Anglophone Crisis and the price paid by independence activists

By Tabe H. Clinton 

The on-going Anglophone crisis started as Common Law lawyers’ and Anglophone teachers’ protests, pressing for improved work conditions in late 2016.

 But it suddenly morphed into a campaign for the independence of the minority English speaking Cameroonians, many of whom complained of marginalization by the majority French-speakers.  Their fight is to have their independent country which they have named as Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

English speakers (Anglophones) ,who constitute today’s  Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon,  were  formerly a UN-British trust territory, called Southern Cameroons, and later gained its independence on October 1,1961 by joining  La Republique du Cameroun.

 Cameroon’s 20% of its population of about 24 million are English speakers and 80% French-speakers.

As protests for the independence of Anglophones continued and intensified, Cameroon government on January 17, 2017, banned the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), which had been formed in 1994 to ensure the statehood of Anglophones .The Government also banned the Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho-led Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) which coordinated the wide-spread anti-government protests.

The  ban, signed by then Minister of Territorial Administration, René Sadi, stated: “The groups Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) are declared null and void for their purpose and activities, which are contrary to the Constitution and liable to jeopardize the security of the state, territorial integrity, national unity and national integration.”

But as protests continued Cameroon defense and security forces brutally confronted the protesters and hunted SCNC adherents, resulting in a situation even innocent Anglophones were victimized by either by the military or the combatants. 

The birth of armed separatist fighters was because the military raided neighborhoods, killing agitators -suspected to be separatists, and burning down homes thought to be hide-outs for combatants. Citizens were by the ugly circumstances   to flee, in their hundreds, into the bushes for safety. 

Since then armed separatist groups have been engaging in bloody and deadly clashes with the government forces. 

When on September 22, 2017 President Paul Biya was addressing the United Nations in the USA, anti- Biya protests by Anglophones took place across towns and cities in Anglophone Cameroon, as well as   in front of Cameroon embassies in Europe, South Africa and at the UNO. 

In Bamenda, considered as the opposition city of Cameroon, the protest marches were very massive and led to bloody confrontation between protesters and security forces.

 Many protesters such as Muteminui Charles Afah, one of the mobilisers, were tortured, arrested and detained. 

Muteminui Charles Afah

Then on   October 1, 2017 Sisiku Julius Ayuk, President of the Ambazonian Interim Government, made a symbolic declaration of the Independence of Southern Cameroons as Anglophones in their numbers  organized peaceful marches in various localities singing freedom songs.

That declaration of the independence of Anglophones, which was greeted by street demonstrations, forced the Biya government to intensify its military crackdown on separatists. 

Again many suspected activists and separatists were tortured, arrested and reportedly killed during   independence protests in Northwest and Southwest Regions. People died in mysterious circumstance and several civilians were declared missing. 

The mysterious death of the parents of Muteminui Charles Afah, was   linked to their involvement in SCNC and the incident terribly frightened him.

Although an SCNC adherent,  Muteminui Charles Afah was suspected by Ambazonian fighters as a traitor leaking information to the military about their hideouts, an accusation which he debunked. Family sources said he later went into hiding, realizing that he was targeted both Security forces and Ambazonian fighters. 

It is public knowledge that hundreds of people have died as government forces and separatist fighters continue to engage in violent clashes. Property worth billions of Fcfa has been vandalized; over 30 thousand Cameroonians are seeking asylum in Nigeria, while over 300 thousand people have been internally displaced.

Many activists have been prosecuted and jailed for secession/terrorism-related crimes.

Many independence activists fearing for their lives have fled Cameroon. 

But Anglophone rights activists in the Diaspora such as Chris Anu, Mark Barata,Cho Ayaba,Tapang Ivo,Akwanga Ebenezar, John Mbah Akuroh and Eric Tataw continue to instigate for the  fight for Anglophone independence.