Re: An Advocate for Ambazonia's Independence: Dr Walter J Landry (81) has passed away!

Edwin et al,
I have not recovered from the passing of my father who was laid to rest a few weeks back, now this, as was John Formuyoh's? Well, that is what life has for us and reading books given me on loan basis by Dr. Landry makes me to remember all the free lectures we had from him and how everything has come to pass as predicted.
We hear you well when you said:
"Dr Walt Landry will be missed, but I have to say, we Ambazonians, should never forget him. Even if you never got to know him until today, note that he had your best self-interest at heart unlike anyone I have come to know in the United States of America. As he used to say to me during the see-saw days of ICJ,..."its all about interest and not rights".. as an admonition against getting lethargic in the cause of independence. We have to seek first how best our advocacy position serves our own best interest."
Remember Hans Euler's "the Break Down of Nations"???
May He Rest in Peace.
Justice M. Mbuh
Bambili, ***

 

THE LEGACY OF AMBAZONIA (UN Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons)

The Parliamentary Opposition, ...forged for itself a new role noteworthy for its dignity; and the government,..never attempted to withdraw...the legal recognition that was its due. Thanks to this...West Cameroon has won for itself the prestige of being the one place in West Africa (if not all of Africa) where democracy, in the British style, has lasted longest in its genuine form. -Prof. Bernard Nsukika Fonlon, The Task of Today, p. 9

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From: Edwin Ngang <ednngang@yahoo.com>
To: FREE AMBAZONIANS <free_ambazonians@yahoogroups.com>; Ambazonian emancipationists <ambasbay@googlegroups.com>; Cameroonians Pan-Cameroonians <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>; Ambazonians BU <UB_Alumni@yahoogroups.com>; FREE AMBAZONIANS <free_ambazonians@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 1:52 AM
Subject: An Advocate for Ambazonia's Independence: Dr Walter J Landry (81) has passed away!

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=160656164#fbLoggedOut

 

http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Walter-Landry&lc=1143&pid=160642597&mid=5283770&locale=en-US

 

Dear Ambazonians

Dear Friends of Ambazonia

 

I am saddened to report that we Ambazonians have lost a very dear friend and advocate for our independence in the person of Dr. Walter J. Landry. He passed away this October 24, 2012. Since meeting him in Washington DC, that fateful day of 1995, I was excited to have this person of great talent and patience as he listened to my Ambazonia's right to its independence argument. Whether for selfish reason or just because we got scant attention from the other Think Tanks of WDC, I develop an intense friendship with Dr Landry and soon became a member of the organization he created, Think Tank for National Self-determination (TNS). The closest Think Tank of WDC to emit anything close along such progressive sentiment of "rights and justice" in my opinion was "National Endowment for Democracy", who ofcourse as recipient of federal funding were hamstrung by an act of Congress and could not do much for us. Dr Landry as a legal scholar, a political scientist and ex-diplomat argued against such constraints and was why he formed the TNS. It did not take long for him to fully understand our problem and its strategic requirements of advocacy in the US given his background and experience. Which was why he so quickly adopted the role of American Ambazonia's expert representative in the US. He was a very reliable person to go to for any kind of information and help, which if he did not have, always tried to offer you referrals.  As most things we do in the advocacy department involved expense in time and resources, he was not reticent as he invested his time, talent and resources representing us in several places we as non-citizen could not attend. As for instance, when Ambazonia was seeking a third party intervenor at the ICJ, he worked hard to secure us two sovereign states. But unfortunately, these states were rejected on the grounds of insufficient interest.

 

It was Dr. Landy's contention that the cause for independence of Ambazonia (British Southern Cameroons) was the most legitimate one he had ever seen. Reason why he took our cause for independence very personally. He would call and tip me about a meeting to be, a personality we could benefit getting to meet, a radio/TV show we must partake in, a rally or demonstration we stand to meet other right minds, etc, etc. It was through him that Ambazonia got to meet the other self-determination entities as the Kurds, the Kashmiris, the Sindhis, the Chiapas, the Armenians, the Bougainville. etc, etc. And if the timing was bad, as it was sometimes when work schedules conflicted, he would simply go ahead and attend or meet such person on our behalf and provide us with written report and follow up options. It did not matter to him as he soon learned the hard way that our meetings always stated late: yet he would come to our local meetings and demonstrations and patiently wait. When we had to meet some contacts at the Hague and London during the ICJ Bakassi Days and cpould not make it, he volunteered to traveled at his own expense on our behalf. It was no surprise to me when the forwarded email announcing the University of Yaounde English Department symposium on Language and Ethnicities in 2005 excited him to the point of him contacting the organizers and receiving an invitation.  What an opportunity to visit Cameroon. He was not to be that tourist to see only Douala and Yaounde as most tourists would do, as he intended to traveled to the Ambazonians cities of Bamenda and Victoria to confirm for himself all that he has heard about the so called "anglophone minority." This trip was very revealing for him as he told me upon his return what he saw during his travels! He saw everything that argued for the rights of "self-determination" for the Ambazonians (peoples of Southern Cameroons) who as he had so many times demonstrated, are justified to have their own sovereign state.

 

I remained in touch with him since 1995 until just as recently as this September 2012, and must admit, I got to learn so much from him as that very smart person he was. His passion for the Ambazonian cause which came very naturally never relented even when challenged by health issues during the last two years.

 

Dr Walt Landry will be missed, but I have to say, we Ambazonians, should never forget him. Even if you never got to know him until today, note that he had your best self-interest at heart unlike anyone I have come to know in the United States of America. As he used to say to me during the see-saw days of ICJ,..."its all about interest and not rights".. as an admonition against getting lethargic in the cause of independence. We have to seek first how best our advocacy position serves our own best interest.

 

Rest in peace with our Lord God, Dr. Walter J Landry.

 

Edwin Ngang