Biya Badly Disappoints Federalists in New Year Speech

The year 2017 was not only a year of running information battles between hard core nationalists of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, and the colonial government of La Republique du Cameroun (LRC), but also saw those who still believe in a two states Union with LRC pushing for a middle ground between the two radical forces. Federalists had exploited the hard stance of both the colonial government (one-united and indivisible Cameroon) and Ambazonian nationalists (Complete Restoration of independence), to pitch their tent at the middle ground of a two State Federation.

Hopes were therefore high that, with the mounting global pressure for frank and inclusive dialogue especially after the recent visit of Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland (SG, Commonwealth); Mr. Biya was going to make some concessions by releasing all Ambazonians being held captive on account of this crisis, and shifting his illusionary one and indivisible grounds to the middle ground. Through this, the old man would have succeeded in winning over the Federalists Ambazonians to jointly pitched tent against the hard core nationalists.

However, that was not the case. In his characteristic proud and Pharaohed-hearted nature, Mr Biya was boastful of his governments repressive efforts so far in quelling the aggressive acts of “terrorists and secessionists forces”. The colonial President, is reported to have even ignored popular advice from national and international stakeholders, calling on him to be apologetic and concessionary in his traditional end of year speech, if he intend to patched up the pieces of his already fragmented and polarized country.

But the colonial lion man, unapologetically believes that; “During the year just ending, CameroUn confirmed to the world, within a difficult context, the soundness of its institutions, the resilience of its economy and its attachment to national unity.” Mr. Biya and his cohorts are still veiwing the Southern Cameroons revolution from the prism of teachers-lawyers grievances, a position that was abandoned since January last year, with a shift to demands for Federation and to Restoration. But Mr. Biya thinks that, his government has been very magnanimous by doing more than the actual grievances of the teachers and lawyers.

The lives of colonial forces are more precious to the octogenarian President, than those of innocent Ambazonians who have died in this revolution. That’s why families of soldiers eliminated by invisible forces in acts of self-defense, deserve messages of condolence from his office, while families of innocent peaceful Ambazonians murdered in cold blood by the colonial forces do not.

The over 40000 Ambazonian refugees currently in Nigeria, because of the excesses of colonial forces and the overzealous/high handedness of colonial administrators, mean nothing to the dying President of LRC. That’s why he he completely ignored mentioning their plight. After all, his heart sees them as his stubborn slaves who have suddenly developed the courage to resist his authority to control them.

Mr. Biya’s boastful and hard-line utterances about his 2017 achievements in maintaining the status quo, and his plan of action for 2018, clearly show that he was addressing only his LRC citizens, in exclusion of his captured slaves in Ambazonia. To him, the colonized slaves, who have suddenly gained enlightenment and have been agitating for Federation and a Free Ambazonia for the past one year, are on their own and will be crushed by his loyal forces.

Thank God, nationalists Ambazonians were not expecting anything strange from the colonial president, apart from what he presented as New Year speech. That is why Ambazonians also tuned in to listened to their own President, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, who assured them of the interim government’s genuine efforts towards achieving the one and only goal of the revolution – The complete restoration of the independence of Ambazonia.

Amidst these two extreme position speeches, the Federalist driven Ambazonians and LRCans, found themselves stranded in the middle. Who will now articulate their own position? They will therefore have to choose, either to be with Paul Biya and LRC or to be with Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and Ambazonia. For that is how the colonialist government wants it to be.

2018, therefore promises to be a decisive year between these two camps. Mr. Biya and his colonial government will have to bring the whole of the French Army to reclaim and recapture their suddenly stubborn slaves or they will have to fight in vain and watch painfully, as their captured slaves for 56 years get freedom to become an enemy neighbouring state.

The minority voices of Federalist Ambazonians, must therefore join the independence revolutionary movement now, to increase the rhythm and sound of the restoration drums and trumpets. In the days ahead when Yaoundé further unleashes its brutal forces to eliminate “secessionist terrorists” and maintain the “integrity of the state” as promised by Paul Biya, they would not be able to differentiate who are Federalists and “secessionists.”

From the utterances of Mr. Biya, it is evidently clear that; whether Federalists or nationalists driven, Ambazonians are all enemies of the state because, CameroUn is only ready for unitary decentralization reforms and not any two State Federation, not to even talk of “allowing a room for “secessionists.”

Based on the above, it will therefore be sweet and worthy to be murdered by Biya’s colonial forces, while hoping for and believing in a Free and independent Ambazonia, than to be murdered while hoping for and believing in a two state Federation with your murderers.

James Agbor, BaretaNews Political Analyst.