Southern Cameroons Leadership Summit: A New Path from Johannesburg?

A summit focused on resolving the ongoing conflict in the former British Southern Cameroons (BSC) convened last weekend, April 18th to 21st, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Originally scheduled for Arusha, Tanzania, the Southern Cameroons Leadership Summit was relocated earlier this month due to logistical advantages offered by Johannesburg, including ease of direct flights for international delegates and the facilitation of visa requirements by a Pretoria-based institute. The presence of key international speakers based in South Africa also contributed to the change in venue.

The summit is an initiative of the Southern Cameroons Caucuses, spearheaded by the Southern Cameroons Alliance (SCA). Participants, representing various ideological groups, aim to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the eight-year conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. The stated principles guiding this strategy are truth, justice, peace, and security.

Formation of the Southern Cameroons Caucuses

The Southern Cameroons Caucuses was formally established on December 31st, 2024, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by representatives from diverse groups. This initiative, led by SCA Chairman Millan Atam and Secretary General Becky Luma, comprises three main caucuses:

• Pro-Independence Caucus: Uniting various independentist groups, with the SCPC as its largest member. Their objective is independence for the former BSC. Gideon Annu and Eleanor Hagen represented this caucus in the MOU.
• Pro-Federalist Caucus: Composed of groups advocating for a federal system of government within Cameroon as a solution to the conflict. Michael Egbe Takie chairs this caucus.
• Civil Society Caucus: Including individuals without specific political affiliations, focusing on providing a neutral perspective on the situation in the conflict zones. Rev. Ncham Godwill, former President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC), chairs this caucus.

The formation of the caucuses followed eleven months of consultations and a survey conducted by the SCA in June 2024. The survey, which included respondents from the conflict zones, other regions of Cameroon, and the diaspora, indicated a desire for dialogue and collaboration among different ideological groups working towards the welfare and self-determination of the former BSC.

According to the statement published by Collins Che, the MOU signing aligns with the survey findings and represents an effort to move beyond ideological divisions to find a lasting resolution to the conflict, which escalated in 2016/2017. The inclusion of civil society and federalist perspectives is presented as an attempt to bridge existing divides. The article notes the historical lack of unity among pro-independence groups, with the emergence of multiple “Ambazonia” governments.

Mixed Reactions to the Initiative

The caucus initiative has elicited a range of responses. A statement seen by MMI states that reactions from residents of the former Southern Cameroons have been largely positive, with many hoping the initiative will not compromise the pursuit of independence.

However, the document quotes a senior figure from an unnamed Interim Government expressing concern that the initiative might grant more legitimacy to federalist viewpoints.

Internationally, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the European Union reportedly responded with “cautious optimism” to the initiative, emphasising the importance of Southern Cameroonians reaching internal consensus before engaging the international community.

Professor Carlson Anyangwe, in a paper titled “The Inadvisability and Futility of Encounter between Independentists and Dependentists,” argued against collaboration between independentists and federalists. The article acknowledges the compelling arguments presented in the paper.

Despite these reservations, the release suggests that the lack of progress among pro-independence groups in past years and the inclusion of the neutral civil society highlight the potential value of the caucus initiative. The release also criticises the proliferation of pro-independence leadership structures.

Some social media bloggers have alleged that SCA Chairman Millan Atam was aligning with Cameroonian opposition leaders to advocate for federation. The release dismisses this allegation as lacking evidence and stemming from a disapproval of dialogue with federalists. The author further notes a tendency within the Southern Cameroons conflict to label differing viewpoints negatively.

The statement recounts past accusations against Millan Atam, which were later proven false, highlighting the challenges of navigating internal divisions within the pro-independence movement.

Potential Outcomes of the Summit

The specific resolutions of the summit remain undisclosed. However, the statement posits that the caucuses are likely to identify areas for collaboration alongside areas where they will pursue separate agendas.

Potential areas for collaboration include:

• Advocacy: Joint efforts for the release of prisoners related to the conflict.
• Diplomacy: Joint diplomatic outreach to present a broader representation of the former BSC.
• Safety and Security: Joint statements on human rights abuses and lobbying for sanctions against those violating the Geneva Convention.
• Humanitarian Role: Leveraging the Civil Society caucus to address humanitarian needs in the conflict zones.

Areas where collaboration may be challenging include:

• Elections in Cameroon: Differing views on participation and the conditions for free and fair elections.
• Finance & Resource Mobilisation: The need for broader financial contributions to support the caucus initiatives.
• Diplomacy and Advocacy: Reconciling different ideological goals into a unified solution.

The statement proposes a United Nations-supervised referendum in the former BSC territory, with the question encompassing both independence and federalism as a potential overarching solution. The statement further acknowledges the potential challenges in securing the agreement of the caucuses and the Cameroonian government for such a referendum. The author also raises the issue of potential external influences on the Cameroonian government’s stance.

The statement concludes by emphasising the potential of the caucus initiative, particularly with the inclusion of civil society, and calls for all stakeholders to support it in the pursuit of a resolution based on truth, justice, peace, and security.