Interim Government of Buea
Southern Cameroons Presidency

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND WHAT IF THE ARREST WAS GOOD FOR THE STRUGGLE AND THE POWER OF QUIET DIPLOMACY?

History tells us that leaders leading well-organized groups are never arrested and treated like the common group member. The arrest of Ayuk Tabe is one of those arrests that has changed such an historical argument. It may set the precedent for such actions in a movement like ours. For the fact that he was not arrested alone but with some top members of his cabinet. The question we must ask is if legally this was an arrest or an abduction? Without an official answer, it becomes difficult to situate this position. Given that no court has tried them yet, we are left with the speculation that they are missing and the Nigerian government under whose jurisdiction these leaders were lastly seen will have to tell the world where they are.

That said, have we at any time found out that this arrest should not only be viewed from a negative angle? Have we ever tried to look at things from a different angle and make our notes to the fact that water flows through some rocks not because they produce water but because good things also come from some unexpectant scenarios. Let us look at some facts that make me think that this arrest should not only be viewed negatively.

1. It is true that this struggle has exposed to us some people we had never known before. Consequently, most who stood at the helm had little or no revolutionary turf in their CVs. We grew up with the old names that had given their all to fight for the restoration of Southern Cameroons. You and I, ignorantly classified these guys as dreamers, old fools, retired people trying to ruin our futures as if we had one. Therefore, people like Ayuk Tabe, Tassang, Bih Nalowa, Bar Eyambe and others that were picked up in Nigeria have simply been admitted to the school of a revolution. Beside Nfor Ngala Nfor who had seen the four walls of a cell and prison for this same fight, these guys may come out with a similar story of what it means to be in a revolution.

2. Though we cannot outrightly claim a prison scenario in the present situation, it is common knowledge as claimed by Mandela that prison has two objectives, to burn you, break you and curl you to submission or remove the idea of a revolution in you and feed you with what the oppressor wants you to be saying. If you go above these two objectives, then prison will make you strong. In his own words, Mandela said the best of friends are made in prison where the bond of solidarity and unity is so strong than even out of prison. For those who go into prison as woes may come out as friends. This may give these leaders a time to sit and think, and strategize as a team having a common purpose. It is a time to spare some airtime and whatsapp messages and talk like real men and women.They will be spared the charges of an expensive hotel to discuss important issues and ready to come out with one resolve.

3. The Biblical Daniel became a friend with the lions not because the lions became goats overnight. The miraculous quietude of those lions have been sung for so long. The bit and large of that story is that if you belief in what you stand for, then you can even change the perception of what your captors had for you. Is this not the moment for this comrades to speak truth to the highest authorities in Nigeria and awake their spirits to the truth and the fact that they voted for the SC to be independent in 1961? Is not that time to strike private deals and make sense of quiet diplomacy with the big brother of Africa? This arrest must be positively used towards this goal.

4. For the first time I have seen unity in action. We have been calling on the various factions to come together for a common purpose. The attacks and counter attacks were voluminous and it was not good for the struggle. This arrest made us to see that these leaders can stand for once as brothers and sisters having a similar baby to breastfeed. Boh Herbert and MORISC was one of the first to condemn the arrest and called off the conference that was billed for this month in the USA. In a strongly worded message BH cried for the unconditional release of “OUR LEADERS” in his own words. Ayaba Cho Lucas condemned the arrest and called for the immediate release of the interim president and other comrades arrested with him. These two emblematic figures showed the world that the journey is one but what they differ on is the route to arrive.

5. Once these leaders were arrested, Francophone newspapers and social media fora were full with joy. Some of our friends were quick to pass judgement on them before we could even speculate joy and expressing different reasons why they were arrested. One pseudo intellectual in Yaounde was quick to announce that “the baggage of dry beef from Biafra has arrived Yaounde and is ready for a good cook of eru and Nkok” if not then it will be “good for Nkwi soup”. The famous Vision 4 in their club d’elites announced authoritatively that the leaders are in Yaounde and they have seen them with their own eyes. They appreciated their president and their secret services for entering and arresting people in Nigeria and leave without any spot on them. One Obama even compared them to operation black hawk that went down in Somalia and picked Al-shabab fighters without the Somali authorities knowing what was happening. Now that Chris Anu has said with a strong sounding voice that the leaders are in Nigeria what have they to say again? Their mouths have gone shut and now we are hearing other stories. Is this not an opportunity to tell them that law exists in different societies and one man cannot decide the law of a country? Can LRC learn from this that without an extradition treaty, you cannot simply transfer human beings like DHL documents? Can we now learn that when diplomacy and politics try to mingle in law, chaos can rub the peace of a society?

6. Lastly, Christians the world over know that the arrest and crucifixion of Christ was a prophesy to confirm the will of God and conclude Christ’s earthly mission. If Satan knew all of these, he would not have allow it to happen. This is because the killing of Jesus simply transformed him into a martyr and today millions call him the messiah. I started this post by saying that many of us did not know some of these leaders. Ayuk Tabe was not a member of the consortium. Neither was he on ground zero when everything started, he is not a teacher or a lawyer in Cameroon or a bike rider. He simply came on board as many of us in the diaspora in solidarity with the happenings back home. Nonetheless leadership chose him and he won the hearts of millions of our people. Be rest assured that his eminent freedom will make him a hero in the eyes of his adversaries. When the presidential council will officially hand back power to him, it will show the power of our democracy and team work.

FYI, part 2 will be based on the place of quiet diplomacy in a struggle like this. I will be back.

Atanga Belmondo, PhD student

Politcal Historian

 

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