Yaounde should embrace political solution, Canada-led talks to end Anglophone Conflict – Int’l Crisis Group

By Hans Ngala

The International Crisis Group has warned Cameroonian authorities that in order to end the nearly 7-year-old Anglophone Conflict, Yaounde must be willing to discuss a political solution.

The international thinktank in a statement dated February 9, 2023 and which CNA has seen, equally added that government must show a readiness to be part of talks led by Canada.
“Yaoundé’s brusque dismissal of Canada’s initiative leaves talks in limbo and risks perpetuating, or even escalating, the conflict” the Group’s statement read in part, adding that “Yaoundé has thus far been reluctant to consider a political settlement with the separatists.

Previous peace initiatives have foundered. In January 2017, the government suspended negotiations with Anglophone civil society leaders in the city of Bamenda, in the North West region, before arresting them, triggering widespread Anglophone calls for the two regions’ secession”.
The statement further notes that “Committing to the Canada-facilitated peace initiative would allow President Biya to change the perception that he has little interest in a political solution, prevent yet another escalation of the conflict and contribute to stabilising the country ahead of elections that are likely to be fraught” referring to elections in 2025 which it warns could be the defining moment in Cameroon’s history as Biya, now almost 90, would have turned 92 then – and an escalation of the Anglophone Conflict would only exarcabate the political and economic situation of the country.
The Crisis Group also noted that pre-talks which Canada facilitated with Cameroonian officials, set preconditions for talks to take place with separatist leaders, including the “the establishment of confidence-building measures, such as a cessation of hostilities, protection of the right to education and the release of prisoners”.
It also observed that this is a moment the Cameroonian government should take advantage of and engage in talks, because for the first time ever, several separatist groups have united, making it easier for government to hold talks that will be seen as credible by the Anglophone population:
“…the facilitation (by Canada) has also persuaded rival separatist movements to form an orderly bloc. Drawing on earlier efforts by Swiss facilitators, Canada managed to bring together four major separatist groups, with a fifth announcing its commitment to the peace process after Joly’s statement. In the past, separatist groups appeared too divided to reach consensus among themselves. This time around, their unity offers the Cameroonian government a clear counterpart in negotiations”.
Should the Biya government heed the calls to engage in talks with a willingness to discuss a political solution for the Anglophone Regions, long-awaited talks could soon be on the way after nearly 7 years of civil war.
In October 2017, International Crisis Group warned that the “murderous repression” of Anglophones by government forces was likely to prompt an “armed insurrection” but Cameroon’s communications minister at the time, Tchiroma Bakary; dismissed the Group’s statement and claimed they were on the payroll of secessionists with an agenda to destabilize Cameroon.
It should be noted that in January, Cameroonian authorities issued a statement denying that they never agreed to talks led by any international mediator although Canada’s foreign affairs minister issued a statement saying Cameroon had agreed to talks.
Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict has left over 700,000 children out of school and displaced over a million people according to Doctors Without Borders.
In 2019, authorities held talks in Yaounde but these were largely criticized for being too-one sided with key separatist leaders not invited. There is hope that Canada which shares a similar bilingual culture to Cameroon, would be a trusted mediator in talks that could be held in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. The full International Crisis Group statement can be read here: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/canada-initiative-offers-opportunity-cameroon-peace-process