South West Elites Urge Gov’t To Increase Troops, “Strangers” To Lay Down Arms

By NFOR Hanson NCHANJI

BUEA, Cameroon-Sunday August 26, 2018-9:36 AM Local Time (Cameroon News Agency) Some Elites of the South West region, majority from CPDM, have called on the government to increase the number of troops fighting in the region. The request according to them is to secure the socio-economic and political life of the region, current ling experiencing dwindling fortunes, CNA has gathered.

This call was made at the Buea Mountain hotel conference room Saturday during the South West forum, held on the theme, “The South West Region, Facing Our Challenges Together.”

During the meeting held in camera, the Elites said there have been remarkable progress in the region in domains like, infrastructure such as; road construction, stadia, hotels, hospitals among others.

They also said a lot has been done in improving standards and numbers in secondary and tertiary institutions.

They however lamented that these progress has witness setbacks in the past two years  as results of the Anglophone crisis because …There have been burning of educational and health structures through violence, prevention of students and teachers from attending classes, frustration of construction works, disruption of activities of Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, Pamol plantations, killing, maiming, abductions of chiefs, businessmen and women, civil servants, security men, desecration of shrines, burning and looting of chief palaces by armed men who are hiding in bushes and causing terror.

As a result of these happenings, the South West Elites resolved that;

• Called on sons and daughters of the region to realize harm inflicted on their fathers and mothers and stop all activities that will disturb the peace of the region.
• Called on all those fighting to lay down arms, leave bushes and forest and regain their homes and live as South Westerners.
• Called on all those not from South West to desist from using the region as area of wicked acts (battle ground), to lay down arms and live peacefully with the people of the region.
• Called on the Population of South West to send children back to school and not to heed to fear.
• Called on the people to constitute vigilante groups supported by State and say no to bully of misguided terrorists.
• Say no to impoverishment of region and protect economic institutions under supervision of the State.
• Exhort those in Diaspora to transcend passion and allow reason to prevail.

At the end of the meeting, the Elites said at no time did they ever ask for Federalism nor Secession. They maintained that Cameroon remains one, indivisible and decentralize Cameroon.

They also urged the government to increase the number of forces in the region to maintain peace.

This forum, almost a replica of the August 23, 1993 meeting held between South West Chiefs and Elites, did not condemn killings and atrocities committed by the military but ironically called on more troops into the region.

The tone of the final decision speaks volume;

1. All those perpetrating violence are not from the South West.
2. All the killings have been done by Ambazonia fighters
3. Strangers, though they did not want to use “Cam No Go” and or “Graffi”, are the ones retarding the development of the region.
4. They are a separate region and have nothing to do with North West region(though not mentioned)
5. Despite the crisis and the ills of the government, they are happy and that Federalism cannot be compared with the most cherished decentralization, talk less of secession.