Government indifferent over Cameroon’s damaging humanitarian situation in NW, SW

There have been a war of figures between the government of Cameroon and international organizations on the number of people killed, those displaced internally and refugees as a result of an armed conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.

For the year 2019, Cameroon minister of territorial administration said one hundred and fifty thousand persons have been internally displaced in the North West and South West regions.

To Paul Atanga Nji, there is no humanitarian crisis in Cameroon as trumpeted by international humanitarian bodies. This contradicts periodic reports given United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs issued on the 16th of May 2019.

According to the report, over 440.000 people have been internally displaced in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. The report stresses that some 380.000 of the IDPs are in dire need of shelter while 35.800 are refugees in the federal republic of Nigeria alone.

According to UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, four million people have been affected by the violence with 1.3 million people that need help. On the number of deaths as a result of the armed conflict, International Crisis Group, a Non Governmental Organisation published in May 2018 that more than 1850 people both military and civilians have been killed. One year after this publication, other organization say more than three thousands have been killed in the restive regions.

On the 4th of January 2019, President Paul Biya carried out a partial cabinet reshuffle with a major intention of getting a team that can resolve the Anglophone crisis. Prime minister Joseph Dion Ngute carried out a tour in the towns of Bamenda, Buea and Kumba preaching the message of peace while calling on fighters to lay their arms and be integrated into the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration centres in Bamenda and in Buea;
a tour in the two regions that instead aggravated the security situation as military/separatists activities threatened peace in the regions with thousands running to the West, Littoral and Centre regions of Cameroon as internally displaced persons.

Pressure from countries like America, Britain, France and other international organizations like African Union, La Francophonie and Commonwealth have been persistent on the regime of President Paul Biya of Cameroon to look for a lasting solution to the Anglophone crisis.
On the 10th of September 2019, President Paul Biya delivered a state of the nation address on the topic of how to resolve the Anglophone crisis.

He announced the organization of major national dialogue to discuss solutions to solve the problem. A dialogue process that have so far been rated by critics as a government discussion with itself as detained leaders of the self proclaimed republic of Ambazonia were not invited. From September 30th to October 4th 2019, more than 2000 Cameroonians home and abroad converged on Yaounde and took part in the major national dialogue. The national dialogue resulted in a series of recommendations that have further been adopted in parliament and promulgated to law by the president of the republic.
As Cameroonians in the North West and South West regions and the world in general wait patiently for the implementation of the general code on regional and local authorities from the 1st of January 2020, some separatists have already rated the measures taking as window dressing and will have nothing to improve an already bad situation.

As the year 2019 comes to an end, there is total uncertainty if the February 9th 2020 election will take place in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. His Eminence Cardinal Tumi has doubts how practical election can be in a region where separatists and military men are still holding their arms ready to shoot. With a worsening security situation in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, some political commentators say the Dion Ngute led government has failed to deliver the most awaited result of ensuring normalcy in the Anglophone regions.