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.
To talk about federalists is to validate them when they have no existence in logic! However, due to the “Canada Process” also known as “Pre-Pre-talks” there is once more an illusory platform for “federalist” proponents. The paradox of the federalists persists against all odds even though La Republique du Cameroun has deployed intimidation tactics in the form of “convocations” to quash all usage of the term – and that was mainly against the “federalists” themselves – not even against Ambazonians. No! Ambazonians had a worse fate reserved for them – summary extrajudicial executions, callously trumpeted as “neutralisation” in their propaganda. They have even been known to issue official communiques – for La Republique du Cameroun loves a communique – outlining how they “neutralised” several unarmed youths suspected of being separatists. Suspicion seems enough to seal a youth’s fate in Ambazonia! That was earlier.
These days, after our whole scale resistance and demonstrated resilience, they are resorting to all forms of time-wasting, with the forlorn hope that our resolve would wane. Our resolve is not waning! Our people have endured deliberate psychological attacks in the form of disinformation and manipulation. Some have hesitated for a while but they are all still basically convinced of the righteousness of our cause and the complete “does-not-go-ness” of any idea that “One Cameroun” might ever again include Ambazonia! Not even in a de facto union! Especially not in a de facto union! Not in any union! It is One Solution – Independence for Ambazonia!
One Ambazonian sage once predicted that when La Republique Cameroun woke up and tried to negotiate for federation with Ambazonia that it would be too late. It has been too late for 5 years! Having our streets blocked by militias so foreign that they could “mistakenly” fire live rounds into school traffic tells even the deafest non-listener and shows even the blindest non-looker that Ambazonia into La Republique du Cameroun does not go! That is why no intimidation can turn our citizens! We have to be thankful to La Republique du Cameroun for proving to our people over these last six years that La Republique du Cameroun behind their thugs is a hollow vacuum of nothingness and that their main power over Ambazonia was solely Ambazonians willingness to put up and continue to hope for “better” eventually. Eventually has been and gone and LRC has proved that only worse is to come if we the Ambazonians persist in that willingness to give one more chance! More than that, they have proved that Ambazonians can take their destiny and dignity in their own hands.
So why are there still people who dare show their faces and talk about federalism? It is down to Ambazonian liberalism! We like a debate like no other people! That comes from the days when our competing parties in the fifties and early sixties used to travel together to election rallies and debate and make their separate speeches and then go back together sometimes sharing a drink. Nevertheless, the federalists are mistaken…
They [federalists] are hanging in mid-air because La Republique Cameroon is not debating federalism and unlikely to be anytime soon. In this situation the federalist trying to offer “nothing” to a people who have been living through the “proof” that any association with La Republique is fatal and who have seen La Republique du Cameroun’s arguments against federalism! In Ambazonia News’ view this is the most pointless “argument” since the Athenians first described democracy!
La Republique du Cameroun is a paradox in burning villages, killing school children, “neutralising suspected separatists” and propagating “one Cameroun” given that their dictator decreed a secession of La Republique du Cameroun from the still-tenuous United Republic of Cameroon. Everyone knows that! They know it! They have it on record in their courts that that decree was Ambazonian Restoration. In 2017 La Republique briefly considered rowing back by trying to phase in the “United Republic of Cameroon” name. It is likely their mentors counselled against that and instead mistakenly promoted the idea that even their corrupt system was capable of defeating grand-mothers with peace plants! What ever the reasoning, they decided they could win! One possible reason is that they knew that even the “United Republic” was not a union – except by being a de facto union – and could not be sustained in any negotiation or court.
When a “nation” decides to resort to “war” or force, they are suspending “international law” righteousness even if they had any. So the federalists debating nice academic points about Ambazonia’s legal ground are wide off the mark! When La Republique du Cameroun is defeated and finally have to leave, no international partners are going to weigh up the spurious legal arguments that were so cleverly outlined by the fence-sitters! That also means that we the Ambazonians know that we have to win on the ground – and on that point we have to be thankful to the federalists legalists.
The nice international community knows it but persists in waiting with patience for La Republique du Cameroun to kill enough of us so that they can express outrage with “never-again” before resuming their cosy dealings with La Republique du Cameroun. That is just the way of things so Ambazonians need to beware and continue the fight. That goes without saying as La Republique continues forays into our country!
