The UN cannot interfere on Federalism. Neither can they interfere with independence.
I have read a headline on the Post Newspaper that has sparked much social media debate with regards to this winning struggle. Do not think or be deceived that the UN came to Cameroon to grant a two-state federal system of government. Neither will they come to grant independence if you dream so. For simple intellectual reasons, here are the logical claims:
1. The struggle in Cameroon is completely a domestic affair. Under state sovereign laws, states are mutually protected to respect their rights of sovereignty and non-interference in their domestic affairs. Even international regimes like the UN cannot interfere as long as this is a domestic affair. For an explanation of a domestic affair, read point two.
2. Domestic affairs require a domestic policy as treatment. They are administrative decisions that are directly related to all issues and activity within a nation’s borders. Because the UN recognizes that a state is sovereign, they can only assist states with advisory missions or intervene on gross human rights violations grounds or during conflict escalation. Remember that the UN itself is also biased and selects its fights, citing several studies.
3. The current situation in Cameroon is a crisis and not a conflict. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and Correlates of War (COW) are widely used databases to analyze conflicts. While the UPPSALA codes a conflict from 25 battle deaths and above, COW codes from 1000 battle deaths and above. Hence, considering that we have recorded only fewer than 10 known battle deaths, we are still in a crisis and not in a conflict.
3. We have to seize our destinies and not wait for any international regime or domestic regime to “give us” or “grant us” our request. No! That will not happen. Through domestic pressure and international pressure, we can only enforce the domestic leadership to comply with international agreements that safeguard and promote civil rights and political liberties. These rights include all the actions taken by the UN Secretary-General for Central Africa during his Cameroon visit.
4. We must keep the pressure on ghost towns, boycotts, and civil “strong head.” These are all federalist strategies that create a broader avenue for independence seekers. A federalist believes that domestic pressure through soft power is the most effective way to push for meaningful dialogue for equal status. An independence fighter has only one strategy – take up arms and fight straight up. Do we have the arms? How many are willing to go back and lead the arms struggle when everyone is instead fleeing from home?
5. Since day one, we have been saying this is a winning struggle and not an arms struggle. Arms struggle will grant you direct independence. A non-violent struggle will grant you indirect independence. When you are ready for a war, make sure you must win it. If not, you will regret even worst than you ever thought. “No go shake honey wey you no wear helmet.”
6. As for federalists, there is every sign and hope that we have won fatly. We have held down the country for the past six months. We have pressured the international regimes to come to our aid. We have pressured for dialogues between the gangster regime and the two UN missions in Cameroon only this year. Without nothing, we have achieved something and our history will never be the same again. Paul Biya fears federalists most.
7. The federalists have cleared the path for independence fighters to supply the weapons and lead the fight on the ground themselves. But since months ago, ground forces have been waiting for a single gun to shoot back at the Boko gendarmes and police Haram, all to no avail. They are already getting tired and schools are gradually resuming while we debate and fight each other on social media. Should they keep waiting for you? Down in Cameroon, a two-state federal system of equal status is better than promises of “we will,” “I will,” etc. Delay is dangerous.
8. The federalists are now pushing for the recall of ALL MPs and have also given a final dateline for ALL DOs and SDOs to go silent. These are domestic pressures to force the regime to its knees. They will work because our threats are capable and credible. We master the ground game. It is not the UN to tell us what to do. We are simply doing what we are doing.
Be patient. Be hopeful. You are on the winning side. Stay strong and be prayerful. No one ever said tomorrow will be federalism or independence.
*** I am only a freethinker and a solution-oriented critic.
General Ivo
12 comments
Mr. Ivo, I totally disagree with your misleading points and lead again. Are you a descendant of foreign LRC parents who happened to be born in BSC/Ambazonia? Only time will tell.
Ivo, me I disagree too. I recall the MPs back to our homeland because Y’nde is a foreign state. The civil disobedience happens not because the people want federalism. Most of our population wants independence now.
i had never trusted T ivo anyway so his comments dont move me.
