Cameroon:Government Refuses Rights Activist Njoh Litumbe Invitation to Attend Reunification Jubilee for Exposing “Bitter Truth”

By Christopher Ambe

   Rights activist  Mola  Njoh  Litumbe,87  who is widely advocating for  the right of self-determination of Anglophones in Cameroon  and has been subjected   at least  twice to “ house arrests” by the Government was ,surprisingly ,invited by the Biya Administration to be a speaker at a colloquium  ,which was part of activities marking Cameroon’s Reunification. The colloquium had as theme “From Reunification to Integration”

Mola Njoh  Litumbe speaking at Reunification Colloquium

   His formal invitation ,by Government, to  be  a speaker  at the conference, pundits  hold, was because Mola  Litumbe did not only witness  what he calls the so-called reunification on October 1,1961,but has written  a Book on Annexation of Southern Cameroons.
and engaged  extensive mass media campaigns to justify  that,  legally speaking there was no such thing as reunification between British Southern Cameroons and La  Republique du Cameroun.

   At the Government –organized colloquium at the University of Buea on February 17 chaired by Cameroon’s Prime Minister Philemon Yang, a courageous Mola Njoh Litumbe , tactfully defied the scheduled time for his presentation and fed the large audience that included cabinet ministers, leaders of religious organizations, university dons, traditional rulers, political party leaders  and students with what many have termed “Bitter Historical Facts”; in summary ,that there is no documentary evidence at the United Nations Organization(UNO) as required, that Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun legally  yoked together  to become one country. He likened the union between the two entities as mere cohabitation.

    Mola Litumbe’s revelation, no doubt, received the loudest applause at the conference, leaving some government officials who know the truth but apparently would not want it public, uncomfortable.

    As Mola Litumbe insisted on  delivering all what he had prepared for the audience despite time constraint, the microphone was disconnected, forcing him to retire to his seat amid cheers.

     Apparently angered by his presentation, the Government gave out formal invitations to dignitaries to be seated at the presidential tribune for the golden jubilee celebration but ignored Mola Litumbe, who is also chair man of Liberal Democratic Alliance (LDA), a Buea-based political party.

     Contacted, Mola Litumbe revealed to The RECORDER that he was not invited to the ceremonial Grounds at Bomgo Square, where President Paul Biya chaired the anniversary celebrations.

   “When I did not receive an invitation, I complained to the Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo, who had formally invited me to be a speaker at the Colloquium, but he said invitations were finished. I later also complained to Southwest Governor to no avail”, Mola Litumbe told this reporter on phone. I think If they wanted me to attend, they would have issued me a document to allow me access in to the grand stand, because these officials are of the organizing committee. But they did not for reasons best known to them”

Following is a summary of What Mola Litumbe said at the Reunification Colloquium:

“We are faced in this debate of "Re-unification" with the following startling facts:

1.  It is common knowledge that La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons were two distinct territories, otherwise there would have been no question of the UN conducting a plebiscite on 11 Feb. 1961 in Southern Cameroons to ask the People of Southern Cameroons if they wished to associate with either  Nigeria or La Republique du Cameroun.

2.  The governing constitutional/statutory law for states that are members of the UN is the UN Charter. This contains clear provisions in Art 102  on the prescribed procedure to be followed if a member state of the UN wishes to join another territory

3.La Republique du Cameroun was admitted  a member state of the UN on 20th Sept1960 and from that date it became bound by the provisions contained in the Constitution (Charter) of the United Nations.  Consequently, for any joining with another territory to be legal, LRC had to conform with the statutory provisions of the Charter, in Art. 102. Failure to comply with the provisions in Art 102(1) attracts the penalty in Art. 102(2) which renders such alleged joining unconstitutional..

4. To argue, as some misguided proponents say, that an association of a UN member state with another territory could be deemed valid, is to say that while the constitution of a country defines the prescriptions to establish a marriage, parties who cohabit without going through the statutory and legal STEPS toconstruct a legal marriage, could be deemed nevertheless to be "married." The statute would first have to be amended, to permit of such an interpretation.

5. The provision of Art.102 in the UN Charter has not altered over time, and it is therefore safe to say that if La Republique du Cameroun, which is a member state of the UN, desires to legally unite with Southern Cameroons, the appropriate statutory steps prescribed by statute must first be performed.

6.  The solution to the present impasse is for La Republique du Cameroun to engage the People of Southern Cameroons to agree on mutually acceptable terms of association, under the auspices of the African Union/United Nations, sign an Agreement to that effect and file it at the Secretariat of the United Nations.  If the parties have been living together in harmony, there should be no great difficulty in reaching an Agreement. If however they fail to reach agreement, they should revert peacefully to their respective positions. 

7. Until the parties go through this motion, a celebration of "Re-unification" is a contradiction in terms and, at best, a terminological in-exactitude”