Re: MESSAGE TO THE NATION, DEC. 31, 2016, BY NFOR, NGALA NFOR, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN (SCNC)

THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM BETWEEN SOUTHERN CAMEROONS AND LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN

By Tem Martin

One of the ways to solve a problem is to go back to the roots to trace where the problem arose and why it arose.

We have most of the time exposed how the problem manifests itself but we have not taken time to really pin point where the problem came from.

I have decided to give a historical cause of this problem. It will enable us to appraise it and see how to give a definitive solution to it or to keep trying to "raise the dead" or better still play the ostrich.

Permit me to point out the fact that, Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroon are not in a "cam-we-stay" marriage as many people have said. Many of the UN trust territories gained independence just like Southern Cameroons gained theirs by joining La Republique in a plebiscite. The reasons for the problems will be given later.

As a matter of fact, there are many cam-we-stay unions that are more admirable than some legally contracted unions because the basis for understanding exist. So our problem is not that of the illegality of the union but rather that of a mismatch.

It is important to note that after the WWI, all the countries that fought the war on the side of the Triple Alliance, also known as the Triplice which was a secret agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary that fought alongside in World War I.

On the other hand, the triple entente was a merger between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente on 31 August 1907.

All the losers in the war lost their colonies to their opponents which administered under the League of Nations as mandated territories or League of Nations mandates. When the League of nations was replaced by the United Nations Organisation, these mandated territories become United Nations Trust Territories administered through the United Nations Trusteeship Council.

Germany was one of these nations that had to lose its colonies in Africa. Thus Kamerun was a cake that was split into two between France and Britain. Britain took a small portion to administer alongside with Nigeria while France took their work seriously with their own portion.

Let's just make a review of the United Nations Trust Territories, when we come to the Cameroonian case, you will be able to see where the seed for the divide was sown. It did not manifest itself immediately but from that day, the seed for the divide was sown.

Let's restate the fact that the United Nations trust territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates, and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946. All of the trust territories were administered through the United Nations Trusteeship Council. The one territory not turned over was South-West Africa. It eventually gained independence in 1990 as Namibia.

Let's do a quick listing of the trust territories and how they gained independence.

• The Territory of New Guinea (Australia): The north-eastern section of this island had been a League of Nations mandate, the south-eastern section had been Australian before World War I; after World War II, the two were combined into a unified entity for administrative purposes, although the legal distinction between the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea was maintained. In 1975, the two entities were legally unified and granted independence as Papua New Guinea. The western half of the island, formerly Dutch and now part of Indonesia, was never part of either territory.

• The Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi (Belgium, effectively linked to the Belgian Congo): Separately gained independence in 1962 as Rwanda and Burundi.

• The Trust Territory of Tanganyika (United Kingdom): Granted independence in 1961. Federated with the former British protectorate Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania.

• The Trust Territory of Togoland under French administration (French Togoland): Became independent as Togo in 1960.

• The Trust Territory of Togoland under British administration (British Togoland): Much smaller than French Togoland, this territory was merged in 1956 with the British colony of the Gold Coast, which was granted independence as Ghana in 1957.

• The Trust Territory of Western Samoa (New Zealand): Granted independence in 1962, now known simply as Samoa.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE PECULIARITY OF THE CAMEROONIAN CASE.

• The Trust Territory of the Cameroons under FRENCH ADMINISTRATION (French Cameroons): Achieved independence as the Republic of Cameroon in 1960.

• The Trust Territory of the Cameroons under BRITISH ADMINISTRATION (British Cameroons): Somewhat smaller than the French Cameroons, this territory was administered in two parts (Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons). Following a plebiscite, Northern Cameroons became part of Nigeria in May 1961 and Southern Cameroons joined the Republic of Cameroon in October 1961.

I used capital letters above to draw your attention to one of the causes of the divide between Southern Cameroon and La Republique du Cameroon.

Many of the other trust territories like British Togoland, Tanganyi gained independence by joining Ghana. We have not heard much about them in the news like Southern Cameroon and La Republique because they all had the same administering body – Britain. They had the same cultural heritage. The same applies for New Guinea and Papua that became Papua New Guinea, look at the case of Tanganyika and Zanzibar becoming Tanzania. We don't hear much about them.

