A Revolutionary Friday in Southern Cameroons: One Message to the Occupier – the Colonial Game is Over.

In 1986, the CIA had predicted as a challenge to the Biya regime that …the Anglophone minority is a potential time bomb and should the government fail to respect their cultural and linguistic traditions … an outbreak of violence … would be a significant setback blow to Biya’s effort to develop national unity and reconciliation” In 2017, at the Cameroun National Assembly, the defiant Hon. Joseph Wirba, of the Jakiri Special Constituency, while addressing his colleagues on the Southern Cameroons crisis, made it vehement clear to whoever cared to listen that …”When the People Shall rise, even if you bring the whole of the French army and add to yours, you shall not be able to stop them”

It was a bright sunny and showery Friday, 22nd September, 2017, with blue and white skies all over the Southern Cameroons. The day the people, from the hamlets to metropolises at home and in the entire diaspora, sent shock waves to the entire world with just one message; the 56 years colonial occupation of the Southern Cameroons by La Republic du Cameroon is over. From little children of 5 years old to grandmas and grandpas of over 90 years, the message was the same; Ambazonia is rising to fall no more.

As early as 8:30 am, the small village of Bafia in Muyuka had lit the peaceful protest candle with a mammoth crowd of over 5000 persons, chanting patriotic/freedom songs and matching towards their Chief’s palace with green branches, and the blue and white colours of Ambazonia. Before the spectacular videos and images from Bafia could be digested on social media, Ekona had already caught the fire and that is how the unquenchable protest flames kept on burning the entire Southern Cameroons, until the early evening hours of the day. By night fall, La Republic du Cameroon and her privileged, anti-revolutionary house slaves who believe in a certain one and indivisible Cameroun were already leaking their wounds. This was however not without some casualties on the side of the peaceful protesters, as many Ambalanders were reportedly shot with live ammunition, with approximately 8 deaths recorded, many wounded and many arrested by colonial forces. Surprisingly, the shootings were not only carried out by the brute colonial forces, but also allegedly by colonial administrators, notably the Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu and the colonial Mayor of Buea.

The people came out, young and old.

Apart from the fact that the peaceful protesters all marched into the palaces and offices of their traditional/ local administrative authorities, brought down La Republic’s flags, sang the Ambazonia National Anthem and hoisted Amba flags; there were some ugly incidents and also spectacular moves made by the protesting Southern Cameroonians that are worth mentioning. These events happened in, but not limited to Victoria, Buea, Mamfe, Menji, Batibo, Bali, Bello and Santa.
In Victoria, the protests turned ugly when colonial forces descended on the peaceful people with teargas and live ammunition, this resulted in counter attacks from the people with stones, objects and mounting of barricades, leading to the burning of LRC’s flag and the dead and wounding of some Southern Cameroonians. In Buea, early attempts by colonial forces to disrupt the protests between Mile and Malingo junction with teargas and water cannons failed, as the crowed strength over powered the colonial forces, matching up towards the Bongo Square.

They were however blocked from the Baptist High School by the intimidating forces. The ensuing encounter was teargas and grenades on the population. A grenade landed on a blank house, caught a gas cylinder and the next thing seen of the said house was fire and ashes. As the population retreated down towards check point, the colonial Mayor of Buea whose home is just about 250 meters away from the main road, was caught up in the confusion. As a result, he allegedly fired two shots wounding one and killing another. The angry population descended on his property with heavy stones and objects, and the results were the pictures of his property left overs circulating on social media.

In Mamfe, it was the colonial S.D.O for Manyu that allegedly shot young protesters to death. In Menji, the uncompromising Lebialem warriors did not only bring down La Republique’s flag at the S.D.O’s office, but compelled the S.D.O who happens to be an Ambazonian to sing the Southern Cameroons Anthem with them as the Amba flag was being hoisted; while in Santa, the colonial D.O for Santa and the Principal of GBHS Santa joined the protests, adorned in Southern Cameroon mufflers, and were later escorted by the population to Matazen where they asked them to cross the border and return to their home country, La Republic du Cameroon. This however did not end without the loss of a protester through gun shots from the brutal gendarmes.
In Bello, the protesters were joined by their representative at the National Assembly of La Republique, while those of Batibo marched to the home of their parliamentarian, Joseph Mbah Ndam who made it clear to them that he shall not return to La Republique’s parliament until he sees the end of the struggle. In effect, the people also declared him the administering authority of Batibo and went ahead to hoist the Southern Cameroons flag in his compound.

In the diaspora, while Southern Cameroonians took hostage UN headquarters in their host countries, the show down of the day was at the UN headquarters in New York where the two distinct peoples of Southern Cameroons and La Republic du Cameroon challenged each other in what has been termed the biggest protest so far in the history of protests at the UN Plaza in New York. From the messages emanating from the two protesting camps, it was crystal clear to the world that the Cameroons is made up of two Countries, the British Southern Cameroons and La Republic du Cameroon. Outstanding in the New York protest was the reunion between leaders of the various Southern Cameroons revolutionary movements such as MoRISC, AGC, SCNC, SCYL and above all umbrella body SCACUF and the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council (SCAGC).
As the population retreated to their homes and destinations towards the end of the day, an estimated 2.5 million Southern Cameroonians both home and abroad were said to have participated in the protests. The message had been sent to whoever cared to listen; Free All Arrested and Southern Cameroons Ambazonia must be free and the time is NOW. Those who thought that the Restoration Movement was made up of a few self-seeking “secessionists” now understand better what the movement is all about. As for the dying regime and those house slaves who have been singing the chorus of a fathom one and indivisible Cameroon, we hope you got the message clearly yesterday.

The diaspora also came out

The people of Southern Cameroons have taken their destinies into their hands and are gradually getting there. Their resolve has shown that no single individual is above this revolution and so anybody that tries to negatively stoke this revolution shall be thrown under the revolutionary train. As Comrades Mark Bareta and Ayaba Cho Lucas have always put it, Southern Cameroons shall be free not by the free will of the United Nations, but through Targeted Diplomacy, Community Mobilization and Self-Defense (TaD-CoM-SeD) by all necessary stakeholders. Targeted Diplomacy is working, Community Mobilization fully answered present yesterday and Self-Defense must follow. That’s why after the killings and violence of yesterday perpetrated by the colonial agents, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Sissiku Ayuk Julius Tabe issued tall orders asking citizens of Southern Cameroons to arrest any colonial administrator perpetrating violence and fomenting trouble, and take them to the palaces of the Chiefs and Fons in Southern Cameroons.

The events of yesterday have gingered the spirit of freedom among the people and by this, it is increasingly certain that on the 1st of October, 2017, the people shall seize their independence from the colonial master. It is therefore necessary to alert the UN and the International Community that, the political game between Great Britain and France in Southern Cameroons is over. We know the enemy, out of desperation will still want to put up a show of resistance. The killings, brutalities and arrests of yesterday took place under their watch and we strongly think that they are enough. They must act now by instructing Yaoundé to #FreeAllArrested and pull out her military in the Southern Cameroons or be ready to further soiled their names with the blood of armless and Freedom-hungry Southern Cameroonians. History is watching and History scholars are eager to tell the story just as it unfolded.

Agbor James

BaretaNews Political Analyst Buea.