The West Cameroon Association (WCA) is a collective of English speaking Cameroonians in Cameroon and the Diaspora. We have taken note of recent developments on the well known “Anglophone Problem” and demand that President Paul Biya delivers on his pledge in his end of year address to the nation.
In that address he stated that he had “enjoined the Government to engage in frank dialogue with the various parties concerned to find appropriate solutions to the issues raised”.
These frank talks on the “Anglophone Problem” should commence without further delay, with all the stakeholders, so as not to further exacerbate the dire plight of the people of West Cameroon, which has now persisted for more than 55 years.
These issues relate to the systematic marginalisation and suppression of the Anglo-saxon heritage, language and culture of the people of West Cameroon, which have led to strike actions from Teachers of the Anglophone Sub System of Education, Common Law Lawyers, Students and other Trade Unions.
The WCA strongly condemns the government’s response which has only relied on beatings, arbitrary arrests, detentions and torture, and in some cases firing live ammunitions and killing unarmed civilians for expressing their rights to a peaceful protest.
Some of the scenes of armed forces maltreatment of young Anglophone students and lawyers were barbaric and unacceptable, and we ask the government to establish an independent commission of inquiry with full powers to summon and interview witnesses. Such a commission should be chaired by an individual or individuals selected in consultation with the Consortium.
WCA therefore calls on the government to initiate dialogue in good faith with the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) and other key stakeholders, as the situation currently brewing in West Cameroon necessitates urgent resolution.
It is now clear that the “Anglophone Problem” needs to be comprehensively addressed and we sense that the urgency that this situation demands is being treated by the Government with the same disdain and underhandedness that has caused the current crisis.
The Secretariat,
The West Cameroon Association,
Email: secretariat[at]westcamassoc[dot]org
Weblink: http://www.westcamassoc.org/