The time is coming when it will have to be decided. Being born Ambazonian does not compel anyone to be Ambazonian – nor to have our precious and rare citizenship foisted on them! People who consider themselves citizens of La Republique should not be waiting on the fence for our citizens to be killed so that they can negotiate a better La Republique status for themselves. We just eventually have to accept that such a dichotomy exists.
The opacity of the Canada Pre-Pre talks would appear to be conveying the feeling that “Ambazonians” alone are the ones wrestling with the shadow non-argument of federation. What is La Republique looking for apart from the usual playing for time? What is the international community’s stake in this? A stable democratic, accountable, successful and prosperous Ambazonia is a better security ally in the Gulf of Guinea. We insist on our dignity. In this setup Ambazonia is certainly not the supplicant! The conflict is so “one-solution” that it hardly bears the bother of speculating on what they are “negotiating”. While waiting we must all be aware that the one solution depends on our actualising our independence with no regard for what French Cameroun decide to do.
In every Liberation Struggle there is a vital core of committed individuals. Ambazonia’s Liberation Struggle is no exception. As in every one of the previous struggles the momentum of our march toward dignity and freedom is maintained by the few.
The few have absolute faith and belief – nobody needs to nag them and they ignore all of La Republique’s various propaganda and psychological efforts even when they think they are isolated.
The few know it is a long hard road they travel and that does not deter them. They are realistic when assessing inevitable temporary setbacks and finding ways to do better in the next phase of the road.
The few trust in the rest of the other of the few and count on their picking up the baton when called upon. They know that this is their turn to carry the baton and continue put their all in it, trusting in the righteousness of their course and the continuous grace and protection of “The Watch Man” of our Nation.
The few have daily methods of continuing to maintain their commitment and belief, finding their own ways to keep their dignity and honour their homeland.
The few are modest and honour the first among the few, who were very few indeed at a given time, but maintained Ambazonians soul in their hearts, waiting patiently for few more few to join their ranks.
In the last few years the few have grown less few but the true few still stand out by the language they speak…
They never say “the government” when referring to La Republique du Cameroun …
Or “the army”, nor “the military”, when referring to La Republique’s rabble of occupying militias …
but sing their Anthem even when acknowledging they are shy singers … or claiming that they don’t have good singing voices. Ambazonia News says that no voice can sing Ambazonia’s Anthem badly! for that Anthem regulates the singer’s voice. In any case, and not that they need to be told, for they know. They are of the few and their contribution is not a singing voice … though any singing voice is a start and blessed among the many and treasured among the few.
The few have more qualities than these listed here. They will continue doing what they are doing and encouraging others to join in and enjoy still-unheralded membership of their exalted ranks.
Are you one of the few? The few never say they are of the few. They just remain the few, doing what few do and trusting in their duty and righteousness and the protection of The Watchman … If you know you are of the few, accept our implicit duffed hat and continue being. If you are aspiring, like so many, trust in the righteousness of our course and open your eyes to the the truth that only the Most High God, The Watchman of Our Nation could have contrived the sequence of events that would kick-start our Restoration and then sustained it in the face of the worst efforts of our detractors.
The unmask platform is a resource for Ambazonians to start to take our story to third parties. It has been said that Genocide in Amazonia is “the most neglected crisis” on the planet. We have to grudgingly acknowledge that La Republique du Cameroun has managed to marshal her diplomatic capital to minimise the light on her criminal and genocidal war in Ambazonia. Even so we the Ambazonians have to be relatively satisfied with our tenacity given we started from a bank of no diplomatic capital.
What we need to do next, those of us in the diaspora, is to renew our efforts to take this to the constituents of those who have sought to look the other way while La Republique du Cameroun has been burning homes, killing children on their way to school and proudly publishing tales of how their valiant army killed youths in Southern Cameroons just because they were “suspected separatists”. Our neighbours can help us to question and get a change in attitude from those International Partners who have been looking away and waiting.
We must also let them know that our people on the ground have moved on and now enjoy the freedom and dignity of being Ambazonian. Looking away is no longer an option and they must all remember saying “never again” only a quarter of a century ago. Our supporting evidence is the proliferation of Community Schools where our people have voted with their feet to invest in their childrens’ futures separate from La Republique du Cameroun – waiting and looking away are no longer a viable options as a free people are not gong to return to servitude and second-class citizenship.
