a different leadership in Cameroon?

MP Sebastien NADOT: The responsibility of Cameroonian leaders is obvious. The choice of violence is entirely in their hands, but I have to admit that the international community no longer plays its role.
MIMI: And finally before we go, what is the way out?

MP Sebastien NADOT: To mobilise American diplomacy, French diplomacy, European and African diplomacy.