Cameroon Major National Dialogue : Those Recommendations Begging for Immediate Attention !

By Christopher Ambe

The much-talked about September 30-October 4, 2019 Major National Dialogue, convened by President Paul Biya  and chaired  by Prime Minister Dr.Joseph Dion Ngute came up with some laudable recommendations, which if quickly implemented, many pundits hold, could end   the deadly   Anglophone Crisis, which erupted in late 2016.

The crisis erupted in late 2016 over lawyers’ and teachers’ demands; and since then separatist fighters, seeking the independence of Anglophones, have regularly engaged in deadly clashes with Cameroon military and security forces, resulting in the death of over 2000 people.

Closing the National Dialogue, Premier Dr.Dion Ngute  said  the  recommendations of the four-day meeting, “whose relevance and rationale cannot be over-emphasized, are squarely in line with the goals of President Paul Biya’s Economic and Social Programme”.  But he insisted that the “recommendations can only be truly implemented in a climate of peace and security.”

Although all the recommendations are important, pundits think some are more important than others.  Considered more important for immediate attention  include:

1-Grant a special status to the North-West and South-West Regions, in conformity with Section 62 Sub 2 of the Constitution;

2-Take specific measures to ensure equality of English and French in all aspects of national life;

3-Reinforce the autonomy of Decentralised Local Entities;

4-Improve upon the infrastructure of judicial services throughout the country;

5-Strengthen the Humanitarian Assistance Program to better serve internally displaced persons;

6-Institute a special plan to reconstruct the conflict-affected areas

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THE MAJOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE: SOME KEY ISSUES AND SUCCESSES TO REMEMBER

Eight main themes were highlighted in the message delivered by the Head of State on 10^th September 2019, namely:

1-      Bilingualism, Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion

2-      Education System

3-      Judicial System

4-      The Return of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

5-      Reconstruction and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas

6-      Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration of Ex-Combattants

7- Role of the Diaspora in the Crisis and in the Country’s Development

8-      Decentralisation and Local Development 

1. BILINGUALISM, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL COHESION / BILINGUISM, DIVERSITE CULTURELLE ET COHESION SOCIALE 

• Enhancing the practice of Bilingualism in all segments of society through the creation and implementation of programs starting from pre-school ages;
•  Enrooting Cultural Diversity through a strict implementation of regional balance and equitable access to public service and security forces;
•   Conceive and implement a curriculum on Inter Community Fellowship, Rebuilding Fraternal Trust and Civic Engagement in an effort to strengthen National Social Cohesion. 
•  Pass legislation that spells out the equitable use of both official languages in an area of national life;
•  Develop and codify principles for social dialogue, social cohesion and living together. 

2. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM / SYSTEM EDUCATIF

•  Ensure that educational reforms integrate the need to keep the two educational subsystems afloat, buoyant and futuristic, recognizing the unique strengths and specificities of each subsystem, building on the strengths of each one to train well rounded and excellent Cameroonian graduates who excel wherever they go.
• Ensure that Teachers’ Trade Unions should work in collaboration with the Government.
•  Regulate the proliferation of Teachers Trade Unions and promote better organisation of the Trade Unions to ensure synergy from the regional to national level.

3- JUDICIAL SYSTEM/ SYSTEM JUDICIARE

•  translate all legal instruments into both official languages and ensure their simultaneous publication in both official languages;
• take into account the perquisite of English language proficiency and the mastery of the Common Law legal system when deploying judiciary staff to the North-West and South-West Regions;
• set up a Law School for the training lawyers and all legal practitioners at large in Cameroon;
•  upgrade the Common Law Section of the Supreme Court of Cameroon into a fully-fledged Legal Bench comprising all sections dealing with specific matters of the Common Law;
• improve mechanisms for legal cooperation in view of commencing proceedings to call to book those financing terrorism from foreign countries;

4. The Return of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 

• The State should set up communication channels for a better deployment of the army and freer movement of the people, as well as take measures for the construction of decent homes for displaced persons; 
•  Take measures geared towards granting general amnesty to foster the return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
•  Proceed to the physical headcount of all displaced persons and come up with an estimate of their basic socio-economic needs (schools, health facilities, accommodation…);
• Provide ‘resettlement and reintegration kits’ to refugees and internally displaced persons;