The IG has continued developing the Building Bridges protocol. The latest iteration and refinement seeks to address the vital issue of collaboration between the diaspora and the Ambazonia Restoration Forces on the ground.
The vision is crystalized in the two words Complementary Commitment. The Diaspora should commit to provide the resources needed for the Liberation and complement ARFs and civilians.
This weekend marks the 61st anniversary of independence of Southern Cameroons. Logic and international interests and schemes dictate that most Ambazonians of today should not have had any idea of the history or statehood of the then British Southern Cameroons. So why and how did Southern Cameroons survive the designs of the colonial powers? How did Ambazonia survive the annexation and attempted assimilation by French Cameroon? How has Ambazonia survived the clever ruse of “It is not so bad, everyone suffers! We better keep our precious peace! We live in a haven for peace!”? How has the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle survived the might and diplomatic capital of La Republique du Cameroun; and the sheer effort of LRC’s corruption machine to “persuade” Ambazonians that they are better off as “second-class-half-brothers” in La Republique du Cameroun? Of late there have been “more sincere” promises that the Ring Road and other infrastructure would be built after all this time. What about the tantalising prospect of the Limbe Deep Sea Port and even Tiko Airport? Even the “Special Status”?
Before all of these considerations, 95%, at least, of Ambazonians had no idea they were bona fide citizens of an internationally legal independent nation!
La Republique du Cameroun Miscalculates?
All common sense would have concluded that Ambazonia would be a vague memory. How did LRC miss the equivalent of a football tap-in from 2 yards out, in the middle of the goal posts, with the keeper having dived past in the wrong direction? There is only one real plausible explanation to the whole litany of traps and pitfalls being safely, even if unknowingly, navigated by Southern Cameroons! It has to be the last line of the Ambazonian Anthem…
Every time La Republique du Cameroun has tried any of the coercive acts they have left it half baked and void of any credibility. When anything “legal” needed to be reinforced, they either failed to notice or just were not really bothered – even when those acts would have tightened their hegemony over Ambazonia!
It is almost as if La Republique du Cameroun deliberately abusing a secret adopted half-brother who would otherwise have been completely unaware and content! A bully cannot help it! If they have an adopted brother, even one who is unaware of their separate roots, their actions will constantly signal as La Republique du Cameroun has all through the 61 years.
Our National Anthem answered
Our national prayer would seem to have been answered at every turn when we were as helpless as the adopted half-brother! It is the belief of Ambazonia News that we should sing or recite our Anthem every morning in gratitude for the Watchfulness of The Most high God. In this chaotic throw of ideas is a non-exhaustive list of instances where relatively minor and insignificant deviations from LRC’s course would have managed to assimilate Ambazonia! Somehow, against all odds…
The Most High God be The Watchman of This Nation!
First Pitfall – LRC gains independence before British Southern Cameroons.
By gaining “independence” on 1/1/1960, LRC froze her international boundaries according to international law! That did not stop the “brother-nation” of Southern Cameroons choosing to “gain her independence by joining LRC”. The “wiser” people duly arranged it and set everything all nice and legal to use “self-determination” to decide it. It worked too and everything was a tap-in! All LRC needed to do was complete the deal by getting the “Founding Fathers” to sign on the dotted line! The problem was that Southern Cameroons turned out to be more democratic than LRC – and ok luckier! Like the over-confident striker in front of goal, LRC did not see the need to waste their time with such silly formalities! So they omitted to get the deal signed and therefore the Southern Cameroons Assembly did not ratify the union treaty, nor did the French Cameroon Assembly, and therefore the union was not a union. Because Southern Cameroons had a proper multi-party parliament there was no chance a single individual could have been “persuaded” to add their signature as an after-thought even if French Cameroon had bothered with the tediousness of legality! It was a de facto annexation, only “surviving” because … well what’s the harm to a tea leaf if the East India Company is “not nice”?
The International community would not upset the cart just to get justice for anyone who didn’t even know they were being wronged! But … The Most High God was the Watchman of that Nation!
Second Pitfall. Unsigned Federation Set Up and then Unilaterally Changed!
