The site is about the current GENOCIDE on the people of the British Southern Cameroons. To understand why they are being killed, it is very important to understand the history of British Southern Cameroon (Ambazonia)
As a result of the First World War, which pitched the Germans against the British and French in the German colony of Kamerun (Cameroon), the Germans were defeated and ousted from the territory. As a result of German defeat, the British and French attempted a joint administration of the territory, which failed. Consequently, the territory was partitioned by both powers.The British took one-fifth and the French four-fifth of the territory. From the nature of the partition, the seed of the Southern Cameroons problem began, namely, minority problem. In order to conveniently administer their own portion of Cameroon as a mandate territory of the League of Nations, the British administered it as an integral part of Nigeria. To better do this, they further split the territory into Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons. Since the British did not consider the territory as viable, they did very little as concerns social and economic development of the territory. The British first administered Southern Cameroons as part of Southern Province of Nigeria, whose headquarters was in Lagos and later under the Eastern Region of Nigeria, when Nigeria was divided into three regions: namely, Northern, Western and Eastern. Therefore, Southern Cameroons was administered from Enugu, which wast the headquarters of the Eastern Region.
Under the Eastern Region, she suffered what was known as the Ibo domination. The Ibo established their hegemony over Southern Cameroons and caused them to be further frustrated by foreign domination. However, it was during this period that the first parliamentary elections were organised in the territory to choose representatives to the Eastern Regional House of Assembly and Federal House in Lagos. Following discrimination they faced as a minority group in the assembly, they walked out in protest and declared Benevolent Neutrality in Nigerian politics. This led to the holding of the first Southern Cameroons Conference in Mamfe in 1953. This Conference adopted a petition addressed to the United Kingdom Government that demanded for a separate regional status in conformity with Southern Cameroons’ status as a UN Trust territory. It was from here that Southern Cameroons nationalism began. This political action yielded the desired results. In 1954, Southern Cameroons achieved self-governing status, with Dr. EML Endeley as first Premier.
This new achievement revved up a multi-faceted nationalism. Some of its leaders thought that this was a progress that was to lead them to regional autonomy and therefore opted for integration into Nigeria. Some as a result of the experience they received as a colony under another colony, namely, Nigeria, opted for independence. Some as a result of nostalgia and influence from French Cameroun opted for unification with French Cameroun. Unable to come to a consensus, the UN, which became the supervisory authority of the former mandate territories, including British Cameroons imposed two options on them. The options were: whether they would like to achieve independence by reunifying with French Cameroon which as a result of their independence on January 1st, 1960 became La Republique du Cameroun or integrating with Nigeria which was already given independence too. Prior to the plebiscite, in 1959 Southern Cameroons organised democratic elections for a third time and effected the first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in the 20th Century Africa.
In this election, the incumbent Premier Dr. E.M.L. Endeley and his ruling party, the Cameroon People National Congress (CPNC), were defeated and he became leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly. Following the UN-organised plebiscite of February 11, 1961, which was organised on the same day separately for Southern Cameroons and Northern Cameroons, Northern Cameroons voted for integration into Nigeria and was thus integrated, while Southern Cameroons voted for unification with French Cameroon and was thus reunified. This began the story of unification of the two Cameroons united in a UN-sponsored federation of two states of EQUAL STATUS known as the Federal Republic of Cameroon in October 1961.
Annexation of Southern Cameroons by La Republique du Cameroun: The Foumban Constitutional Conference of 1961, which federated Southern Cameroons with La Republique du Cameroun was not in line with what, the UN had envisaged. According to the UN such a conference was to involve the governments of Southern Cameroons, La Republique du Cameroun, United Kingdom as the Administering Authority, and the UN as the Supervisory Authority. Unfortunately, it was held without some of these parties like the UN and Britain. Again, there was no accord signed by the two parties that discussed in Foumban. However, the Federal Republique of Cameroon that emerged from Foumban Talks was made up of two federated states, namely, the State of West Cameroon, made up of Southern Cameroons, and the State of East Cameroon, made of La Republique du Cameroun. Thus, the disappearance of Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun, which respectively became sub nations of the federation with each retaining its inherited territory, colonial political and administrative system, legal, educational, economic and cultural syste
The Role of Traditional Authority
During the struggle for independence the influence of the Traditional Rulers was very strong and with constitutional evolution the British approved a House of Chiefs, with consultative powers in 1957 thus like the British House of Lords, Southern Cameroons had an upper house. This was a clear recognition of the important role of the Fons and Chiefs. Within the brief period of self rule Oct. 1954 – Sept. 1961, there was fast development in all sectors of life. Anglo-Saxon culture flourished as democratic political institutions took firm roots in national life. However, the treachery of “independence by joining” reversed the clock of progress. The worst came as from 1972 when French culture, values were imposed with the abolition of the State Government, House of Assembly and House of Chiefs in Buea. The traditional rulers are now auxiliaries of the Yaounde administration whose francophone proconsuls lord it over the traditional rulers. They no longer serve as the embodiment of the culture and tradition of their people. The Fons and Chiefs are the agents of the Yaounde dictator against their people.
