Anglophone Crisis:Protesting women for peace

Cameroon women protest against ongoing Anglophone Crisis in Buea

By Ayuk Oru Mary Shevett, Bako Abiba Fowzie and Bongbawo Sheron Tita*

At least 200 rights-conscious women from both the crisis-stricken Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, Wednesday August 29, staged a peaceful march at Bongo Square, Buea, calling for immediate return of peace, dialogue and harmony in the restive Anglophone regions.

The two English-speaking regions, estimated to have a population of about eight million people, have since October 2016 been plunged in a deadly crisis, provoked by activists advocating the   independence of Anglophones.

 A group called Southwest and Northwest Task Force (SNWOT), created four months ago and coordinated by  Mrs. Njomo Esther Omam ,director of Buea-based NGO, Reach Out, mobilized the women for the peaceful march, on the theme “The Right to Peace and Security.” 

 “The purpose of SNWOT is to contribute significantly in ending the Anglophone Crisis”, Mrs Omam said, noting:” Women who are catalysts of peace and agents of development had not been heard. So there was that urgent need to create the task force to significantly contribute in ending the crisis.”

She added that SNWOT was born out of a coalition of Southwest-based civil society organizations headed by women but since the crisis also affects the Northwest, a branch was established in Bamenda coordinated by Mrs. Ada Mbah of Mother of Hope, an NGO.

A similar march is scheduled to take place in the days ahead in Bamenda. 

As the placard-wielding women, in assorted dresses, converged on Bongo Square, Rev. Dr. Perpetua Fonki, coordinator of Women for Peace and Justice in Cameroon, first shared the word of God with them, invoking God’s protection for all. She drew inspiration for her meditation from the  Bible book of Jeremiah 9:17- 22.

Some of the placard messages read:  Education: More than ever our schools need protection; we stand against rape; Yes to dialogue, no to arms.

  Mrs. Omam lamented the pain and suffering people have been enduring for two years because of the Anglophone crisis, which is characterized by killings, arson, vandalism, physical torture, kidnappings,school boycott ,detention of suspects, etc.

  According to Rev. Dr. Pertetua Fonki, earlier mentioned, “We have been praying for the country but have realized that prayers without action is not complete; so we decided to blend prayers with some kind of action because when we pray and sit quiet, then the impact is not really felt.”

Taking a somewhat neutral position on the crisis, SNWOT did not accuse either the Government or the Separatists, but prayed that the warring parties “re-think and give peace a chance”

Hundreds of thousands of people are already internally displaced and tens of thousands of others are seeking refuge in neighboring Nigeria,according to the United Nations.

The Buea women march culminated with Mrs. Agbor Magdalene, vice coordinator of SNWOT and director of CHAMEG Buea, reading the resolutions adopted by the women with regards to the Crisis. 

They include:1-That  SNWOT advocates for peace and tranquility to be restored in the South West Region

 2- That the rape of women and girls and other forms of gender-based violence should be prevented; while meaningful access to education for our children should be ensured.

 3-That the lamentation campaign performed today is an accumulation of a series of activities carried out by women since its creation.

 4-That the decision makers, the leaders of our nation, civil society organization and religious bodies are encouraged to take appropriate sustainable measures to support and assist in the implementation of the present declaration.

5- that,We members of the SNWOT, declare to  : the president of the Republic Of Cameroon, the National Parliament, the Cabinet Ministers, international organizations, foreign diplomatic representatives accredited to Cameroon, members of non-governmental and public organizations, leaders of political parties, churches, business circles and mass media- our hope that the aforementioned manifesto should be given due consideration and widest possible dissemination of the UN Security Resolution 1325 which will galvanize peace-building forces towards securing respect for international legal norms by those concerned; there by contributing  to a constructive dialogue at the national level.”

  The women said they drafted the resolutions taking into consideration the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Beijing Declaration and Action Platform, the final document of the 23^rd Special session of the United Nation General Assembly named “Women in 2000: Equality, Development and Peace between Men and Women in the 21^st Century and 27^th Special session concerning children, and as well as to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of October 2000. 

SNWOT handed the resolutions to Mrs. Moffah Judith Lyiengu Luma, Southwest Regional Delegate for Women Empowerment and the Family,for transmission to Hierarchy.

The delegate, who lauded the idea of the peaceful march, promised to hand the resolutions to the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family, Marrie Therese Abena Ondoua.   

* Ayuk Oru Mary Shevett, Bako Abiba Fowzie and Bongbawo Sheron Tita are University of Buea Journalism interns.