Let's come right home, look at Northern Cameroon gaining independence by joining the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we don't hear much wahala from that end.

Why is it that there is a lot of wahala between the merger of Southern Cameroon and La Republique du Cameroon?

1. TWO CULTURES THAT HAVE REFUSED TO BLEND:

The British Southern Cameroons inherited a culture from Britain, which is the anglo saxon culture whereas La Republique du Cameroon inherited a different culture from France which is the French culture. That it why Cameroon is said to be a bilingual, bi-jural and bi-cultural society. Interestingly enough, these two cultural differences seemed to have refused to blend after over 50 years. One of the main reasons why the tower of Babel was not completed was because the people could not understand each other. The cultural differences made their work together pernicious because no matter how much you try, your partner did not understand you leading to frustration.

2. MAJORITY VERSES MINORITY:

Another problem has been the issue of population. La Republique has a population of almost 4/5 of the country meanwhile the Southern Cameroons population is only about 1/5. So it has introduced the concept of superiority and inferiority. Even the land surface has the same discrepancies in size.

3. DESIRE TO KEEP THE MINORITY SMALL FOR EVER

Watching an interview granted by Foncha in 1995, he explained how the Cameroon Bank which was a Southern Cameroon initiative helping to build the economy of Southern Cameroon was destroyed by the Ahidjo regime. He explained the systematic destruction of the marketing board and any other economic empowering agencies that made sense to Southern Cameroons. This was done to make sure that the minority should remain a beggar from the majority.

4. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FEDERAL SYSTEM

Because the former president worked hard to destroy the federal system, it also led to the destruction of values southern Cameroonians hold dear leading to discontent. The destruction of the federal system meant that you cannot protect 'your own thing'. It gave excessive powers to one person to dictate everything from his stand point with total disregard to what you think.

The change from Federal Republic of Cameroon to United Republic of Cameroon and finally La Republique du Cameroon showed that the minority was not important. Let's go back to our former status. It has cause the discontent in the minority who are also seeking to go back to their original status before 1961.

All the other problems we see in our country are stemming from the fact that the union between the two entities lacked uniformity in values, cultures and understanding for each entity. With this lack of understanding, many other issues have manifested themselves.

WHAT WAY FORWARD?

Dialogue.

Permit me borrow a rule in real estate here. In real estate, the say three things give value to a piece of land. Here are the three things: 1. Location. 2. Location. 3. Location. In other words the most important thing in determining the value of a land is just one thing – LOCATION.

Equally in marriage, it is said that to enhance understanding in marriage there are three very important principles to put in place. 1. Communication. 2. Communication. 3. Communication.

I have a one point suggestion to the resolution of the wahala between Southern Cameroon and La Republique du Cameroon.

To resolve the Southern Cameroon or the Anglophone Problem:

1. Dialogue (sincere and tolerant dialogue)

2. Dialogue (with no intention to manipulate)

3. Dialogue (with the notion that everyone wants to be treated with dignity.)

In a dialogue there often comes a win-win situation. We don't need a win-lose, or lose-win. We need a win-win. Win-win means, you win and I also win. Everybody should come out as a winner. No one should feel like a loser.

Interestingly enough in a dialogue, people can agree to agree or they can agree to disagree agreeably.

In cases where dialogue fails, people decide to take their own steps that will satisfy their own demands in their own way.

Let us not allow that extreme to come in. Let us give dialogue a chance.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!

 

God Loves You Unconditionally,
Receive His Love and Blossom!

Tem Martin

SWR Rep. Of Cameroon,

P.O. Box 352 Buea.
Tel: 0023775647979
Buy His Books Online: www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Tem+Martin

On Saturday, 31 December 2016, 22:19, Bri Soucam <nnyamngaisc@gmail.com> wrote:

Fellow Citizens of the Southern Cameroons
My Dear Countrymen,

In the name of the Almighty God who created us a free people and gave
us this land, the Southern Cameroons, as our eternal heritage, I
warmly greet you all.

We salute all nationals of the Southern Cameroons, at home and abroad,
for the unity and the remarkable continuing Resistance in the face of
the enemy's slaughter of our people. We salute everyone for the
continuing protests all over the globe to make known the already
55-year long common terrible suffering of the people of Southern
Cameroons under the annexation and brutal colonial occupation and
oppression of République du Cameroun…..

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