BaretaNews brought to the attention on Tuesday 31st January the meeting between the Higher Education Minister and head of Government with West Cameroon Bishops. The public was anxious about what will happen. Amongst others, BaretaNews wrote:

” We hope they will tell the Minister to tell Biya to release all our leaders and people unconditionally, demilitarize our streets (No one goes to school with military everywhere), restore our internet, then come to the dialogue table to talk about the form of the state with a third party. The people of West Cameroon shall NOT accept anything from the Catholic Bishops with the Minister of Higher Education which is not in line with the above. Bishops stand your grounds. We are watching…”

It seems the Bishop stood their grounds. Below is a short statement from the secretariat of the Bishops Conference: It reads:

The Bishops of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC) met with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Higher Education today, 31 January 2017. They expressed their concerns about the current crisis situation in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. They made proposals to Government to reopen dialogue in the interest of getting a lasting solution to the Anglophone Problem.

The Bishops were particularly concerned about the stalemate in the schools and in other areas of life and business in the said Regions. However, they pointed out to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Higher Education that the resumption of schools and the calling off of the strike depend on the effective provision of a lasting solution to the crisis by Government, the decision of the Teachers’ Trade Union Leaders and the spontaneous collaboration of parents.

For and on behalf of the Bishops of BAPEC:
Zephyrinus YEM MBUH, SD,
Secretary General of BAPEC