5. Reconstruction and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas 

To formulate a vast Programme for the Recovery, Reconstruction and Development of the North-West, South-West and Fae-North regions, aimed at improving the living conditions of the populations and consolidating social cohesion and national unity, the following actions were recommended:

• The immediate resumption of projects whose works have been suspended over the oast three years due to the crisis in the North-West and South-West Regions such as the Babajou-Bamenda road, the Loum-Tombel-Kumba-Mundemba-Akwa Road etc;
• The rehabilitation of public facilities and public infrastructure destroyed or rendered obsolete as a result of lack of use because of the crises, particularly in the areas of education, health, transport, energy, water and communications infrastructure;
•  The reconstruction of priority economic infrastructures in order to provide support or revive productive systems through revamping the public agro-industrial companies in the affected regions (CDC, PAMOL,  UNVDA, SEMRY, SODECOTON);
•  The compensation for losses suffered by private individuals, religious congregations, Chiefs’ Palaces, communities and private production and service provision units as well as direct social assistance schemes for victims;

The voluntarist creation of sustainable jobs for young people and women with a special focus on those from the crisis-affected regions. 

6. Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration of Ex-Combattants / Disarmament, Demobilisation et Reintegration des Ex-Combattants 

• Elaborate and implement a holistic communication strategy which will lay emphasis on the peace offer of the Head of State, President Paul Biya, to the combatants.
•   Establish a safe corridor for fighters to surrender in cantonment sites which will be established close to battle areas, to ease the demobilization of combatants. Suspend the fabrication and spread of locally fabricated guns.
•  The spiritual and physical treatment of returnees from excessive drugs and intoxication from separatists propaganda. Etc.  

7- Role of the Diaspora in the Crisis and in the Country’s Development/ Role de la Diaspora  dans la Crise et sa Contribution au Developpement du Cameroun.

•  The revision-reform of the nationality code such that dual or multiple nationality be authorized,

• The adoption of the principle of parliamentary and governmental representation of the Diaspora (A ministry dedicated to the Diaspora).
• The creation of a High Council of the diaspora in the host countries with elected leaders, membership being conditioned by the possession of a consular card,
• The creation of a team responsible for mediation with radicalised members of our Diaspora and,
•  The creation of a transnational investment and development agency for the Diaspora.

8- Decentralisation and Local Development/Decentralisation et Developpement Local.

• The endowment of the North West and South West Regions with a Special status in conformity with Section 62 Sub 2 of the Constitution which states that the law may take into consideration the specificities of certain Regions with regards to their organization and functioning,
•  The effective putting in place of Regions as soon as possible,
• The disbursement of special allocation to each of the Councils in the North West and  South West to facilitate the effective resumption to certain agglomerations,

• The suspension of the provision for the appointment of Government Delegates provided for within the Special Regime applicable to certain agglomerations,
• A substantial reduction of the powers of the supervisory authority;
• In view of the reinforcement of the financial autonomy of local authorities, the Commission recommended the: 

a.   effective implementation of Section 32 Sub 2 of the Law on the orientation of Decentralisation which stipulates the finance law will determine,  on the proposal of the government, the proportion of the State revenue dedicated to the Common Decentralization Fund. In this connection, the participants proposed that a margin of 10-15% of the State budget be allocated to the Councils,

b.       the waiver of the principle on the single treasury account which delays the effective transfer of funds to local authorities.

It is noteworthy to mention that some of the Recommendations need to be specifically highlighted. These include the Recommendation to;

•  Grant a special status to the North-West and South-West Regions, in conformity with Section 62 Sub 2 of the Constitution;
•  Take specific measures to ensure equality of English and French in all aspects of national life;
•  Reinforce the autonomy of Decentralized Local Entities; 
•  Improve upon the infrastructure of judicial services throughout the country;
•  Strengthen the Humanitarian Assistance Program to better serve internally displaced persons;
•  Institute a special plan to reconstruct the conflict-affected areas;
•  Popularize the Head of State’s offer of amnesty to combatants who drop their weapons and enter the reintegration process; and,
•  Create a team responsible for mediation with radicalized members of our Diaspora.   

The overall objectives now as outlined by the Prime Minister in his closing speech, after the successful Major National Dialogue, are:

1.)    The effective resumption of schools in the North West and South West Regions;

2.)    The effective resumption of business and other activities in the North West and South West Regions;

3.)    The return of refugees and Internally Displaced people (IDPs) to their communities of origin in the North West and South West Regions.