Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland must’ve kicked off her diplomat trip in La Republique’s capital Yaounde for talks with Colonial President Paul Biya but without concrete action taken to back her words and concerns in the ongoing crisis, it’s safe to say those optimistic to see the outcoming of her trip should start holding their breath.
It’s been confirmed the honorary diplomat to the Cameroons met this Thursday with the SDF Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi and the President of now the defunct Consortium Agbor Balla Nkongho for a sitdown. What could have been discussed during their meeting might serve as a pacesetter in getting the viewpoints of both sides of the divide but be rest assured one is tempted to see the trip for what it really is, a calculated move by the Commonwealth of Nations to take stock while they remain adamant by their inactions.
The gentleman’s club might not be a human rights watchdog but being a reputable organisation protecting Anglosaxon cultural values across the world, there a few decisions the Commonwealth could make to show it’s intent to bring this crisis to a resolution and the disputing parties to the table;
-Yaounde’s membership in the gentleman’s club could be suspended until such due date for dialogue is set
-All member states of the Commonwealth could be asked to recall their High Commissioners and other top diplomats through a coordinated effort if initiated by the United Kingdom.
-Aid in all its form could be cut and sanctions imposed thereby forcing Yaounde to see that the rug is gradually being pulled from underneath its feet.
-Military hardware supplied to La Republique’s military could also be recalled in strict condemnation of its barbarism.
-Financial restrictions and sanctions are a sure way to squeeze the regime.
These are a few measures that could be implemented from within the Commonwealth and it won’t take long for an economic bloc such as the EU to follow suit but since the Secretary-General’s trip is nothing short of meet-and-greet that couldn’t possibly be backed by action, the heavy-handed of the colonial forces will continue but so far they’re being pushed back by restoration forces of the ADF.
By Benson Neba, BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst
6 comments
I hope the meeting with Mr Nfru Ndi yields some fruits for the struggle. Balla is going to tow the government line.
Our priority at this juncture is to mobilize support for the warriors of Manyu who have made all of us proud for their tenacity in the face of wanton destructions of life and property by Biya’s terrorist troops from LRC and just forget about who this woman met with.
Exactly.
Many said that Balla will be soon a minister in Biya’s cabinet. Is he? Don’t get me wrong I fully disagree with his speeches made in London. I disagree as well against a federation what he still promotes. It would mean to much to loose for the francophone side. And everybody should think twice and use common sense. Nevertheless he is fighting for something. Pa Fru Ndi has made an arrangement with Biya 25 years ago. He is happy with the crumps of the bread. To be honest would he have been a better leader than Biya? For 27 years he is the chairman of his party. So no difference to CPDM.
when dealing with a government that doesn’t follow international laws like LRC then we must be wise. The bottomline is that this crisis will end through dialogue, even after a civil war there must still be dialogue. To initiate dialogue we need a mediator.
If you follow the principles of mediation, the first step will be to listen to both sides of the struggles. This is what she has already done and is still going to do in the south west region. After that she could create her mediation plan and then invite both sides to sit down for a dialogue.
People who are already condemning her visit before the final conclusion are short sighted and too emotional. How can we expect her to make a decision without following due process? Others are calling out people to protest her visit in the sw. How is that going to solve our problems?
She is going on the ground to investigate what is happening, yet some people have already spoken bad about her. Diplomats learn to keep away emotional feelings when solving problems and very often we have to do the same in order to make rational decisions.
Those criticising Ni John fru Ndi and agbor balla should put themselves in their shoes. Fru Ndi is the chairman of a national Political party, including both Anglophones and Francophones. Most francophones voted for Fru Ndi to be president in 1992 even though the election was rigged. This shows that majority of Francophones trust Anglophones. This struggle is against an evil government, just like the government of Mugabe in Zimbabwe. It’s not a struggle against Anglophones and Francophones.
Ni Jack,
that is your point of view. Not that of our sick brothers abroad, who’re voluntarily sending our children on kamikaze mission to be massacred like rabbits. Meanwhile, those same sick brothers lull their own children to sleep each night with lullabies.
Send their own children back home and see what would happen. They’ll even be prepared to kiss Tchiroma’s sole, just to make sure their own children are safe.
HYPOCRITES!