For six decades it appears La République du Cameroun has had one idea and scheme where Southern Cameroons is concerned. For a country plagued by corruption, incompetence and lack of commitment to the extent that “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun” has become a proverb it is remarkable how fixed and committed they appear to be on the idea of dominating and colonising Southern Cameroons.
Many episodes have cropped up to remind and dictate “logical adjustments” but every one of them has been batted away even when they could improve the prosperity of La République du Cameroun.
One such episode was the ruling of the African Commission in 2009 in the “Southern Cameroons Vs La République du Cameroun” following KevinMgwanga Gumne et al vs. Republic of Cameroon.
The commission went out of its way to make sure La Republique du Cameroun knew that the complainant’s case was sound. They accepted all the accounts of domination, colonisation, marginalisation and discrimination, only citing their [the Commission’s] lack of competence as a reason for not issuing sanctions.
Even so they issued a range of recommendations for La République du Cameroun to implement to solve the established problems.
The African Commission’s [water under the bridge by now] Recommendations to LRC:
Abolish all discriminatory practices against people of Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, including equal usage of the English language in business transactions;
Stop the transfer of accused persons from the Anglophone provinces for trial in the Francophone provinces;
Ensure that every person facing criminal charges be tried under the language he/she understands. In the alternative, the Respondent State must ensure that interpreters are employed in Courts to avoid jeopardising the rights of accused persons;
Locate national projects, equitably throughout the country, including Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, in accordance with economic viability as well as regional balance;
Pay compensation to companies in Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, which suffered as a result of discriminatory treatment by banks;
Enter into constructive dialogue with the Complainants, and in particular, SCNC and SCAPO to resolve the constitutional issues, as well as grievances which could threaten national unity; and
Reform the Higher Judicial Council, by ensuring that it is composed of personalities other than the President of the Republic, the Minister for Justice and other members of the Executive Branch.
It goes without saying that La République du Cameroun not only ignored the recommendations but sought to characterise the ruling as a victory over secession even though the complainants had not intended or expected such an outcome from the case.
As “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun” they ignored the “warning signs” of having moved the complainants enough to undertake to bring the case and continued on their ill-fated course to self-destruction.
In a world where trade is easier in English as “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun”, they decided that English should be expunged so that a small group of incompetents could continue to go to Europe for health care.
Maybe it has just been incompetence all these decades. They couldn’t have actively made any of these choices, could they? They would need a base of some competence.
Given that “Le Cameroun c’est le Cameroun”, Ambazonia cannot afford to make any decisions that rely on La République du Cameroun’s competent choice, certainly no dependence or reliance on any action in LRC’s sole hands.
IG President Marianta Njomia addressed Ambazonian citizens and other stakeholders on Friday 19th May 2023, considering many of the current issues and ideas in circulation in the Ambazonian sphere.
She commended the resolve and determination of the Ambazonian Restoration Forces and Civilians on Ground zero, calling for the Diaspora to complement those Ground Zero efforts by making their own sacrifices in finance and other resources.
She acknowledged the efforts of many Diaspora Ambazonian stakeholders in sensitizing and discussing possible negotiation routes toward the resolution of the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle, routes which would carry the merit of saving lives. She urged Ambazonian stakeholders to have as wide a view as possible as she cautioned that every route out of the conflict that involved negotiation or other parties would depend on some action or agreement by LRC or her allies. Thus far, no signs have emerged that LRC would volunteer any such actions and, in fact, LRC’s previous limited and shy movements have all been prompted by the pain of the action that the ARF’s have produced.
This logic left only the one option for how Ambazonians should proceed, regardless of whether they hope for dialogue and negotiations or ground victory, as long as they wanted to achieve an independent state of Ambazonia and that is to “massively empower the ARF’s”.
The President pointed out that dialogue with La République du Cameroun has a big obstacle in the knowledge that La République du Cameroun prefers to talk in a perspective of “Anglophone Crisis” where the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle would be considered and treated as an internal conflict, whereas every Ambazonian group aims for Total and Unconditional Independence for Ambazonia. This obstacle dictates that “Action on the ground” has a more urgent role to play to shift LRC away from such a position. In that case, she asked, “Could the Resources being deployed to convene and run conferences to discuss negotiation strategies be more effective deployed on Ground Zero Empowerment?”
