Analysis: Here’s why Cameroonians should celebrate PM Yang’s Presidency of the UNGA (Or maybe not)
By Hansel Ngala
Let me start this article by making two disclaimers. This article is not an attempt to bash former Prime Minister Philemon Yang either as a person or as a diplomat. It is neither an attempt to discredit his contributions to statehood in Cameroon, but rather an objective critique of what Cameroonians (particularly Anglophone Cameroonians, since His Excellency Yang is part of this group too) – can expect from his ascent to one of the top positions within the United Nations.
That said, His Excellency’s election on June 6th at the United Nations headquarters in New York has raised the hopes of many Anglophone Cameroonians who continue to pay the high price for a war that they didn’t ask for. For nearly 8 years now, Anglophone regions in the country have continued to see havoc after havoc, wreaked upon them by both soldiers and separatist fighters. Beheadings, bomb blasts, kidnappings, arson and outright theft and even cases of various forms of abuse on civilians – perpetrated by both sides, have been reported in both the news and by rights organizations.
In December 2016, Philemon Yang had been Prime Minister of Cameroon for seven years and came in his capacity as premier (and perhaps as a son of the soil), to try and resolve the crisis which had been simmering for months prior. The planned meeting at Commercial Avenue in Bamenda ended badly when Mr. Yang’s speech seemed to ring hollow to youths who pelted the premiere away as they felt that he came more as a CPDM person (with CPDM uniforms), than as premiere for all Cameroonians. Shots rang out and about 4 young people were killed.
Part of a statement issued by Amnesty International at the time read: “Authorities in Cameroon must investigate the use of excessive and unnecessary force that led to the deaths of between two and four people during a protest in the north western city of Bamenda yesterday, Amnesty International said today”. The statement added that “Eye witnesses recounted that security forces fired live rounds and teargas in reaction to people throwing stones, describing how they saw the bodies of two men who had been shot dead. Media reports quoting police sources have reported that at least four people were killed.
Security forces were also seen launching teargas into an area apparently unrelated to the protests, as well as firing live ammunition in the air.”
These events were the beginning of disappoint with the beloved Prime Minister who was much respected for his astute leadership. Mr. Yang was regarded highly (at least within the Anglophone community) before the tragic events of 8 December 2016.
He never made any comments regarding the deaths of those youths but his convoy took him out of town with tensions rising. The following year, the crisis continued to escalate with the internet getting shut down by the central government in Yaounde for 3 months in the early part of 2017. People mumbled angrily in silence and the National Communication Council warned the press that journalists commenting on the crisis would be jailed – censorship that only served to anger Cameroonians more and led to mis- and disinformation. In this vacuum with no information, rumors spread like wild fire.
It is with this background information that we must look at the ascension of Mr. Yang to the helm of the United Nations General Assembly. It would be unrealistic to think that PM Yang who during his time as Prime Minister was unable to solve the Anglophone Crisis, would do so now at the United Nations, a collection of governments who simply support one another.
The events of December 2016 when he came to the Commercial Avenue in Bamenda, demonstrate that his loyalty is first to his political party the CPDM, before it is to ordinary Cameroonians. There is nothing Anglophone Cameroonians can expect from him as he will likely not table the Anglophone problem for debate at the Assembly even though he moderates debates. While Anglophone Cameroonians celebrate his victory at the UN (as they rightly should), there is unfortunately nothing Yang can do for them. He could do something but he likely won’t , because of the political restraints from the government he is a part of.
It is not lost on Cameroonians that in September 2017 when President Paul Biya addressed the same UN General Assembly which Mr. Yang is now going to preside over as from September this year, Mr. Biya failed to acknowledge the then 1-year-old conflict in Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Rather, he spent time decrying the “ongoing forest degradation in Central Africa” and saying “Let us save the Congo Basin, the earth’s second lung” and went on to add that “Secondly, the desertification of Lake Chad, which is drying up. This vast body of water, which is essential for the survival of communities and biodiversity, has already lost 90% of its initial surface. Let us save Lake Chad”.
While Anglophone Cameroonians listed to Biya’s speech with rapt attention, he deliberately chose to ignore their pain and spent a good part of his speech condemning conflicts in other countries and not looking at the one in his own house!
The President of Cameroon appoints the Prime Minister and therefore the Prime Minister is in many ways, answerable to the President and cannot take certain measures without the clear approval of his appointee. The case of tabling the Cameroon Anglophone Problem at the General Assembly of the UN therefore seems far-fetched, if not outright impossible.
While we celebrate, congratulate and wish His Excellency Philemon Yang the very best, we know that his hands are “tied”. We don’t blame him.
On Friday 27 October 2017, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Cameroon and while the public expected to hear some condemnation of the government’s handling of the crisis in Anglophone regions at the time, Mr. Guterres and President Biya instead exchanged gifts at the Unity Palace and nothing concrete came out of those discussions.
With all these stark realities facing Anglophones, they should not expect any solution from the former Prime Minister. It could happen that another country decides to table the case of Cameroon at the Assembly much the same way that South Africa tabled Palestine’s case at the International Court of Justice – a UN body, in January this year. Until then, we wish His Excellency Philemon Yang godspeed and wisdom in his new assignment at the United Nations.
