Hello Mark,

Accept sincere greetings from our fatherland.

From the very early days of our union, many have taken different peaceful means to redress the situation of Southern Cameroonians. Letters and speeches fall on deaf ears, individuals being imprisoned for voicing their opinions, peaceful demonstrations being met with deadly crackdowns, etc.

Our “big” people have also disappointed us by siding with “them” to fight us. I am talking about people like Chief Mukete, Tabetando, Musonge and many other, whom one would think that by virtue of their age, political and financial standing, would be fearless enough to at least be neutral.

The events of the current crisis are well known. Once again, peaceful demonstrations led to raping, looting, killing, imprisonment of our leaders etc. The regime once again showed total disregard and disrespect for the law they are supposed to protect. This only means that our citizens are on their own, with no one to defend even their rights to life.

Our reaction to the above lawlessness has been ghost towns and school boycotts. This has been going on for more than eight months and counting. Our only demand, like that of every other interested parties, like the UN and AU, have been a call for the release of our leaders and all other imprisoned, in order for genuine dialogue to take place. We have been ready to forgive all the atrocities committed by the regime in favour of peace.

It is end of July and the regime is still silent yet provocatively calling us to send our children back to school. The matter of lawyers not going to court is no issue to them. From these and other things that happened before (February, 2008), it is very clear to me that no matter how much we express our frustration peacefully, the regime will still not bulge. Peace is not working. In fact most people in the regime are benefitting from this situation to enrich themselves while we keep our children out of school, exposed to all kinds of vices.

It is therefore time for us to forget peace. This regime only knows one thing, violence. In as much as the international community may only bark, especially when we ourselves have not taken any action; so far as the regime has lots of money and are enjoying the status quo; since there are almost no high profile Cameroonian in politic, academics or business with any integrity; in so far as our military (Generals, Colonels, Majors, etc.) are all cowards; as long as government personnel (Governor, SDOs, Parliamentarians, Gerdarms, Police, Judges, etc.) and its associates continue living freely amongst us even after committing their atrocities, there will ever change. There will be no change.

We cannot continue to let ourselves be killed, mimed and imprisoned like animals. The right to life is God given. If the regime cannot ensure this basic right, then it falls back on us to protect ourselves and our progeny from annihilation. Our leaders are still in jails facing death sentence yet we are pursuing peace?

It is true we have just had new leaders and must give them time to react to the situation. Before coming into such a leadership position, one must have a clear action plan. In a short while, and if we don’t see any concrete action plan, we will go all out to ensure our future and that of our children.

We refuse to be at the mercy of a regime that is really supposed to be at our control. We refuse to be treated like second class citizens. We refuse to live like slaves while Adolphe Modiki and co live like kings. We refuse to send ourselves on exile with the possibility of drowning in “Lampadosa” because the condition of life in our home is hopeless.

We are taking action soon. We must get our leaders and every other activist out of jail. We must liberate our land. We must live freely. This is the only way. This is Africa. Only violence works here. No amount of politicking can work in Africa. If we cannot do this soon, then we should as well stop making noise and succumb to our fate as second class citizens of our own nation, passing the struggle on to our children as their unfortunate inheritance.

Tabi