Lasting Peace Requires Hearing Uncomfortable Voices, Addressing Grievances — Agbor Balla

Barrister Agbor Balla has said lasting peace in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions will only be possible if the voices of those most affected by the crisis are heard and the grievances that sparked it are genuinely addressed.

In a reflection published on Tuesday, the human rights lawyer and former leader of the Anglophone Consortium, insisted that the recent South West community dialogue in Buea must not end as a mere gathering of elites.

“The value of dialogue will be measured by what happens after everyone leaves the room,” he wrote.

Balla said displaced families, women, young people, teachers, and those living with the conflict every day must have a meaningful way to participate.

“If dialogue is to earn their trust, they too must have a meaningful way to participate. Their concerns must be recorded, answered and followed up,” he said.

He stressed the need to hear from those most affected, “including people whose views are uncomfortable to hear.”

“We must examine the grievances that helped bring us here, the barriers to rebuilding trust, and the harm that continues today,” he added.

The reflection came after Prime Minister Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute chaired a community dialogue in Buea attended by elites, chiefs, and administrative authorities, aimed at restoring peace.

Balla said one meeting cannot settle these questions and called for continued dialogue in communities, with clear follow-up, honest reporting on commitments, and space for people to say when an approach is failing.

Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla is a prominent human rights lawyer and activist who led the Anglophone Consortium in 2016, championing the professional grievances of Anglophone lawyers and teachers in the Anglophone Regions.

He has consistently advocated for a federal state as the solution to the Anglophone problem, arguing that federalism would allow the Anglophone population to have their identity properly respected and give them the chance to manage their resources locally, as opposed to the current centralized state.

He was arrested and detained in 2017 alongside other activists before being released. He has since remained a vocal advocate for peace, justice, and meaningful dialogue in the Anglophone regions.