Below is a text of the address:
My dear distinguished Ambazonian brothers and sisters,
Patriots of our God ordained Ambazonian Liberation Struggle,
The Ambazonia Restoration Forces and all Ambazonian Liberation Fighters,
The Interim Government Cabinet, County Chairs and LGA Chairs,
Most reputable international socio-political exponents and institutions,
I greet you all in the name of our Ancestors and the Custodians of the Ambazonian Territory.
Tomorrow will be 20th May 2023.
In Ambazonia there may be a few people attempting to persuade our citizens that they should march in commemoration of “unity” between the “neighbouring” people of the Former UN Trust Territory of French Cameroon and we The people of Former UN Trust Territory of British Southern Cameroons.
Let me resound this once again that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN gained her independence on 1st January 1960 from France and acquired an internationally recognised boundary and territory with the name “La République du Cameroun” and membership of the UN.
For over a year after LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN was established, British Southern Cameroons, now Ambazonia, was negotiating her own independence modalities with various international partners and holding a vibrant and informed debate on the territory. There were views expressed on the nature of the Association with La République du Cameroun including a range from “loose federation” verging on a confederation to “reunification”, though both ends of the spectrum remained based on a federation.
History lead to the Federal Republic of Cameroon in 1961 on the basis of two states of equal status, the equal status being deliberately safeguarded due to the known imbalance in terms of demography and geography of the two states.
A succession of subsequent acts, which have since been established to be illegal, were perpetuated by the East Cameroon dominated government and eventually resulted in La Republic du Cameroun being reasserted in 1984. The rights or wrongs of those acts notwithstanding, the effect was to revive the two pre-plebiscite states. Recall that La République du Cameroun was a recognised UN member with a defined territory and international borders. This revival of La Republique du Cameroun was judged in the Bamenda High Court ruling HCB 28/92 as a secession from the “Union” whose effect was to reassert the sovereignty and territory of British Southern Cameroons, called Ambazonia. The legal inference and written article of the judgement included the conclusion that La Republique was illegally and forcibly occupying Southern Cameroons. To date that rulling and all its conclusions have not been called into question or challenged.
LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s military and administrative presence in Ambazonia has therefore been an illegal INVASION since 1961.
The discussion on this legal background explains why the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle can not be solved unilaterally within La République du Cameroun.
We Thank the all Ambazonian Restoration Forces and fighters, members of civil society and all civilians on ground zero for their resilience over the past seven years and beyond.
My mami and my papa them, I salute wona all. I thank wona for wona perseverance and tie heart for this time wey LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN di burn wona houses them, kill weer pickin them. Wona don show them say Ambazonia na we own country wey we go do weti wey ee correct for we and we pickin them. I di thank all for how wey wona don respect this first day for lockdown this 20th May
As LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN prepare to rub our noses in it again on 20th May we continue to shun and reject this grotesque charade. Dancing on graves has never been more literal!
Our outrage and grief are huge and well known even if we limit our view to the current round of crises.
We, all the Ambazonians need to own the sovereignty that HCB28/92 established in the restoration of our statehood. Yes, we own the right to our existence, inheritance, and destiny; The right to our external self-determination as a people.
While the best peace through justice solution to the Struggle would be a negotiated political settlement with LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, we must be clear that it is no longer possible to address the root causes, never mind solve it unilaterally within LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN. It is understood that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN still hangs on to the hope that the Struggle is an “Anglophone Crisis” and that explains their inconsistent diplomacy in flip-flopping on negotiations and burning bridges on at least the lst two attempts by international partners, viz Switzerland and Canada.
LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN is an external state as per the 1st January 1960 borders and territory and therefore does not dispose of the sovereignty to “grant” a “special status” or “administer” any part of Ambazonia without the consent of us, the people of Ambazonia, who hereby notify the international community and the UN that our consent has been actively withdrawn through our people’s resolute observance of abstention from LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN control through the seven years + of regular Monday ghost towns -“country Sundays” throughout the Ambazonian territory and other spontaneous instances, to withdraw our consent variously for “11th February” and “20th May” celebrations on our streets or anywhere on our territory.
