Mme Edith KAH WALLA, Président of the CPP, Founder/Proprietor of Cameroon OBOSSO and Coordinator of STAND-UP-CAMEROON; deeply STRUCK by the on going wahala in both the North and South West Regions, writes:
ARE WE “MORE” UNITED NOW?
Yesterday, I was voiceless before the brutality and Barbary of our government with regard to its citizens. I read a lot of comments by Cameroonians. This note received from a sister in the South West, touched me the most. I want to share it with you.
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Are We ‘MORE’ United Now?
For all those who asked that maximum force be used against protestors because Cameroon is One and Indivisible (as spelt out in the Constitution) it was used. I ask you, Are we MORE united NOW?
To those who RIGHTFULLY said the flag was desecrated and this was unpardonable, the punishment has been inflicted. So, are we MORE United NOW?
To those who so loved our children that they pledged (RIGHTFULLY SO) WHILE OTHERS used force to send them to school, but did not love them enough to say STOP as they were being killed, I ask you, Are we MORE united NOW?
To those who said the Anglophones should be quiet, because all of us as Cameroonians have the same problems, yesterday the gun quieted the Anglophones, Are we MORE united NOW?
To those who labeled us terrorists, rats, dogs and cockroaches, well, we have been treated as such, chased, smashed, brutalized and some exterminated. I hope we are MORE united NOW.
We have been so ruled by decree, that we have come to believe in it ourselves. So as we moved towards danger and people saw it approaching closer and closer to themselves, Cameroonians themselves starting issuing the decrees.
They shouted over Facebook: Cameroon shall never be divided. Forgetting they RATHER have to take Steps towards making it genuinely United.
They tweeted: I am Franglophone. Never having set foot in another region and most certainly incapable of speaking the other language.
They screamed over media: Who are they? What do they take themselves for? Forgetting that if you do not know who they are and do not understand what they want, then the idea of preaching more unity with them is absurd.
I too do not believe in the separation of Cameroon.
However, there is no question in my mind that many Cameroonians want to leave the union, not because they did not believe in it or did not love it, but because of the way this union has been governed.
No amount of shouting at them, will resolve this. The great writer Stephen Covey says “You cannot talk yourself out of problems you behaved yourself into”.
Unity is based on shared principles and values. To convince anyone that you are United with them, you must behave in a way that defends these principles and values.
I hear the voice of an Anglophone over the last year. That voice is saying:
If what unites us is “all persons shall have equal rights and obligations”, then in the name of unity you must support me when I am not treated equally.
If what unites us is “the State shall ensure the protection of minorities”, when I am discriminated against you must stand with me in the name of unity.
If what unites us is “no person may be prosecuted, arrested or detained except in the cases and according to the manner determined by law” you must shout with all your might when I am arrested arbitrarily and illegally, then held for months on end unjustly.
If what unites us is “every person has a right to life, to physical and moral integrity and to humane treatment in all circumstances”, you must stand up and defend me vigorously when I am humiliated, tortured and killed.
If you have protested for my rights, then you may fly the flag, the day I say I want to leave the union.
If you have marched for my safety and my freedom, you may remind me we are one and indivisible the day I want to divide.
However, if you have stood by, silent and arms folded while the very foundation of unity was trampled upon;
If you were dormant when I was beaten, arrested, raped, killed. If you watched as those who defile the very word unity abused me in every way;
If you have been deaf, blind and dumb as injustice was meted out, then you have sided with my oppressor.
As you have sided with my oppressor, I am afraid my friend that when you shout one and indivisible today, I may not hear. When you fly the flag, I may not see. When you pronounce words of caution, I may ignore.
Because force and violence is on your side, by not heeding you, I may die. And when it is my dead body lying there. Whether you shed a tear or you gloat. One thing is certain, you will hear my voice whispering in the wind…. “Are we MORE united NOW?”
The voice of this Anglophone is haunting me. What does it say to you?
(Quotes above are from the Constitution of Cameroon)
12 comments
even if there is a dialogue now saying we should unit and be one,I tell u my heart won’t be in peace uniting with people who took away family,friends n loved noes n gave to d cold hands of death untimely. my heart bleeds but one thing I know…. u will surely pay with something even more precious than human life,a word to d wise.
You are a hypocrite. You were one of those who called us radical, secessionist, extremist, and all other names one can think of. Now you claim to show sympathy.Do you have any shame? Hell is meant for people like you.
We will defend the independence of Ambazonian. You cannot do anything about it.
In this life we must learn to look at ourselves and reflect on our honesty. I hope Kah Wallah that you are actually doing that. To be constantly talking of unity in the face of state sponsored terrorism is an insult to the souls of the faithfully departed Southern Cameroonians. We have tried and tried to reason with many in LRC but that effort has been futile. What is at stake now is that you cannot force someone to like you or to associate with you. Honestly, we are done with LRC for the things that divides us are greater now than the things that unite us for the lives of Southern Cameroonians that have been cut short by the barbarism from LRC shall not be in vain.
There was enough time for the state to go into dialogue. To address the root causes of our problem. The arrogance and unwillingness to do so has pushed us further. But the indifference and silence of the francophone majority is the worse. Biya’s army is slaughtering us and the still talk of one and indivisable. It is a shame.
Ms Kah Walla, you have on this platform in some of your so called letters to Biya characterized us in way that I chose to not comment but took note of. Others did call you out on them. This liberation is more than your positioning of yoursef to run for the futile presidential election next year. You are so talented and have potentials but you were born to Anglophone parents, though not by choice.
Can you please tell me one reason SC should stay with Lrc? In other words, the benefit of being with them.
Its vry clear to see that kah walla has being bribed Already.She is a Product of John Fru Ndi what else can she say? They’re the same pple foolx SC that we have democracy in cameroon,as they stage fake debates,opinions……to position themselves. But Unfortunately fr u kah walla ur devilish Activities n Manipulations are ova.Bcuz u have invested heavily in la Republique nw u want to force us to continue being slaves,no way go bck and tell ur mentor n slave master we’re done with them
Same politicians same drama. Crooked Issa kumkuma was just like you, all indirectly loyal to Old Retard Biya. All the same shit of people. Damnnnn I hate you guys so badddd. What level of camouflage? No shame? Na wahh o.
God will continue to fight for the oppressed and the suppressed. We are tired of forced unity and marginalisation. victory and liberation shall be ours.
Kah Wallah after watching images of our people who were shot by the hoodlums from LRC I was really shock at the level of carnage. In one image, there are the intestines of this young man hanging outside of his abdomen and of course the grand mother who was shot. As a mother, if this cannot shock your conscience to know that we are dealing with demons and thereby stop this insane talk of federation then I am at loss for words.
As a very proud African, I used to be vehemently oppose to the balkanization of Africa. Time after time, I used to think that reason over time will prevail over the many excesses and backward thinking of many in the French speaking community. Unfortunately, it will appear these are incorrigible people who are bent on wrecking havoc on Southern Cameroonians.
That is why the continuous talk of federation is a refusal on your part to see that this will only prolong the bitterness and hatred that exist now between the two communities. Our people have endured a lot of inhumane treatment and I believe you know better. Hence, do not join our tormentors to dance on the graves of our heroes
No unity, no dialog, no peace, no what so every. We are now enemies of life.
I swear to the Almighty Creator, no matter how long it take, they will pay.
We are done with LRC. We are going to build a wall to separate LRC from us. If anyone wanna do reconciliations, please keep a safe distance from me.
You spoke my mind. If these people can do this when the world is watching. Imagine what will happen if the attention of the world is not there. Now you know Lake Nyos was not an accident.