It is plausible that the only-de facto “Federal” Republic would have survived and nobody, well, hardly anybody would have been able to persuade the citizens that they were victims of a wrong! But … as the Most High God is the Watchman of that Nation, French Cameroon’s Assembly had passed a constitution which forbade any single party in the “Federation” to change the form of the state without separate approving votes in both states! What are the chances? So when French Cameroon’s leaders decided to hold a referendum and change the form of the state, they were breaking a law they had passed, especially when not bothering to separate the results! The results were celebrated and if they had left it at that … who knows with the victims not being aware they were victims, if the eggheads had left it as a United Republic … No. The Most High God Is the Watchman of the Nation!
Third Pitfall – French Cameroon Decides Integration is Nicer
French Cameroon has omitted to sign the union treaty and broken the rules that were meant to have maintained the union but … even though the victims had no idea they were victims and the international community did not want to “unnecessarily” upset the order it could been “okay” had French Cameroon simply let sleeping dogs lie. But as the most High God is the Watchman of the Nation French Cameroon decided to withdraw from the union by signing what Gorji-Dinka correctly interpreted as the Restoration Law. That Law in 1984 did deemed United Republic of Cameroon not “integrated” enough and renamed it La Republic du Cameroun which was the at-independence name of French Cameroon. That is the name of the would-have-been equal party in the union when Southern Cameroons had voted to gain independence by joining – and that is, if the union treaty had been signed and ratified by both states’ assemblies. That the treaty had not been signed had left only a de facto union which only lasted because the victims had not complained but would collapse if they did at anytime in the future. When Gorji-Dinka raised a stink what happened? LRC arrested and charged him with, of all things secession, and staged a trial where the judge duly agreed with Gorji-Dinka that the “Restoration” Law was in fact a secession from the “union” by LRC and that the accused could not be guilty. Still 90+ % of Southern Cameroons knew little…
La Republic du Cameroun Self-Snookers!
Why didn’t LRC repeal the law? Well, you wouldn’t try to put the tooth paste back in the tube once it is squeezed, would you? Too difficult! The repeal would simply have focused attention on why it was needed – and resulted in the exact opposite of the integration that LRC desired! Somehow this legal truth seemed to remain niche as the majority of the victims continued to be blissfully unware. But The Most High God Remained on Watch as LRC continued to set up pitfalls which Southern Cameroons continued to navigate.
The Final Pitfall?
Now that a mass of Southern Cameroonians has complained and been forced to actively defend that nation, the legalities are available for meaningful exploration. So what is the final pitfall for Southern Cameroons? Gorji-Dinka has the answer! In his complaints at the UN he got the UN to effectively and explicitly state that Ambazonia, the name he proposed for Southern Cameroons, could take her seat when she stopped “being represented” in LRC’s government! It is as simple as that! So when a certain “Senator” was arrested in Ambazonia for treasonously claiming to represent Ambazonia in the La Republic du Cameroun assembly her release was far more significant than the handful of million allegedly paid to her hapless “kidnappers”! They had stumbled on the most important aspect of the Liberation Struggle but, as is the thread of this story, had been completely unaware. Even that could only be because The Most High God is The Watchman of the Nation! It is quite clear that the Most High God is waiting for better political maturity and leadership in Ambazonia before letting her children soar like the stars above! Happy Independence day Ambazonia 2022!
September has been momentous in the Ambazonian Liberation story.
The institutions of the IG have come under scrutiny and been found wanting. The RC failed first to follow the constitution in drawing up election rules, then disregarded even their feeble effort when persisting with the flawed “electoral process”. Credibility was down to zero when the Constituent Assembly finally did the decent thing.
As if that was not enough, the “bombshell” of La Republique du Cameroun withdrawing from the Swiss Process fell! The question to ask was when were they in it? Never mind. They were withdrawing! What had they achieved to gain the confidence to finally thumb their nose at their International Partners in such a public and boastful way? Ambazonia News is keeping ears to the ground and eyes peeled to find out as the story is bound to unfold sure enough in the future.
Having decided against “endorsing by taking part in” the “elections” Marianta is following the wishes expressed in the Constituent Assembly to resume her presidency while relevant institutions are created. It is Ambazonia News’ speculation that her address will be convincing and cover key issues in the Liberation Struggle.