We have further resolved to assert our dignity and sovereignty through our own community schools and education and call on the international community to help our citizens to activate their decolonisation and self-determination by running our own education system to ensure the development of our children and future generations, without the control of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
“To you the people of Ambazonia”
As a peace-loving people we look forward to a future where we are able to co-exists as neighbours in our two distinct sovereign states of Ambazonia and LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, with the acceptance that we do not have to be in the same state be it unitary or federal. We are very confident that our people would overwhelmingly choose to chart our own path if the international community would seek our sovereign voice, the WILL of the Ambazonian people, in a vote, say in a future referendum. We believe that such a vote could save a lot of lives and livelihoods but we have proved that we are not just relying on the legal righteousness of our cause but will keep mobilizing our people to exercise our right to self-defence. We firmly hold the moral high ground.
Our forefathers had good faith and sought to live with a “brother” people. They were not mistaken, as we have established that there was informed debate about how the “Federation” would play out, nor, therefore, were they unaware! It was the “brothers” duplicity that crashed the federation and left the relationship in ruins.
Even so, having learnt from the errors of the past, we propose to take our destiny and future into our own hands with new hope and excitement at forging our own future, drawing the benefits of our own effort and mitigating the pitfalls of our mistakes.
In either case, our growth is our prerogative.
To the diaspora…
It is clear that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN is not seeking to negotiate anytime soon, as it is clear that they would have to first accept us a separate legal state due to their own secession in 1984 as per HCB 28/92. Regardless of our good intentions in seeking a negotiation we must be realistic that a negotiation is very unlikely in the present circumstances as LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN would have to own up and negotiate from a 1960-61 perspective, when we were separate international entities.
We commend the new found urge to hold conferences and we urge our compatriots of fellow stakeholders to have a wider outlook in all their deliberations in these conferences. Better still we should think long and hard about the resources we are deploying to organise and run these multiple conferences with redundant subjects and consider how much more effective they would be if deployed on the ground.
When it comes to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN we all know that their track record means they have nothing to offer our people except marginalisation, corruption, and bleak future with no prospect of socio-economic progression.
We must retain our openness to a sensible peace through justice solution to end the war with a sovereign Ambazonia, but we must be aware that we need a strong position and that this position could be made even stronger and better, but it is not as bad as some would make-believe in the mistaken and futile effort to lure us back to servitude in a corrupt LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN. Our people are the ones who need to live those lives!
Our position is certainly not so bad that we would revert to the erstwhile posture of second-class citizens.
We must commend our effort and resolve in the last 7 years as they have lead to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN tentatively consenting to steps to solve the Struggle through dialogue and negotiation. First they tried the Swiss process even though they were not convinced our cohesion would hold, hoping instead that the talk of dialogue would divert our attention from the ground action and dissipate the momentum of our RF’s and civilians. That did not work out for them as they continued to suffer and feel the pain of our efforts.
They tried terminating the Swiss process, probably after concluding that the effect of it was rather to maintain some level of communication and collaboration among our various groups and show up their [LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s] unreliability as a diplomatic partner.
They then tried one last bid in the Canadian Pre-talks, this time sending actual representatives who only managed to betray their expectation and hope that our cohesion would not hold.
Ironically, we benefitted from a combination of the COHESION of our participating stakeholders in Canada AND the CONSISTENCY of both those participating stakeholders and more distant stakeholders as both continued to make the single and simply point that they were focused on the Total and Unconditional Independence of Ambazonia. The attempted divide and rule had once again only demonstrated the collective, even if separate resolve of our diverse Independentist Groups. Our Ambazonian Liberation Struggle proved itself, once again to be God-ordained!
When LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN gave up again frustration, this time setting fire to diplomatic bridges in public, a wider range of international partners must have realised that their route to solving the conflict and security in the Gulf of Guinea lies in relying on the Ambazonian side. To be fair to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, they have been clear throughout that they preferred any dialogue to be an extension of their infamous “Grand National Dialogue”, or more simply, that the Ambazonia Liberation Struggle should be cast as an internal crisis within LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
In all these aborted attempts it is important to realise we cannot overstate the importance of the resilience and firm resolve of our ARFs and civilians as they continued to hold the fort where it mattered the most. We keep saying 21 gun salute until it sounds cliched but we must take this opportunity to underline, if they did not know it, that they are literally bearing our homeland with their blood and determination. We must find a way to say more than 21 gun salute. Maybe that way is to stop saying and do with our complementary commitment – make our financial commitment more reliable so that we can complement this colossal effort of our RFs and civilians in the face of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN military’s intimidation.
