German Federal Parliament Makes Case For Anglophones

The case of Cameroon was mentioned yesterday, October 12, 2018 in the German Parliament.It was Dr. Christoph Hoffmann of the FDP party who spoke.

Here is a summary of what he said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been two years since a crisis in the English-speaking part of Cameroon, a crisis that has turned into a civil war… This war is born of ignorance or the unwillingness of the Cameroonian government to respond to a need for regionalism or federalism…,” the respected MP said.

He went on to add that: “Children are shot, the elderly burned in their homes and thousands of refugees…We are heading towards a real humanitarian catastrophy.”

The member of parliament questioned the silence of the German Government when he said: “Despite the multiple multilateral co-operations, of which Germany is a major participant, this country has not been able to stabilize itself… Why such a belated reaction from the German administration, where has the multilateral pressure gone to prevent or lessen this humanitarian disaster in preparation?…This is a hideous and bloody conflict, and the solution lies only in regionalization or federalism. Germany with its experience could help in this sense…”

He raised concerns over the credibility of Sunday’s Presidential Elections: “Last Sunday, Cameroonian went to the polls to elect their next president. Unfortunately, it will take another 14 days to count the votes. And finally, to declare elected the old president of 85 years, who spends several months abroad occupying a whole floor of a five-star hotel…From 25 million… Cameroonians, only 6.5 million were able to vote, and in the English-speaking part, the vote simply did not take place. Laws and such an unfair election cannot be acceptable…”

Dr. Hoffmann invites the international community to act now: “The international community must absolutely provide for a transitional phase after these elections that will allow a national reconciliation and possibly a withdrawal of the president…Mr Maas, Mrs Merkel, it is time to take up your responsibilities and manage this crisis before it is too late, and besides, it is in the interest of Germany, because We will not have to use our taxes for emergency humanitarian aid there.”

“…And the Nigerian-American writer Teju Cole would still be right when he says, I quote: “In the morning, the white saviour supports brutal policies, the afternoon, he finds donations, and in the evening, he receives rewards.”