By Christopher Ambe
Close to 400 chiefs and elites of the Southwest Region, who last Saturday, met at Buea
Mountain Hotel,
in what was dubbed Southwest Mega conference, to seek solutions to the Anglophone crisis, which for two years
has brought untold suffering and pain in the region, declared that the region
is for “one and indivisible but decentralized
state.”
They also said the Southwest has never thought of seceding
from the Republic of Cameroon and as such dissociates itself from the putative
Ambazonia Republic, whose Interim Government is now headed by Fako elite,Dr.Sako
Ikome.
Dr.Sako took over from another Southwest Elite ,Sisiku Ayuk
Tabe,now in detention, awaiting trial.
Among other
recommendations, the forum called on armed separatist fighters to surrender and
give dialogue a chance. They also called for effective school resumption.
The conference, whose
delegates came from the six divisions of the Region with a conspicuous presence
of SW elite serving in the Government, held under the theme “Southwest Region:
Facing our Challenges Together”
Former prime Minister and sitting Grand
Chancellor of National Orders, Peter Mafany Musonge, presided at the conference,
which he described as “interactive and non-partisan”.
He said the meeting,
which was prompted by numerous challenges facing the Southwest following the eruption
of the Anglophone crisis, was intended “to chart a way forward together in
unity and peace”
In his key note
address, Musonge admitted that since the past two years the SW region has been
experiencing unprecedented socio-political and security challenges “perpetrated
by radical and extremist groups bent on tearing our country apart”
He regretted: “In
spite of the numerous actions taken by government to provide solutions and
ensure protection of the populations, the crisis is continuing with heavy human
loss, huge material destruction and untold socio-economic
consequences.”
Musonge, said to be
the political leader of the Southwest, said the Anglophone crisis has taken a
more alarming twist in the region: the imposition of ghost towns, the crippling
of PAMOL and CDC activities as well as small holder schemes that depend on the
two corporations, the disruption of the execution of public investment projects
in general and in particular the Ekondo Titi-kumba,and Dschang-Menji-Bakebe
road projects, the burning down of petrol stations, banks,Brasseries du Cameroun
sales points and vehicles, the
abductions and murders of persons involved in the construction of
interurban highways, the disruption of the cocoa economy and the transportation
of goods and persons; burning down of schools, hospital infrastructure,
administrative buildings and private property, intimidation of students and teachers,
abduction of administrative agents, the murder of innocent citizens, security
officers and traditional rulers. He cited the “abduction of 8 traditional rulers
of Fako division with one of them,Chief Mbanda Njie of Lysoka Moliwe “beaten to
death, and the cold-blooded murder of the Paramount Chief of the Balondos,Essoh
Itoh in Ekondo Titi
“Brothers and sisters
of the southwest region, there comes a time in the life of a people when they
must say: Enough is enough’”,Musonge said, adding that now is the time to say
“Enough is enough”
He said it was
necessary to build a future of hope in the region and the nation at large,
noting: “Let us give dialogue a chance and let us resolve together …to bring an
end to violence, destruction, abductions and murders that have been a daily
occurrence in these past months”
Musonge hailed Mayor
Ekema Patrick for recently organizing a peaceful march against perpetrators of
violence and the abductions, especially of traditional rulers in Fako.
He wished that the
forum would serve as springboard to restore total peace and reinforce the unity
of Cameroon.
The ex-PM advised
those who are perpetrating violence against their fatherland “to lay down their
arms for meaningful dialogue to take place”
He pleaded with the
populations taking refuge in bushes to “come out of their dangerous camps, and
hiding places, and join us to fix what needs to be fixed in our country”
Musonge hoped school
boycott would now become a thing of the past, so that children can resume
classes without disturbances, come 3rd September this year
He called for an end
to ghost towns and also urged that the separatists “should allow for peaceful
presidential election campaigns and voting on Election Day to determine the
future course of the nation” which, he insisted, is “one and indivisible
Before the Conference
Declaration, participants had brainstormed in four committeesunder the following
subthemes:1) Socio-economic impact of the crisis in Southwest 2)-Political
choices of the Southwest 3)-Youth and women empowerment as imperatives and
4)-Cultural awakening and Preservation of Southwest.
Southwest Governor,
Bernard Okalia Bilai, attended the opening and closing ceremonies of the one-day
forum, which held amid tight security for fear separatist fighters, could
attack participants and dignitaries.
Members of Government, who also double as SW
elite, in attendance included Paul
Tasong(Minister-delegate in the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development; Paul Elung Che,Assistant Secretary-General at
the Presidency ,Victor Mengot and Ndion Ngute,ministers for Special Duties.
Earlier in a welcome speech,
Mayor of Buea,Ekema Patrick Esunge said the forum was long awaited. He wished
that the forum would promote unity among elites of the region and support
President Biya’s vision for Cameroon
But the Mayor
criticized the Southwest Chiefs Conference (SWECC) and Southwest Elite Association
(SWELA) for doing little or nothing to fight against atrocities committed during this crisis period in the Southwest.
Reacting after the
conference, Senator Charles Mbella Moki lauded the idea of the conference which
condemned violence and strongly advocated meaningful dialogue as a means to
resolve problem.
According to Chief
Prof Abangma Sampson, “the idea of the conference was timely because we cannot
sit and watch these ugly happenings in our region. The decisions taken at this
forum all relate to how to solve crisis in the region”
Also reacting to the
conference, Chief Atem Ebako, who was vice-Chair of the conference, said the
problems of the Southwest are not caused by chiefs or elites but by
unscrupulous youths who don’t know the value of peace.
(Vera Munyang Ngu, Ayuk Oru Mary Shevett,Etta Cecilia Nyangalo,Bako Fowzie
Abiba and Bongbawo Sheron Tita, University of Buea Journalism Interns
contributed to this report).
NB:This article also appears in The Horizon Newspaper,Cameroon,of August 28,2018
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