We should now consider why, apart from the option of review of the failed UN decolonisation process of the Southern Cameroons, 3 most significant options through which the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle would end in our favour.
1. LITIGATION: We could win a case in the international court of justice – on the basis of the various and numerous breaches by LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN since our fore-fathers took the leap of faith to throw in their lot with LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
2. REFERENDUM: We could win a referendum – the international community could supervise a referendum, which we are confident we would win. This option would appear to be much-talked about as international partners continue to make up their minds on the evidence of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s behaviour in the diplomatic arena.
3. RESISTANCE non-stop: We could intensify our effort on the ground and compel LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN to admit defeat and withdraw (hence self-decolonisation) or agree to either the LITIGATION or REFERENDUM options.
The resistance option, unlike the litigation and referendum options, depends solely on us and is an indispensable catalyst to the Arbitration and Referendum options
The IG there recognizes all three potential options but reiterates the DUAL strength of the Resistance option, as both a solution option to end the war and an indispensable catalyst for adoption of the other two options – Litigation and Referendum.
The IG will prioritize on RESISTANCE as the most determinant solution option per our FUND-FIGHT-FREE vision rather than over preaching on solution options that might rather delay our journey to Buea or nurse false hopes that the war has come to an end, hence detailing our commitment to be CONSISTRENTLY resourceful towards sustaining the RESISTANCE until external self-determination is attained.
We have a very small extra step to take, but time is of the essence, and we must take it.
It is our duty to empower our RFs and civilians to actualise our dignity and sovereignty by decolonising not only education as they are through Community Education and other sectors but increase our economic independence by abstaining from LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN control in many more ways.
International partners must be clear that we are ready to go for it alone.
Ambazonian Activists gathered in Belgium, resolved to foster collaboration among Ambazonian Independentists in particular and stakeholders in general, all aimed at achieving a swift attainment of independence for Ambazonia. This was done on April 29th 2023 in Aarschot near Brussels. The previous day the Activists had petitioned international partners such as the EU on behalf of Ambazonia.
In an apt demonstration they showed, using a sketch, how communication could help progress the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle and wrest the information war from the grasp of the enemy.
They scored high immediately on the objective of fostering collaboration by not only attracting the attendance of several movements but getting them to share face to face contact, table, food and drink and a dance.
The recent buzz, not to say dernier cri is the feverish preparation of various incarnations of an “All Ambazonian Conference” AAC. It would appear that the confusion that would have arisen from calling such a gathering “AAC” had not initially been apparent to the various “convenors”. The subject of convenors is big in itself, but more later, time permitting.
A little before this became really big and the thing, Ambazonia News discussed the concept of the All Ambazonia bit of the conference, raising questions on who the participants should be and why/how it could impact the conference and the larger Liberation struggle.
On the subject of Collaboration, which would clearly accrue from a conference of this sort, Ambazonia News has always advocated and once sketched the various combinations of collaboration that could foster and expedite the Liberation struggle. These reminders should be borne in mind when the next few questions and analysis/suggestions are considered. We must bear in mind also that nothing is linear in terms of cause and effect maybe apart, almost uniquely from the idea that if the Liberation Struggle loses momentum then LRC does not need to negotiate no matter how well attended and united an All Ambazonian Conference presents.
Ambazonian News Celebrates Collaboration … but
At Ambazonia News, having extolled collaboration, it would be odd to suddenly object. Collaboration will ensure that Ambazonia wins on the ground more quickly regardless of the machinations of international partners. This winning collaboration is in ensuring that all our restoration forces act in a coordinated fashion and back each other up at all times, regardless of what political faction backs them. As per a previous post by Ambazonia News, this collaboration should be through the local autonomy of the forces in realising that their literal survival relies on the support and trust of all their neighbouring restoration forces. They should be able to trust that LRC forces will not cross Ambazonian counties unchallenged to surprise any other Ambazonian county. At the very least there should be no surprises when it comes to the movements and locations of LRC militias in Ambazonia and so no restoration forces should be surprise victims of any LRC ambushes.
