Thank you Mishe for taking your precious time to submit the subject for reflection to the forum. You have spoken wisely as you always do when you want to be serious.
I understand how difficult it is to make a decision one way or the other. But I will try to add to the conversation with some thoughts of my own.
When the leadership of the consortium instituted the "Ghost Town" and the "No School Rule", it did so because it had specific revendications to the government of La Republique. And among these, was the quintessential point of restoration of the pre-1972 two states Federation.
We all know what the response of the tyrannical government has been: arbitrary arrestations and imprisonment, illegal searches and seizures, torture, rape, abductions, killings, abuses of all kinds, you name it…
With the exception of the hotly contentious point of Federation, what have the government really done in response of these revendications that were put forth by the consortium ? We have heard of things that the government might have done. How substantial are they and how much of it brings redress to the Southern Cameroonians problems ? Are we at least partially satisfied with it ?
Lesson 101: When negotiating, never self-surrender or put up a loser face of disgrace and humiliation to your enemy. We cannot unilaterally self-surrender our leverages without at least asking La Republique to give concession of some sort, some relief of some kind and not without the Leadership of the revolution making a thorough assessment of how far we have traveled.
The leaders of the consortium are still in jail. Many people have disappeared without any account of their situation. There are reports of arrests at the Airports of entry in Cameroon. Why should the people of Southern Cameroon surrender their just cause with no incentive from La Republique ?
Lesson 102: Do not begin a war or a revolution if you don't believe you can win or see it through, because the consequences of failure could be as devastating as those of a failed coup d'état.
As we knew all along, La Republique is playing with time. We all knew that the regime's strategy was to just sit and do nothing and the movement would eventually wane, wear and tear down, and self-destruct and go away. Is this really how we want the "Coffin Revolution" remembered ?
Surrendering now –and especially without condition-- would greatly vindicate the regime's strategy, nationally and internationally.
In fact, the Regime could use this experiment as a template for any other future legitimate revendication from the Southern Cameroonian people. The kleptocratic Government of "La Republique" would have proven to itself that these Anglophones are just toothless- saber rattling folks who should not be taken seriously. All it takes is for the Government to just sit, ignore them for a while, do nothing and the people will sooner or later disagree amongst themselves, fight against each other, debate against themselves and go away without the government having to do a thing.
Is this how we want the "Coffin Revolution" to end ? It is really up to the people of Southern Cameroon.
People, this is my take.
1- If we must call off the "Ghost Town" and resume school, we cannot do so unilaterally in a self-defeating and self-surrendering manner. It must be conditioned on the government doing something in return. It cannot be a unilateral self-surrender that vindicates the Government of La Republique and villainize the Consortium which would be seen as the "trouble makers" responsible for all the loss of lives and the damages that our people have endured so bravely. To call off the "Ghost Town" and resume school, the Leadership of SCACUF must at least ask for the following:
a- Immediate and unconditional release of all the people in detention in the torture chambers of La Republique. If some people are to be held accountable by the law, then they must be transferred to the Southern Cameroon courts that have jurisdiction over their cases and the Common law –not the French Civil law—must be used in those courts.
b- The government must lift the ban and restrictions on organizations like the SCNC, the Consortium, MoRisc and SCACUF. These movements have the full rights under the constitution's freedom clause to operate in the country. These movements constitute the legal and constitutional venues for the people to make their voices heard, now and in the future.
People, make no mistake, if we surrender without any conditions, that would mean that the government will continue to arrest, to abduct, to torture and to kill our people with impunity and we would have no platform or organizations to make our voices heard, because the SCNC, the Consortium would remain banned and illegal.
Our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly rights –which should be guaranteed by the constitution—would be stripped with very little or no hope to ever getting it back.
So people, yes, we like our children to go back to school, we like our people to go back to doing their businesses on Mondays, but it cannot, and must not be done unilaterally and without any conditions or guarantee from the government. It cannot be a unilateral self-surrendering and self-humiliating decision with the other side giving absolutely nothing.
If we are even having this discussion at this point in time, that in and of itself is a sign of defeat and we must begin to learn the hard lessons of history:
a- Never start a war or a revolution that you don't believe you can win –or that you can't win--. That is why no country in the world ever thinks of starting a military war with the USA.
b- Never start a revolution if you can't sustain it to the end. Revolutions are generally slow to produce results, and especially so when they are non- violent ones. Ideally, revolutions have to be short and swift such as the one we witnessed in Burkina Faso. But if they are designed to be long and enduring like that of the Palestine, or South Africa, then you must be mentally, materially and logistically equipped and ready to sustain it for as long it could take.
If our people want their full freedom, then they must be ready for a long and sustained struggle that could last for at least two years.
Short of surrendering and calling off the "Ghost Town" and resume school, the leadership of the revolution could tell our people to hold on to the struggle for another year and at that point in time, they will make a comprehensive assessment and come up with a way forward. This option can also force the Government to want to work out something if they feel that they can't sustain the status quo for another year.
www.africa-wakeup.com. A great source of inspiration to the problems we face.