Building Bridges
The Transition IG’s most resonant policy was/is Building Bridges. The president will have to address and expound on it to suggest ways for all the components of the Liberation Struggle to engage and use the ideas.
Community Education
The president has proved to be a listening leader when it comes to views from GZ. The latest development in GZ has been the increasing number of Ambazonians taking their dignity and freedom in hand by running Community Educational Institutions. The President, being an educator and a parent will sympathise with the wishes of Ambazonian parents on GZ to see their children continue to develop and avail themselves of the opportunities that children the world over are afforded. She may offer some reassurances on finding ways to ensure that the communtiy provision can culminate in valid qualifications which do not depend on La Rupublique du Cameroun. That will be difficult but, it needs to be acknowledged that Ambazonian children cannot be allowed to lose out.
The “Election”
Having kept her counsel throughout the vicious “electoral” process, this could be the President’s opportunity, should she feel it is appropriate to start lifting the veil on some of the issues or some of the remedies being sought as the Ambazonian Liberation moves forward.
Action …
What about the action moving forward? After “speeches” September comes October. How are we going to mark our independence day?
What do you want to ask?
Drop a comment or question and, who know… The President might come across it!
Where to watch the address and other IG communications.
On this day in 2017 Ambazonians rose as one, armed with peace plants, to say “Enough is enough!” La Republique du Cameroun laugh in their faces “Vous allez faiire quoi?”
Five years on, La Republique is not laughing and Ambazonia has made notable strides despite many mistakes and stumbles which could be directly attributed to lack of experience and sheer unpreparedness.
If you read this please comment to give your perspective of the progress towards Ambazonian Liberation in the last five years
“The Most High God be the Watchman of This Nation!”, is the prayer our children make every time they sing our beautiful Ambazonian Anthem. It would appear, the Almighty is granting this prayer, for our Liberation is proceeding regardless of the wariness that has crept into many of us. Our people are enjoying and manifesting their dignity more and more openly and with less and less regard for the intimidation and repressive tactics of La Republique Du Cameroun.
Ambazonians shall prevail as a people, together of equal value and status whether they are, individually, enduring the terror of La Republique du Cameroon militias on G0, or enduring the uncertainty of life on G1, or enduring the homesickness of the Diaspora. Ambazonians all need to collaborate and hasten the growth of our collective dignity and freedom. Collaboration is the answer.
The Election Commission of Ambazonia
The Election Commission of Ambazonia, ECA, has acknowledged the weaknesses in the Election Modalities and promised to review same for future elections. This implies the ECA receives the petitions but has deemed the irregularities not to be blocking to the temporary use of the modalities. This is the very strength that we hoped for in the ECA. The Commission must now make sure they can run the process with as few hitches as possible of their own volition. The first task hence is to duly issue the electoral list of all qualifying voters, regardless of how the ECA has deemed them qualifying.
The Restoration Council
The Restoration Council, RC, which did drop the ball on the production of the Modalities, has similarly, by implication stood up to the Executive by not caving. Unlike the ECA, RC has not yet acknowledged its weaknesses and, therefore has not deemed it necessary to self-reflect and improve. This is a weakness indeed as the RC has tended, in this whole episode to be looking down on the very people they represent and ignoring their concerns. The RC allowed itself to be misrepresented by individuals who went on the defensive to accuse all and sundry of sabotage rather than acknowledging the validity the petitions. At present, this writer would place a question mark over the relevance of the RC as a representative body for a young and vibrant Ambazonia.
The Executive
The Executive, in the person of the President has shown the strength in standing up to and highlighting a dangerous ad-hoc attitude from the RC in serious constitutional matters. In this saga Candidate Marianta Njomia was always at a disadvantage as she is acting simultaneously as the Executive and as a Candidate. It is fair to say she has invested more energy in the former role to the detriment of the latter. That can only be interpreted as a demonstration of the patriotic zeal needed to prosecute our Liberation struggle. This writer commends Candidate Marianta Njomia for making the bold decision to selflessly prioritize the right thing over the interest of her campaign for election. The point has been made and the candidate should now rely on the Ambazonian people to take up the responsibility for balancing the tension between the RC and The Presidency. This writer believes that Candidate Marianta Njomia should resume her place as a Candidate and put her program in front of the electorate.
Ambazonia News Briefs 