The Rape of British Southern Cameroons by French Cameroon as Narrated by the Former PM of West Cameroon, J.N Foncha.
Only Solution
It is only the restoration of the statehood and sovereign independence of Southern Cameroons that can reverse the negative situation. French colonialism has badly affected the Southern Cameroons society culturally, socially, morally, economically and politically. Moral bankruptcy, the francophone corrupt culture implanted by the francophone colonialist’s rigid bureaucracy and the love of leisure, high consumption of alcohol, copied from the francophone has so negatively ruined the Southern Cameroons society leaving terrible scars that had long begged even for a revolution. Some of the Fons have become real tyrants and are known to have been responsible for the death of their subjects simply for opposing the Yaounde regime. By tradition a Fon is not supposed to do evil, shed blood, and see a corpse. Under the dispensation of Yaounde annexation and colonial rule, and so long as they act to further the interest of Yaounde annexation and colonial rule they are protected. Through the culture of brutal repression, the “balancoire”, the culture of fear has transformed the people into mere shadows of the indigenous personality. The clamor for liberation and restoration of statehood and sovereign independence is to build a vibrant and dynamic culture, Organization, and Political System. As an annexed, colonized and occupied territory, the British Southern Cameroon has no political system that is a true reflection of the legitimate aspirations of the people.
The annexationist Yaounde regime has imposed its rigid centralized system, which is characteristically insensitive to the feelings of Southern Cameroonians. To make Southern Cameroons a real colony and an appendage of Yaounde, in 1972 the Southern Cameroon’s government was abrogated and the territory was balkanized into two provinces of La Republique du Cameroun. The two provinces are ruled by two governors appointed by Presidential Decrees and as representatives of the President, each is accountable and responsible to him the President.
The two governors, are mostly francophone Camerounese. The imposed administrative system is the Napoleonic Prefectoral system in which the proconsul wields unlimited powers, is law unto himself. Within his area of jurisdiction and above his subjects he is an absolute tyrant. He owes his high position and continuance in that post or rise to a higher post to the absolute President alone. There is an unwritten, but well executed policy in Southern Cameroons; for the proconsul to demonstrate his loyalty to his mentor and account for your stewardship brute force must be used to keep the subjects subservient. As experience has proven it is the most oppressive prefects, governors and uniform personnel that have earned accelerated promotion and appointments to higher position in government. Southern Cameroons has thus become a land of golden opportunities for the most oppressive and exploitative Francophones; indeed those who slice your throat while smiling with you.
Southern Cameroonians fought hard, lost lives, limbs and enormous property to bring about multiparty politics and democracy. Under the Yaounde dictatorship, victory for the incumbent President Paul Biya is programmed and sealed before date of election is announced and voting materials printed. The duty of the electorate is to confirm the right to remain in power of the incumbent. The overriding will to protect and reserve supreme French interest by the francophone political elite who are appointed by Paris to administer the French oversea territory of French Cameroun has grossly blocked the process of democratization. This is a strong evident of incompatibility between the two Cameroons. While French Cameroun has never known democracy, the Southern Cameroon developed under constitutional democracy. Prior to annexation, Southern Cameroons as a Trust Territory under United Kingdom administration inherited the Westminster Parliamentary system.
Southern Cameroons became a self-governing trust territory in 1954 under a democratically-elected government led by Dr. EML Endeley. With a genuine democratic and constitutional evolution, in 1957 Southern Cameroons was granted a House of Chiefs, thus like Britain, Southern Cameroon operated a bicameral legislative system. In 1959 through free and fair general elections, Premier Endeley-led Cameroon People’s National Convention (CPNC) government was defeated and he peacefully handed over to the winner, J.N. Foncha of the Kamerun National Democratic Party(KNDP). This was followed by the adoption of a new constitution – Constitution (Order) in Council 1960, which was meant to lead Southern Cameroons to independence. However, through international colonial conspiracy, instead of granting complete independence in conformity with Art. 76(b) of UN Charter and UN Resolution 1514 of 1960, the colonial powers misled the UN to impose “independence by joining” either Nigeria or La Republique du Cameroun. In addition to imposing this, the UN was led to adopt two obnoxious questions that denied Southern Cameroons their inalienable right to self-determination and sovereign independence. By this colonial manipulation, effective and genuine decolonization in Southern Cameroon was postponed. The mission of all Southern Cameroonians right now is RIGHT THE WRONGS OF YESTERDAY – restore Southern Cameroonians to the dignity, their natural rights as the legitimate owners and masters of the Southern Cameroon territory, masters of their destiny by peacefully leading Southern Cameroons to take her deserved seat within the comity of sovereign nations.
