Anglophone Crisis: Cameroon Parliament should act now

. By Dr. Namanga Ngongi *

Dr. Namanga Ngongi

The month of February dashed all expectations that there would soon be a respite from the pain experienced by the population of the North West and South West Regions in January over the multiple killings of civilians and soldiers. 

War is brutal but the images of the brutal torture of a civilian in Ndu by elements of the armed forces where shocking. It was not so much the cries of the victim but the pleasure that some of the soldiers seemed to derive from their action.

The Government acknowledged responsibility and arrested those involved. We await the verdict. 

The 11th of February should have been a happy day, the 60th anniversary of the plebiscite that determined the future of Southern Cameroons, but a photo of a roasted baby was diffused in the social media. The blame game went into high gear, no one accepted responsibility for the fire. Three chiefs were abducted and killed in Lebialem.

 Of course there was a huge outcry and renewed out pouring of grief. Mutual accusations continued. As February drew to a close, news of major fighting and death of civilians and military emerged from Kumbo and Bali.

 In all of these happenings, it was the youths, both civilian and military who were brutally affected. The conflict is now in its fifth year but it does not seem to be any closer to a solution. Appeals have been made by the population, the clergy and the international community but to no avail. Mothers have organized several gatherings for mass weeping and have pleaded to their children to come out of the bushes and for the government to end the war but these cries have also seemingly fallen on deaf ears.

 The social media, newspapers and television stations have discussed the Anglophone crisis ad nauseam, offering in the course of time many plausible paths to a solution but the killing goes on. Despite the persistent calls for the Government and secessionists to work out a solution and stop the war this has not happened

. It may be because a very important segment of national decision making has not been fully engaged in this process, the Parliament. Cameroon has a Parliament/National Assembly that has three principal functions: scrutinize legislation, oversee government action and interact with the public

. These are important roles. The North West and South West Regions have 35 members of Parliament out of the 180 and 20 Senators out of 100. Representatives from the North West and South West Regions have a responsibility to convey to the National Assembly the feelings of the people in the two regions and work with the other representatives to find solutions to the current crisis but there has not been a formal debate on the crisis in Parliament. 

There have been statements and questions from a few Parliamentarians but these have not been well received by the leadership. The few who have attempted to formally introduce discussion of the crisis in Parliament and convey the pain being felt by the population, are hushed down and have had to muster extra-ordinary courage to hold their ground. 

We saw that in the case of Hon. Joseph Wirba, former Member of Parliament from Bui and before him, Hon. Ayah Paul from Akwaya. The images seen on television and the social media are not flattering. Parliament seems to have largely abdicated its role as the repository of sovereignty of the country. 

 To have ignored the Anglophone crisis for this long, except to express support for the actions of government and the recent memorandum of protestation against foreign interference signed by some 60 parliamentarians, does not in any way enhance the credibility of the institution, especially in the eyes of the population of the North West and South West Regions. Among the key roles of any Parliament is the responsibility to hold governments accountable.

 Accountability is not limited to examining government reports on successes and achievements but also to question failures. Even the most ardent supporters of the government cannot in good conscience deny the fact that a serious problem of governance has led to the current situation in the North West and South West Regions of the country. 

These need to be discussed and such a discussion can start in Parliament. Parliament has the responsibility to question the government and hold it accountable for the management of the Anglophone crisis. The earlier this is done the sooner we can expect to live in peace once again. Parliament’s discussion should not be considered a reprimand but an encouragement for the Government to reflect and do what is right. At a minimum, Parliament should have a formal debate on the crisis. At the end of such debate a resolution could be adopted with a view to encouraging the Government and Ambazonia leaders to meet, discuss and agree on a peace settlement.

 Even a non-binding resolution would be to the credit of Parliament. It is not honourable for Honourable Members of Parliament to remain seemingly deaf, blindfolded and mute over the most critical problem faced by the country since unification. 

Most rural based Parliamentarians from the North West and South West Regions are not able to reside within their constituencies. They have themselves become internally displaced. How do they then render services to the people they are supposed to represent? The next parliamentary session has been called for the 11th of March. 

This is an opportunity for Parliament to take on this important issue in the life of the country, discuss it and propose a path to a peaceful solution. Ideally, such a resolution should be tabled by Parliamentarians from the North West and South West Regions but that is not absolutely necessary. Other Regions of the country, especially the West, Littoral and Center Regions are also affected by the Anglophone crisis through the inflow of IDPs and the additional pressure on their already fragile social infrastructure

. The overall disruption of economic activity in the two Regions has had a negative impact on the national economy as resources that could have been used to improve living conditions of Cameroonians throughout the country are now diverted for military use. It is therefore in the interest of all Cameroonians that this conflict be brought to an end.

 The people as a whole should make it known to their Parliamentarians throughout the country that they should do what they were elected to do, hold the government accountable and propose a way forward. As representatives of the people, Parliamentarians should have some degree of moral authority over the secessionists. 

They should appeal to them on behalf of the suffering population and request that a mediated inclusive dialogue without preconditions be given a chance. Parliamentarians should demonstrate that they represent all the people in their constituencies.

 The population is in dire need of peace and Parliamentarians can contribute positively by encouraging discussions between the Government and secessionists. Such action on the part of the peoples’ representatives would generate some degree of hope, faith and confidence in the population. A military solution to a sociopolitical problem is not really a solution.

 The concerns that led to the crisis cannot be solved by bullets, torture, kidnapping or the burning of houses. A peaceful solution to the crisis, starting with a ceasefire, is urgently needed. It is important that Parliament takes action now. 

The longer the crisis lasts the more splinter groups will emerge. This will make it more difficult to reach a peace agreement. Should the Government and Ambazonia leadership pay heed to calls from the representatives of the people, there is a good chance that peace could be restored to the country before the 60th anniversary of unification. Parliament, having initiated action could then establish follow-up Committees to keep members regularly informed on progress being made in the implementation of a peace agreement.

 It is not reasonable nor is it honourable for the representatives of the people to ignore, for so long, this crisis that has caused so much destruction, destabilization, death and pain in the restive North West and South West Regions. Parliament should act and should act now before the situation gets to the point of no return.

 *Dr. Namanga Ngongi is a retired Under-Secretary General, Special Representative the Secretary General of the United Nations to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Head of the Peace Keeping Mission (MONUC).