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On Monday, July 3, 2017 8:47 PM, "Mishe Fon mishefon@yahoo.com [camnetwork]" <camnetwork@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hello Fellow Southern Cameroonians !!
"We" started a revolution in November 2016 for our emanicipation and enhancement of our rights, self determination and ability to carve our own future without the diktats of foreign entities.
We have fought a gallant fight. We have not WON yet we have not LOST. We have shown to the entire world how resilient we can be when we want to.
Almost one year after (Lawyers, Teachers and the subsequent "Coffin Revolution"), methinks it is time to do some soul searching, introspection and map out strategies for the way forward.
NB: These are my random thoughts and not emanating from any ante-chambers of some political think-tank. So if you must attack my input, then do so without using the tired route of calling all dissenting opinionated characters like moi-meme as "Sell Outs". I am not and never will be. I say it as I see it. Na all dat.
POSITIVES:
1) Truth be told, Cameroon shall never be the same again in the foreseable future
2) Being an "Anglophone" shall never be used again perjoratively by francophones to disparage people of Southern Cameroons. Southern Cameroonian leaders have emerged who were hitherto unknown in the national scene and boy oh boy...are they fire-brand?
3) Appointment of S/C as eternal "Adjoints" in government of parapublic organizations will no longer be the norm. Meritorious anglophones will occupy prestigious positions in government like Finance, Defense, Secretary General @ the Presidency, Ambassador to the USA, Nigeria, UK.
4) English shall be taught to Anglophone students by Anglophone teachers in the English language.
5) Everyone now accepts that there are two main distinct cultures that cannot be bastardized by a stroke of the pen (Decrets) or by acrobatic subterfuge or political chicanery that partly led to the present stalemate.
6) Without the advantage of a sophisticated well armed (to the teeth) security forces, Southern Cameroonians have once again proved what resilience can do while standing in harms way.
In that sense, we've succeeded way beyond our expectations. While I understand that certain aspects of our DEMANDS have not been fulfilled (remember that HOPES never Die:
I am Suggesting that we take a deep breath and put an end to the GHOSTs TOWN phenomenon and pave the way for a resumption of schools, come September 2017. And here are my reasons:
A) Allowing our children to go back to school is not a sign of failure, weakness or capitulation but an element in political science described in self defence politicking as "Negotiation Jujitsu Bodoshiming"
Information reaching some of us reveals that a prolonged status quo may make an already deplorable economic chaotic climate more confusing. As a matter of fact, many of our youths have been radicalized, constituting and transforming themselves into dangerous elements of uncertainty. They are now going around (especially in the North West Provinve unleashing a new brand version of urban terrorism) on the population that has borne the bulk of the entire suffering of the S/C peoples. Many of these our desperado youths (through no fault of theirs) may be lured into provocative acts of arson and banditry thereby jeopardizing our already fragile and even non existent security.
We, Southern Cameroonians have to accept our own short-comings. Many of us are greedy self-seeking careerist opportunists, power hungry unconscious despots and even political neophytes. We are the architects of our own demise (Over book, Over sabi and Over Do Me I Do You) This is not a critique. It is reality and I am guilty as charged for the same crimes. It simply means..."We too like Fight; justified or not".
B) Truth be told: Life is gradually returning to normal in many parts of SW Region. Instead of allowing our "Collective Fight" to die a natural death, (with all the repercusions that may reverberate from a few over zealous CPDM talking heads) it is better to call an official "Cease Fire".
C) Calling off the Ghost Towns and Resumption of classes come September 2017 will not stop SC from continuing to request the immediate release of their leaders; the continuous demands of an autonomous, Independent or Federal Southern Cameroons (which ever comes first).
CONCLUSION
I am hereby officially and for the reasons raised above begging our "LEADERS" of the various SC groups to give a serious thought to my suggestions and LIFT the specter of the debilitating GHOST TOWNS and Schools Closure.
I may be wrong but what is the rationale for (example)"Anglophones of Bamenda extraction" not going to school in Bamenda but their other children attend "Anglophone" schools in Yaounde, Douala or Limbe?
I honestly don't understand. YES, there are so many "Anglophone" schools in Yaounde (Bastos, Etoug-Ebe, Biyem Assi, Melen, Madagascar, Essos, Obilli, Lake Y'de, Etoudi, Titi Garage, Nsam Efoulan, Cite Verte). All these "Anglophone" schools (Private, Religious and Para-government) are functioning 100% without the slightes inkling about the strike in Abakwa.
The curriculum taught in these schools is not the topic of this discussion but rather the fact that there is an observation of a clear cut case of DOUBLE STANDARDS. You can juxtapose this same scenario with our LAWYERS. Na the same thing. I dey tok lie?
Mbang Nfor Mishe Fon
Matrufon of Alamatu, Njuh Mankung
Southern Cameroonian in very good standing
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Posted by: Mishe Fon <mishefon@yahoo.com>
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