By James Mukoh.
Government’s stance against the
Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), which is championing the
restoration of the independence of the Southern Cameroons despite a
recommendation by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights that the
Government of Cameroon should dialogue with its proponents, appears fixed.
Supporters of the SCNC continue to
complain that, they are molested, arrested, tortured, prosecuted and jailed
because the Cameroon government regards them as an outlawed group that is
threatening the unity of the Republic of Cameroon and tarnishing the image of
its governance with their secessionist ambitions and activities.
The continued crack down on the
outlawed group, repeatedly condemned by rights activist groups, is forcing many
young supporters of the SCNC to flee the country and seek for political asylum
abroad. Those who have succeeded to flee the country have automatically become
the group’s ambassadors and envoys, presenting the so-called marginalization of
Anglophones to international bodies and human rights groups.
In Cameroon, Anglophones feel
discriminated against and are grossly marginalized in development projects and
leadership positions, which is against the spirit of their union with
Francophones in 1961.
Many vocal Southern
Cameroonian activists had since fled the country and now live abroad
for safety, claiming Cameroon is too unsafe for them. Abroad they are keeping
the fight for the independence of southern Cameroon alive, as they mobilize for
support, hoping that one day Southern Cameroons will once be an independent
state.
Recent reports said a certain Isa
Mohamed, a failed assylum seeker from The Netherlands returned to Cameroon only
to be arrested by security agents who had been monitoring his activities .Activists
allege his whereabouts is unknown. Mr. Isa had reportedly fled the
country together with young activists such as Muluh Eric Khan,
A.T.Chi Muluh, Tumasang Cho Robert.
In a related case, Sharon Harme Samba,
wife of Mafani Emmanuel Kaisa,a radical SCNC member on the run, is said to have
been convoked and interrogated at several times by plain clothes security
concerning the whereabouts of her spouse. Family members told us that Mrs. Harme
samba is living in fear, wondering what her fate will soon or later be.
Now that granting political asylum
to seekers in Europe is very difficult, many SCNC protection seekers there are
living in fear that, if unsuccessful, they may be sent back to meet with their
persecutors
An SCNC official told this newspaper
that the persecution of SCNC supporters only makes the cause popular as such
incidents would always be reported as human rights violations.
Many Human rights observers have
questioned why security keeps menacing members of SCNC whose motto is “The
Force of Argument, Not the Argument of Force”.
Also Published in The RECORDER newspaper, Cameroon, of December 24,
2012
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