At this moment, the movement on organising political conferences needs to have zero influence on the ground collaboration which should always remain on the “life-and-death-trust” level sketched here as in previous posts. Ambazonia News would celebrate and promote any “AAC” which enhances the ground collaboration thus. The danger Ambazonia News would watch for is the “AAC for negotiation”.
This is where many “leaders” are deliberately posturing to be in the limelight for the sole purpose of being at a negotiating table with LRC. At best, this would be a pipe dream as LRC has formally dismissed any intention to attend any negotiations and cannot be made so to do by any international partners no matter how well-meaning. They may apply some sanctions or organise mentoring sessions with some Ambazonian stakeholders but those have no benefit in terms of progress towards Ambazonian Independence even if the flattery is irresistible! Those international partner mentors will melt into the ether if the momentum of the Liberation Struggle dissipates as LRC hopes.
The only good thing that mentoring and facilitation from international partners could/should be that the beneficiaries are so used to the flattery and so enjoy it that they realise why they are getting it … at least in part. This attention and flattery is due to the resilience and persistence of the ground forces, hence the assurance of this new importance status with the international partners relies on maintaining/improving ground success! That should be the virtuous circle. The risk is that the international partners create a sandbox for the Ambazonian political leaders where the latter can “safely” indulge in grandiose posturing while neglecting the ground to LRC’s benefit – ultimately leading to a situation where LRC, having already dismissed negotiations does not feel compelled. Ambazonia News posted previously quoting certain leaders declaring that LRC would be dragged to the negotiation table. Our hope at Ambazonia News is that some of those leaders do not see the sandbox they are in as a start of negotiations – LRC has dismissed negotiations AND the international community does not have the Ambazonian interests at heart and nor should they! What is their interest in Ambazonia? What is the mutuality? And what about the projected and already unfolding chaos in LRC? Wont it benefit Ambazonia? If and only if the there is the level of collaboration between the RF sketched above -and more! BUW have already been calling for other county RF to “draw” some of the LRC fire much along the lines of the collaboration sketched here!
The convenors who are they?
The Convenors should be the main players and beneficiaries of the Conference. They should be the people of Ambazonia exactly like it should have been the people of The Former UN Trust Territory of British Southern Cameroons who voted in 1961, having decided whether independence was or was not for them at the time. Just like then, a litany of mentors does not know better and while they can be mentors they cannot decide the time or timing, the agenda, the attendance or composition of the “All Ambazonian Conference”. The mentors’ mentoring should only be mentoring and no nudges or pressure to promote any timetable or agenda which could act against Ambazonian interests. The people of Ambazonia should. By definition Ambazonians are independentists. Independentists entities should represent the people who have, over the last seven years chosen independence by voluntarily abstaining from LRC activities, abstained from voting in LRC, started their community education to help them break LRC colonialism.
In conclusion collaboration in political circles can only benefit Ambazonian Independence if it leads to more collaboration among RFs on the ground leading to more victories on the ground. This first outcome would be the logical genesis of a strong negotiating position which need not actually rely on LRC’s choice to attend or not attend. In this scenario the AAC – or whatever they turn out to be called – bring together a coalition of independentists, who while ironing out political differences, still prioritise the Liberation struggle outside any sandbox. Over to our “Leaders” now to judge for themselves whether they are in a sandbox and what they will achieve from a “conference”.
The Most High God remains the Watchman of Ambazonia despite our mistakes. Let us choose the right collaboration. Ground Zero is not a sandbox
The IG has reiterated her engagement in the Canadian Mediation process outlined in the Global Affairs Canada announcement.
In a letter to the Hon Melanie Joly, the Minister in charge of GAC, the IG points out the outstanding conditions needed for Canada to meet the threshold for a fair and transparent mediation process. It is worth recalling that the IG had addressed a similar caution to the GAC officials during the pre-talks when when some of the practices left the pre-talks open to opaque participants and truncated preparation time for some of the Ambazonian stakeholders.
In the new correspondence, the IG flags the phraseology of “NW and SW regions of Cameroon” and perception created that the mediation, though clearly external, could be mistaken for internal.