Southern Cameroons is currently a colony of La Republique du Cameroun and in consideration of the fact that the modern world has banned colonialism just like slavery, Southern Cameroonians are legitimately entitled to international support to oust the colonizer, namely, La Republique du Cameroun. It was in recognition and defense of the enjoyment of this inalienable right of all peoples that classical colonialism, foreign domination and the abolition of apartheid took place. Southern Cameroon is the only UN Trust territory abandoned to its fate and annexed, colonized and occupied by La Republique du Cameroun. It is a victim of classical colonialism and foreign domination and should be decolonized under international law and international support. ( Read More)
Current Crisis
On October 6, 2016, lawyer and teacher trade unions in the Anglophone regions initiated a strike. Led by Barrister Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba, and Tassang Wilfred, they were protesting against the appointment of French-speaking judges in the British Southern Cameroons. They saw this not only as threatening the common law system in the Anglophone regions, but as part of the general marginalization of Anglophones. The strikes were supported by peaceful protests in the cities of Bamenda, Buea and Limbe. The activists demanded protection of the Common law system of the Anglophone regions, and opposed the civil law system used by the Francophone magistrate in courts in British Cameroon, thus replacing the common law system. They asked for several laws to be translated into English. The greater population inspired by Mancho Bibixy with a coffin demanded for the respect of British Cameroon’s identity. He equally questioned the neglect of the region by the French Cameroun authorities (View Here).
The Cameroonian government deployed security forces to crack down on the protests. Protesters were attacked with tear gas, and many lawyers were brutally assaulted by soldiers. Throughout November 2016, thousands of teachers in the Anglophone regions joined the lawyers’ strike. All schools in the Anglophone regions were shut down.[
Two weeks into the protests, more than 100 protesters including students had been arrested. More than six protesters were killed by French-Cameroun soldiers. Many Students in Bamenda and Buea were pulled out of their hostels, tortured and humiliated. Some were ordered to swim in sewage drains.
In January 2017, the Cameroonian government set up a committee to initiate a dialogue with the lawyer activists. When the anglophone civil society leaders stood their grounds on their demands for the respect of Anglophone values in their education, judicial and social life, the government terminated the talks by arresting the leaders and banning their united forum. Civil disobedience continued. The protesters were now openly regarded as a security threat by the Cameroonian government, and more arrests followed. The government also implemented an Internet blockade in cities across the Anglophone regions.
On 22 September, 2017, the population of the British Southern Cameroon came out to the streets with tree branches – signalling peace, to demand for the respect of their anglo-saxon heritage. They came out again on 1st October, 2017, to symbolically declare their independence. The date is of significance to the British Southern Cameroonians, as it reminisces 1961 when they voted to form a union of two equals with French-Cameroun, then an independent country in 1960. Any government in the world would have addressed the protesters’ demand, but being inferior human beings, Paul Biya of French Cameroun did not. Through his French-Speaking governors in the British Southern Cameroons Paul Biya ordered the Police, French para-military – Gerdames, Biya’s personal militia squad – BIR, undercover officers and regular army to open fire. Many were executed, some with hardware such as helicopter gun ships, and war cannons.
The International Crisis Group Reports:
“….They made use of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Sexual abuse, destruction of property and looting of homes by soldiers and police, as well as shooting from helicopters at protesters in Kumba, Bamenda and near Buea were reported by a dozen residents, local politicians, senior officials, the press, human rights organisations and the Catholic bishops of the two regions…” (read more)
“…. Cameroonian troops and attack helicopters opened fire on the protesters. These were not rubber bullets. These were live rounds, and many lost their lives”. Daily Beast
The number of civilians killed on that day will never be known until an independent, unfettered investigation is conducted. For now, the only credible investigation about the killings is that of Joseph Wirba, parliamentarian of Cameroon’s main opposition party – the Social Democratic Front (SDF), who puts the number killed on those days at 122.
The report equally designate 150 still missing and about 2000 intentionally shot to incapacitate (More here). A victim in the town of Kumbo who received two gunshots on his legs says the military told him before the shots that, “I will see how you will use these legs to march again”. When peaceful demonstrations as such were met with violent repression, it exacerbated tensions and escalated the conflict to an international crisis. Read More from the International Crisis Group.
The repression from the French-Cameroun security has been beyond ruthless with beheading of innocent civilians, burning of villagers, villages and livelihoods. Stunning has been an international conspiracy to quash the Atrocity Crimes on the people of this part of the globe. This site captures these atrocities in all its dimensions and ramifications.
Our wish is to tell the world what the UN, France, AU, the UK and other sympathizers of French-Cameroun are hiding from them. This is a genocide, period.
