OPINION: The Path To Establishing Communication Channel Between Cameroon Government And Non-State Arm Groups.

By Tah Javis Mai

Preamble

When this crisis started the majority if not all Anglophones were fully behind the movement especially when it was still at the level of Civil disobedience and peaceful protest. Initial demands of 80% Anglophones were that a two-state federation be given for Anglophones to have a certain level of autonomy on its legal system, educational, Political and above all economical.

 Political in the sense that Anglophones should elect their leaders like Governors, Mayors should have full powers, Government Delegate position should not exist so that Mayors can develop their community, House of chiefs should be put in place and DO, and SDOs should not operate and police officers should be accountable, etc

Yes our problem is genuine and our concerns are real and must be looked into for we are of two equal states and we voted for the union hence, it is our constitutional right to advocate for better living conditions looking at our specificity.

Truth is that the Cameroon Government used force to suppressed the peaceful protest and it migrated into an armed conflict which again at the early phase of the crisis many Anglophone supported and were calling the fighters “Our Boys” reason why civil-military cooperation between Anglophone and the military was difficult despite the fact that the military/Non Sate arm groups  were causing Havoc.

Yes the Government has never shown good faith when the crisis started, which is but normal for this kind of regime and they all began with denial But today things are different and it is only but normal too that we must fight for our autonomy which they too must understand.

We must also understand that there are 4 key reasons why a government will not want to negotiate and we must put ourselves in their shoes, if we were in their shoes we will not want to negotiate especially knowing that their culture does not support freedom of speech. They too must put themselves in our shoes to see why we have to advocate for autonomy.

The Big Question now is how do we get them put themselves in our shoes genuinely and we put ourselves in their shoes too genuinely so that we can strike a balance? The Answer is difficult but simple which is first establishing a line of communications and make it officially known to the Public.

The truth is that the government cannot win the war, and the non-state arm groups can’t win the war and only the common man keeps paying the price, and the government will use all measures to suppress the resistance. And Activists abroad will fight till the end because they are in a safe zone and for now they enjoy the freedom of their host countries. The big question now is will the non-state arm fighters on the ground fight  till the end if government decides to fight on? 70% will not by mid-2020 and I will explain later

Fact We Must Consider Which Are The Realities On The Ground.

1. Separatist groups are divided and fighting against each other on the field killing other  groups that could help them to fight for their common enemy
2. Activists are divided and keep doing negative campaigns on the ground and this is making the masses who used to support the revolution to change their minds and this has truly change Anglophone public opinions
3. Diaspora leaders whom the People trusted during the early stage of the crisis are fighting openly against each other thus the common Anglophone is frustrated and indicating that should they achieve independence the nation will be in more problems than it is now and even people who were trying to sympathize have lost interest.
   
   
4. Persistence decline in Funding’s, it takes huge sums of money to sustain a war like this and fighters must have enough resources to fight a conventional army but you will agree with me that funds are not coming as it used to be before and fighters have resulted in Kidnappings to generate funds thereby reducing their collaboration with the common man who could have supported them. And this has greatly reduced supports.
5. Embezzlement and financial scandals  among leaders: This has greatly discouraged fighters and supporters who used to think that the leaders are there to serve their interest but after the scandal broke out and was true on MTTB lots of sympathizers and fighters gave up and started looking for ways to enrich themselves too; because they think that the leaders are there to feed their pockets
6. The No school effect: The truth is that we are in war yes but 40-50% of the Anglophone population is for the effective resumption of schools even in the war, to them the crisis should continue and their children should be allowed to go to school the day that there is a gun battle they will stay home. The day that there is Ghost Town they will stay home, the day that there is calm they will go to school. But as fighters keep kidnapping students, parents, most active supporters who are for effective resumption are now passive in the revolution. And you see how momentum is dying down.
7. Longevity of the war: Many of those who took up arms took it for different reasons, some because their brothers were killed, others because they don’t have jobs, some because their homes were destroyed, other because they truly want a separate country, others wanted revenge and other because their brothers or family members have been arrested. Now, most of the thoughts that the war was going to be for a short time, that within two years they will easy control territories but that is not the case. And some are frustrated and want to give up and others have given up. Some have been convinced that the major national Dialogue will produce what they want, others have dropped their guns because they are tired.
8. Cameroon Government’s strong financial backing now and change of tactics: The reason why the crisis has been this long and the Non-State armed groups have operated for this long is because the government took an aggressive approach which became counterproductive and has instead radicalized many moderate Anglophones to look for the arms. Now that the government has decided to take the moderately offensive tactics by pumping out huge sums of money plus immunity to fighters if they drop their arms it is greatly affecting the momentum and this strategy is working as many more are dropping their arms and those who have dropped their arms are convincing more to do so. 
9. The government golden bridge: Many of the fighters especially those who joined the conflicted thinking will have a better life are being promised a visa abroad it is a pull factor for many and in the days ahead many more will drop their weapons and we will just have the only pocket of resistance.
10. Role of Elites and prominent Elites: The truth is Elite still have about 30% powers to make fighters in their community to chicken out as the case is in Nkambe, Tiko, Limbe, etc and even if they don’t talk fighters out their presence will help to make many more not to join.
11. The willingness of some fighters to drop their weapons: Some fighters are very much willing not to fight due to the inadequate medical and logistical equipment’s for their personal wellbeing and seeing that those who dropped their arms are not arrested or killed they too are dropping theirs and providing supports to Cameroon government.
12. Others.

