Anglophone Cameroonians have called on Regional bodies and the United Nations to intervene in what they referred to as genocide against the northwest and southwest regions.
Teachers, lawyers and other Civil Rights activists have staged several demonstrations in the two regions leading to deaths, injuries and permanent incarceration of some of the leaders of the Civil Society Consortium by the Biya Government.
The north and west regions comprised of 17% of the total population of Cameroun. Political representation continues to diminish with only one representative in the entire cabinet.
Protests have rocked the region and the Biya Government has blocked internet connectivity to the area and this, according to the NGO, Internet Without Borders, has cost the Biya Government £3million amounting to $ 3.2 million.
Government is using the internet blockade to hide the atrocities of the security forces, but, fortunately, with the facilitator of the VPN,
Cameroonians could access apps even though they might be slow. President would immediately reinstate internet access if international personalities are visiting the area.
Several people are presently on exile as a result of the suppression and heavy handedness of the security forces.
In December, security forces dispersed protests and at least two protesters were killed and others injured. Protesters have also been accused of violence. However the Government’s heavy handed crackdown has revived calls for secession.
Various protesters were arrested, including Nkongo Felix, Agbor–Balla, the president of the Cameroun Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, and Fontem Neba, the groups Secretary General. Government has referred to these protests as acts of subversion against the government, which is punishable by death.
Amnesty International has since called for the release of these civil society activists and there is a clarion call among the various citizens living abroad for the United Nations and other regional bodies to intervene and help the Anglophone regions to secede from the rest of Cameroon.
But according to them the United Nations and the Sub-Regional bodies have been dragging their feet. They have kept sealed lips over the atrocities by the Paul Biya Government.
Virtually, schooling and other critical sectors of the Anglophone regions are down and the area has been hugely occupied by military forces loyal to the Government.
There is a very popular call by all Cameroonians living abroad to join hands in the revolution of liberating the people of the South. They have resolved to end the suffering of their people in the hands of French Cameroun and create the Ambazonian Republic. Their actions have largely been thwarted by lack of funds and this is why there is a need for all southerners living abroad to invest money into the revolution, which, according to many, is now ‘pregnant’ and ready to give birth.
It could be recalled that the two Cameroons were reunited in 1961, after a plebiscite that gave the smaller English Cameroun the choice of joining the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Republic of Cameroun.
Reunification with Francophone Cameroun resulted in a federal system where both the French and English Systems and cultures continued to be observed. This system was abolished in 1972 by President Amadou Ahidjo and a united Republic was adopted with English and French as the official languages.
Since then English speakers have raised worries over the dominance of French and their marginalization in Government appointments. In the current government, only six (6) out of the sixty-three (63) ministers are Anglophone and just one cabinet portfolio.
This has led to the formation of secessionist groups like the Sothern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) which has been very vocal and active. Many of its members have died through protests actions whiles many are in jail.