Fellow Cameroonians,

It is with great consternation that we have learned that the non-violent, stay-at-home strike that was called by teachers of Northwest and Southwest regions was transformed into violent confrontations between citizens and the police in Bamenda.

The Cameroon People’s Party calls on English-speaking Cameroonians. You are within your rights to express your dissatisfaction and frustration with governance in Cameroon in general and with the failures of the reunification process in particular. It is your right to protest. You must do so with determination and without violence.

We are building a Cameroon that is Leading the Way. It is not in our interest to destroy the lives of Cameroonians, nor property which belongs to all of us as a nation. We are at a crucial time in the history of our country. All of us as Cameroonians, English-speaking and French-speaking are demanding Political Transition. It is only through national dialogue that defines solutions where every Cameroonian is treated as a first-class citizen, that we will build an inclusive and diverse nation.

The Cameroon People’s Party firmly believes in a unified and indivisible Cameroon. Together, as Cameroonians of all regions, we will build this nation.

Demand your rights, express your political opinion, protest. This is your right as a citizen. it is your obligation to do so without violence.

The Cameroon People’s Party also calls on the forces of law and order. It is your role to maintain peace and security for all citizens. You are not at the service of an individual, a political party or a regime. You are at the service of the Cameroonian people who embody the Cameroonian nation. Maintain order and security. Do so without violence or oppression on the people whom you serve. Respect the rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution. These citizens are protesting the same injustices which you as citizens suffer from. Respect them and do not violate their rights.

Finally, the CPP calls on Cameroonians who are French-speaking. The fact that English-speaking Cameroonians demand their rights and protest injustices does not in any way diminish or reduce the discriminations and injustices which all Cameroonians face, on the contrary. This is a moment to stand in solidarity as Cameroonians. This is a moment to stand for a Cameroon that respects diversity, ensures equal rights for every Cameroonian and defends the rights of minorities. Stand in solidarity with English-speaking brothers and sisters. You know this government is the epitome of bad governance. It has mismanaged our economy, our education, our health and much more. It stands to reason that it has mismanaged our reunification process. Stand for the rights of minorities in our country, stand for our identity as a bilingual and equitable nation.

Political Transition is the solution for all Cameroonians today. We must take our destiny into our own hands. We must all come together to demand this Political Transition, with determination and without violence, until we obtain it.

Cameroon belongs to us as its people. Together, let us build a Cameroon that is Leading the Way.

Kah Walla