Looking at the above reasons as a Negotiator who too have been affected by this crisis (Two of my brothers killed by soldiers, my family home burnt down, my brother wife killed) I will say that there is a need to establish communication line or channels for effective negotiation between activists, ring leaders of this conflict and the Government of Cameroon.

If this is not established anytime soon, the truth is that the government will break the circle of diaspora control work with ground fighters to bring peace and the Diasporas, Amba ring leaders will miss their chances of amnesty and hope to return home any time soon.

The truth is, reaching out to establish a good communication back door channel with the government will show that the activists and ring leaders are professionals and have good faith to see into it that the interest of Anglophones is protected.

Yes there  can always disagree with themselves, they will argue, fight, insult, and may even attempt to abandon the talks, I just want both parties  to know that is normal during negation when that happens

They should keep looking at the price which is the price of peace, the price to see that the interest of Anglophones is protected, the interest to see that your key demands if not all are taken into consideration.

The Diaspora activists and ring leaders, fighters must understand that their efforts have paid off and it has greatly helped in reforming Cameroon. And Cameroon will never be the same again thanks to the fact that you people decided to stand up at a time that it matters most, at a time when our fathers could not stand,  yet they stood up and face the battle whose sounds were too difficult to be understood

Facts We Cannot Denial And Those Who Want Peace Must Understand

1. If today the government is talking of granting autonomy to Anglophones looking at the “Special Status” it is because of the heavy resistance put in place by the baned Anglophone civil society consortium and now the various factions still existing
2. If today there is the creation of bilingualism and multiculturalism is because you people fought
3. If today we are talking about Anglophones becoming directors and top ministers it is because you people fought harder
4. If today we are talking about restructuring the educational and judicial landscape it is because you guys fought
5. If today the head of state come out to acknowledge that they wanted to assimilate the Anglophones but could not succeed it is because you guys fought harder and prevented it from happening
6. If today we hear of recommendations at MND that the two stars or the name should be changed to the United Republic of Cameroon it is because you guys fought and push back the domination and assimilation. The courage your guys exhibited the strength you guys showed and the tenacity you guys brought
7. If today the name southern Cameroons or Ambazonia is no longer a Taboo name it is because you guys held the lion where it matters most and the lion could not claim total victor of the match. You people are the Heroes of the Anglophones and we must as a people accept that your fight worth it and actually changed things.
8. Everywhere we hear how our French brothers accepting openly that Anglophones were a state that joined them on equal terms and should be given their place in this union it is because you guys fought harder
9. The Limbe deep seaport, other sectors are now priority areas that had long been neglected and would not have been a priority even in the next 50 years if you guys had not fought. Thanks again for the fight it worth it.
10. The removal of Government delegates and some position is an achievement of your fight and appointments of Anglophone DO and SDO which we have today in our regions is due to your fight.
11.  

 Again I must say that we have advocated harder and we have paid the price through the advocacy is still continuing

These are the immediate problems that need to be solved

1) Ghost Town Wahala

2) Lawyers should be given access to see their clients arrested in connection with the crisis this will build trust

3) Effective Resumption of Schools

4) Burning of villages and schools by those you know

5) Military men found committing a crime should be judged in an open court for the people to see and build their confidence

6) Ceasefire

7) Stop Kidnappings

8) Harassment of drivers by men in uniform especially Muea road that usually has 4 Control post from Mile 17 to Muea and they collect their usual dues

Sad Reality to Change the Phase of Anglophones Crisis from Confrontation to cooperation!!

Yes we must look at the interest of the people first before looking at the position of the state in that interest

Laws are made for the living to respect and to meet their aspirations and not made for the dead

In resolving a conflict we must as a people understand that we cannot continue to count our loss when we want peace because it will instead push for more revenge than looking at a way to resolve it

One of the fastest and best ways to guarantee no progress in resolving a conflict like this one is denial

Denial Those The Following

1) It makes you focus more on your position than the interest of the people

2) It makes you not to listen to people who have a solution to give you

3) It makes you believe listen only to people who share your vision o  the basis of their interests

Our leaders or opinion leaders must understand that the people want to see an end to the following

1) Appointments of DO, SDO, and Governors

2) Our people want to elect their regional government and want that they should be accountable to them

3) Our people want to see an end to security brutality, intimidation, exploitation,  burning of villages and killings of unarmed civilians

4) Our people want that those arrested should have access to their lawyers and uniform officers found guilty should be charged

5) our people want ghost town to stop and amba boys should stop kidnapping and killing unarmed civilians

6) Our people want to see that the word Anglophone Region is used not South West and North West Region better still West Cameroon

7) Our people want to see that English and French is used effectively

8) our people want to see that laws are respected beginning with freedom of speech,  demonstration

9) our people want to see that our legal and educational systems are autonomous

10) Our people want rotation of the presidency

11) our people want that the flag changes with two-star and name readjusted to the United Republic of Cameroon to indicate that two-state came together not one

12) Our people want to see that amnesty is granted for all arrested in connection with the anglophone crisis including soldiers who are in jail because of this crisis.

And to fully achieve this a confederation is needed

Tah Javis

Journalist/Negotiator

tahjavis@yahoo.com

Yes we know we are at war

Yes we know we must fight till the end

Yes we know we are two different countries

Yes we know we must get autonomy

Yes we know we can’t win the war

Yes we know the government can’t win the war