There are high expectations by Cameroonians in and out of the country ahead of the rare speech of the President of the Republic Paul Biya.
Tonight’s speech is unlike his traditional February 10 and December 31 speeches.
Many Cameroonians are of the opinion that the permanent resolution of the Anglophone crisis will dominate Biya’s speech.
With over two thousand people killed in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, huge material damages, thousands displaced internally and others rendered refugees, there are hopes that the speech should pay particular attention on how the situation can be redressed.
Since the beginning of the Anglophone crisis in 2016, there has been national and international pressure for the president to address the issue and save Cameroon from a full scale war.
After three years of practically no school in the Anglophone regions, there is the need to save the country.
Beside that, the situation of hundreds of post election political detainees equally needs attention. Hundreds of militants of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, party alongside the leader of the party Professor Maurice Kamto are in prisons for exercising their constitutional rights of a peaceful protest. The trial of these militants has been seen by their lawyers as politically motivated while calling for the release of their clients.
The post electoral tension caused the humiliation of the President in Geneva Switzerland by a group called “Brigade Anti Sardinard”. A protest in front of the intercontinental hotel that further exposed the deep rooted differences in Cameroon.
All these demand the attention of the president who swore to protect Cameroon and Cameroonians.
The situation in the Far North region of Cameroon with Boko Haram militants attacking Cameroonians remains a worry.
The speech from 8:00pm tonight, political commentators say is likely to be the most watched state of the nation address since President Paul Biya took over power in 1982.
Mimi Mefo Info.