Since Canada announced the agreement to talk for “peace in the NW and SW regions of Cameroon” reactions have emerged from many quarters.
Many Ambazonian stakeholders have voiced objections to the phraseology of Canada’s announcement, though other Canadian communications do speak of “talks between The former United Nations Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons and The Republic of Cameroon”. This latter comes, notably in tweets from the Canadian Diplomatic Mission in Cameroun.
A cross section of Ambazonian comments insist that the language in the Canadian communique is “diplomatic” and is the “best Amabzonia” will get until she regains her sovereignty. No explanation of how that sovereignty will be gained if the talks are framed as talks to settle a crisis in “the NW and SW regions of Cameroon”. This must be a faith that the kind international community, despite turning a blind eye to more intense and overt genocidal acts in Ambazonia for six years, is going to go in to bat for Ambazonian independence! Why? What is the new motivation? What of the La Republique du Cameroun Secession in 1984 which reset the boundaries to LRC (1960) and United Nations Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons – and does afford Ambazonia “state-status bar the exercise”? HCB28-92 outlines how this came about and was enshrined in the Bamenda High Court Ruling!
For their part La Republique du Cameroun has issued a statement through their Communication Minister, Sadi, denying any agreement to confer neither “facilitator nor mediator status to any country”. In the communique he references the internal National Dialogue of La Republique du Cameroun as the start of a solution … “which they have been busily implementing”. The language of Canada’s Communique does matter, but this outing from Sadi underlines the paradox of “NW and SW regions of Cameroon”, at first sight alluding to an internal self-determination; with a third-party mediator. At the very least, Ambazonian stakeholders need to regroup and avoid speeding into what would appear as half-a-loaf, but could be poisoned! In any case it was always going to be beneficial for the Ambazonian side to consolidate their position internally before embarking on any talks. This is particularly urgent as, while “officially” rubbishing the prospect of talks in Sadi’s communique, La Republique has wasted no time marshalling their propaganda effort to attempt to kill the momentum of the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle. Many “News papers” have “welcomed” the “agreement to talk” and already attributed calls to some of the Ambazonian stakeholders for the Restoration Forces to cease! The sooner Ambazonian Leaders wake up to this ploy, the better! Even if they don’t manage to come to an agree position, they must maintain the pressure on the ground.
Ambazonian Leaders need to keep channels open to avoid the confusion that La Republique will continue to seek to create and exploit. As it is it is clear that La Republique factions have different goals and ambitions and even at their most stable, they have proven time and again that their word cannot be relied on. The international community will be happy to say “never again” again after the fact – not because they are picking on Ambazonia, but because that is their method! We must “shine out eyes” and maintain our efforts.
Any Ambzonian leader thrusting their head out to be patted by the kind international community does so at their own peril if they do not first have their backs covered by “the Ambazonian Position”.
The Most High God has watched over us so many times. Let us not falter!
IG President Iya Marianta is set to address Ambazonians on the eve of the new year 2023.
After an eventful tenure characterized by “actions speaking louder than words” she may want to remind the people to stay resolute as the job is not yet done.
With the ongoing speculation about Canada pre-pre-talks Ambazonia News understands from sources that she could seek to clarify the IG’s position. She has consistently been of the view that Ambazonian Independence is unconditional and not up for negotiation.
She may also wish to highlight some of the outreaches the IG has carried out with the aim of empowering our civilians in both the refugee camps and the ground. One of the keys to Ambazonian future prosperity lies in the freedom of choice that education and self-sufficiency can engender. The resulting dignity and confidence will help Ambazonia to shed our choking victim mantle and strike out on a bright exciting future.
For over six years We the Ambazonia have marked our dignity with the simple act of abstention on Mondays. By this act, we have silently declared our independence from La Republique du Cameroun and her agents – sparing ourselves the gauntlet of extortion and intimidation by La Republique du Cameroun’s militias.
The effect of this routine act has started to open the eyes not only of LRC, but more of our people to become more aware of our history and rights.
Who should declare a pause to Contri Sundays?
We the Ambazonians have ignored all LRC ploys which surface every December preaching the merits of “normalcy”.
We the Ambazonians have ignored the hypocritical “peace” being preached while their militias still occupy our streets and fire on school children.
