This Present “Cameroons” was not the German Kamerun.
German Kamerun didn’t include only Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.
Part of the argument often presented by Francophones is that we were all part of German Kamerun so we must remain together as one country. This is incorrect.
If La Republique du Cameroun wants to build a country on the basis of the former German Kamerun, then there are more territories for them to be fighting to conquer. Part of current day Borno and Gongola state in Nigeria (previously Northern Cameroons) were all part of the territory of German Kamerun.
In Cross River state in Nigeria, Obodu Ranch and the villages around it were also all part of German Kamerun. This area was carved out and handed to Nigeria purely because of the amount of investment the Nigerian government had made on this region as a touristic site. Almost the whole of Central African Republic, Southern Chad, and Northern Gabon were all managed as part of German Kamerun.
German Kamerun seized to exist from 1916.
By Rexon
Bareta’s take: These are the facts. So La Republique cannot claim we were one before. We were never ever one before. It just happened that as a result of colonialism and bad faith from the UN, UK and France, the option of staying as an independent country was left out. 56 years after the 11th February vote, we are crying the annexation and subjugation of our people. My personal view is that as it stands, no matter which group we support, be it the restoration of a two-state federation or independence, it boils down to the people of Southern Cameroons making that choice. Would it be a referendum to choose your future or we all get into the bush and pick up arms? Both ways there is a cost and price we must pay. The answers lie with YOU.
6 comments
Honestly, I would say Arms have never solved and will never solve problems that were not caused by arms… So there is no need for us to be talking Arms here. All we need to do is to continue to pressure the UN to step in and do the right thing. As long as we continue to write and discuss online only, and not take any positive move towards getting the UN worked-up in this struggle, we shall continue to go in circles and our great grand children will also go in those same circles.
A referendum is all there is to solve this problem and nothing else. Openly executing our right to self-determination would provoke a blood bath from the trigger happy illiterates we call the Army of La Republic. We can see how well the peaceful strikes and boycotts have crumbled the economy of LRC. In that same spirit, we need to push harder to make the UN uncomfortable until they step in to handle our case.
The only weapon, which most of us have seemed not to settle with here, is Prayer. The bible says “If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and call to me, I will here them and will heal their land”. I urge every Southern Cameroonian to pray, no matter whether you believe in it or not, because it is a ticket God freely gave us to use whenever we are wanting or feeling down. Do not ignore it.
I absolutely agree with your point. Arm conflict will never resolve this issue. It would be a case of the weakest in arms taking the fight to the strongest in arms and that would be a folly I suppose.
On the other hand we have to employ what we are strongest in, wisdom, international deplomacy, civil disobedience, and all other forms of assertive actions not least prayers, against the enemy’s pathetic ignorance and madness that makes them-LRC- commit all sorts of atocities against us peace loving Southern Cameroonians.
I think this is the only sensible route that brings us a convincing victory against our already faltering foe.
I agree with you that arms is not the answer to this matter. We are in the right direction but we need to intensify the ghost towns days and our demonstrations worldwide. The foreign journalists are stepping in and asking the most needed questions to the UN on our behalf. Add that to fervent prayer and the UN will change their language in no time.
My1 cent
kikikikik the U N will never step in without arms in action because they consider the situation now as an internal problem. The ghost town can be effective for three months and not more…….like now, its fading gradually….what is your next step or program or plan??? nothing and we go back to square 0 till the next generation. The main problem with the S C struggle is the lack of a charasmatic leader and an armed group to reinforce some actions eg the consortium banned the CPDM from S C, that was good, but without an armed group that decision cannot be inforced. we need an armed group that acts in the night and disappear in the day…….non violence and your prayers or cruel deception called God will never helpyour case till dawn. i will be part of the struggle when you people start talking of arms. Hon Wirba like many others is gone never to come back to S C again…that is the non violence you people think will solve the problem right???
Every man got the right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality.
So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle,
‘Cause that’s the only way we can overcome our little trouble. -Bob Marley
Anyone who thinks that the Southern Cameroons problem will be resolved peacefully without armed struggle is not being realistic or has not learned anything from history. First, let these proponents of nonviolence point to just one country that was oppressed and eventually became free without armed struggle – is it Zimbabwe, South Sudan, East Timor or South Africa? Admittedly, the case of South Africa is somewhat different because it did not involve an all out armed struggle, but various anti apartheid groups were involved in sporadic violence coupled with the international pressure that the United States, in particular, applied through economic sanctions. And yes, prayers will also help just as they did in South Africa. But South Africa is a unique example because the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party were both united and steadfast against apartheid, as was the Anglican Church in South Africa under the leadership of Bishop Desmond Tutu. What is more, the African National Congress had people all over the world where it mattered most, in the various European capitals and the United States who lobbied the governments of those countries against apartheid. Still in the United States, elite private and public universities organized demonstrations by taking over administration building and sitting in presidents offices to demand that their institutions withdraw their funds from companies doing business in South Africa, as well as lobbying the Congressional representatives and United States Senators to enact legislation against apartheid. These tactics worked. In the case of Southern Cameroons, we do not yet have such a well coordinated strategy and orchestrated, and without it, I am afraid that we might not be able to garner international attention to our cause to be able have the kind of impact needed to dislodge the Republic of Cameroun from our country.