We the Ambazonians who live the experience of the La Republique du Cameroun occupation will see for ourselves when we are free of that occupation. We will decide and that will not be because any one sends us leaflets! When we are free we will not need leaflets to tell us!
We all remain resolute on our aim – the total and unconditional independence of Ambazonia.
Our independence and dignity are not in the gift of our neighbours LRC.
On May 18th 1992 the High Court of Bamenda the North West Province heard a curious case, that of the state of the Southern Cameroons alias Republic of Ambazonia, its Head of State His Excellency Fongum Gorji Dinka and The State of La Republique du Cameroun and its Head of State His Excellency Paul Biya.
The motion to show cause and the subsequent orders sought were not contested by La Republique of Cameroun and against all predictions the court handed down judgement in suit No HCB/28/92 in favour of the Republic of Ambazonia.
The High Court of Mezam holden at Bamenda BETWEEN:
Plaintiffs
1. The State of Southern Cameroons, alias the Republic of Ambazonia.
2. His Royal Excellency Fongum Gorji-Dinka
3. Blaise Berinyuy AND
Defendants
1. The State of La Republique du Cameroun
2. His Excellency Paul Biya.
Very Brief summary:
On 1/1/60 the French Trust territory gained independence, for the sake of argument, and became La Republique du Cameroun with established and internationally recognized borders.
Until the British Trust Territories of Southern and Northern Cameroons gained their independence in October 1961, negotiations between leaders of those territories and the UN, GB, LRC produced various undertakings and promises which lead to the mistaken plebiscite where voters chose “Reunification” in Southern Cameroons and “Integration” in Northern Cameroons. Analysis shows that Southern Cameroonians voted for “reunification” in the mistaken belief they were joining a loose federation – certainly not a unitary state. Northern Cameroonians choice of “integration” meant throwing in their lot with the Nigerian Federation.
As Southern Cameroons [mis]understood they were joining a loose federation of equal independent states, their border was similarly established to the prior borders of LRC nearly two years earlier. The implicit establishment of these borders was not by design but just by the norms, and would not matter for a long time while Southern Cameroons, known then as West Cameroon to LRC’s East Cameroon remained in the Federation or union.
It is fair to say the federation turned out not be loose, as Southern Cameroonians had intended when voting in the plebiscite, but was taken further towards a unitary state than they would have accepted. There was dissention to the advent of the unitary state but …
When Mr Biya took over, contrary to the provisions of the United Republic’s “constitution” the union was still in place and still as illegal and there were individual dissenters who had no platform to voice their dissent. The more vocal dissenters ended up in prison and that could have been that until …
Mr Biya sought to deepen the unitary state by removing the paradox of the word “united”. Well a “united” Republic is “united” by virtue of being united, not by being called “united”, so he decided to outdo his predecessor in the “progress” towards “reunification” by renaming the URC to just La Republique du Cameroun by promulgating law 84/001 of 4/2/84. It could be debated whether being called “united” is more of a paradox than decreeing implied unity.
Whether intentionally or otherwise the effect of this act was to restore La Republique of 1960, complete with its borders at independence, which had transitioned through being called East Cameroon in the federation of equal states to subsuming itself in the United Republic of Cameroon. This was a secession by any other name and the effect of it was that Southern Cameroons had been similarly restored – and not being the secessionist either!
The implication of the restoration law was that La Republique du Cameroun’s presence in Southern Cameroons was illegal.
The long-awaited Ambazonian Curriculum has been delivered to the first few Community schools.
The exercise marks a decisive turning point in the Collaboration needed to actualize the decolonization of Ambazonia and proceed to freedom and dignity for the next generation of Ambazonians.
Henceforth qualification gained in Ambazonia will be valuable and capable of opening doors for our children. Ambazonian parents can be assured that their children’s qualifications will be internationally recognized and accepted. They will no longer have to embark on “English-Language” foundations courses before they gain access to higher education foreign lands.
We the Ambazonians will do for ourselves together.
Ambazonia News invites all our well-wishers who wish to improve the future of our children, many of whom are in refugee camps to visit www.unmak-arf.org make a donation for our humanitarian efforts to raise their spirits and remind them that they are not alone. They could receive a reading book and the impulse to start their liberation by reading.
Ambazonia News Briefs 