Imagine your are married for long. All the money you earn you give to your wife. She is living a lavish lifestyle. You work like a dog without benefitting from your money. Your wife is sharing most of her time and your money with her family. When it comes to your family, your brothers and sisters she isn’t interested at all. Worse she beats you in public and disgraces you. If you complain she offers you a bit of your money. Sometimes she brings her uncle or auntie they promise you some cosmetic solutions for your marital problems. That goes now for several decades like thay. How often are you willing to forgive her? Is it not better to divorce? Are you a fool who cannot perceive the situation? Everybody who still believe in federalism shall think about that. By the way a wife beater will never change anyway how often he promise so. In my story it is a man beater.
I will never support federation.
But Ivo is telling those of us who are going for total restoration something that is very clear and important, and that is don’t just go for it as if it is something somewhere, We must prepare for it.
What is mind bugling is this:
1) Where we are and what we have right now is worse that what our forefather had and where they were. They had the land, institutions, control and power, today even money we don’t.
2) Just as our forefathers Instead of thinking about generations to come, took a whole nation and its people and put it in the hands of a people who are not even able to take care of their own, today that’s all some of us want to do.
3) Some of us today are literally trying to doing exactly the something that our ancestor did decades ago with exactly the same people but only this time using different words and with heavy losses, and expecting a different outcome. it’s gonna be worse.
As the saying goes, the same mind, the same outcome.
Some of us think because we use big words, dress well, drive nice cars, have mobile phones, … then we are better off. NO, these are all illusions. We need a piece of this rock called earth under our feet that is totally ours just as they got theirs. We are in a very dangerous state of being.
This shows clearly that some of us have not yet learn the lesson to be learned and we are going to suffer even worse. We are again giving our whole lives, future, children, descendants, state, over to this same people that are not even in control of their own lives.
Some of us still love them more that our own selves, we still wish to be accepted by them, we still wish to be close to them, … instead of thinking of self sufficiency and our children. For some of us our greatest achievement is to be called a Cameroonian. This damn country that is chasing our people out to all type of places on this world.
What is this thing that makes some of us Southern Cameroonians so scare to take care of ourselves and our own destiny?
There was once a great African people call Ancient Egyptians, today they are no where to be found but only in museum as artifacts and their land is now own by some other people called Arabs. A people who do not learn pays the ultimate price.
When it comes to my survival being nice or being accepted by who ever are all of absolutely no relevance.
Only our refusal to suffer, sacrifice say 5 years so as to live forever in peace is exactly going to make us suffer and live unpeaceful in pain, disorder, as slaves, … until we are wiped out.
SC = 10 LRC = 10 : 1960
SC = -10 LRC = 30 : 2017
To all those who are giving everything in their own way that they can in this struggle please never give up for this is exactly what is going to take us through. I now know why in life powerful people always stay away for those that are afraid and weak.
Maria
Ivo, great points but I also disagree with you. I heard you went to Nigeria and took bribe from Musonge who has enjoyed the regime and care less about the next generation. Is all about him and his family. Selfishness & greed. Are you linked to La Republic via birth, still receiving a salary, getting bribe for the old folks to stay in paper and not give opportunities to the younger generation while they step downvor retire and become advisors via CRTV as is being done overseas?
They have the Wisdom, but the young are more innovative, inventive, upvto date with the modern times and well educated. Are those old guts protecting their jobs? They do have an age limit in Cameroon for Education and Concurs which is still bizzare to me. The French way not American. Have you pondered why we still use Franc CFA while France uses Euro? Are ourvold folks dumb not to think and ask questions?
Federalism will mean same Appointed instead of Elected MPS will remain centralized in YDE. Have you ever though if President Biya is no longer in power, what will happen to your Federation with a New President? You can tell your accomplices- Musonge etc to restore all taken from NW & SW before you accept Federalism. Do you know people in the Diaspora sponsor some of those kids at home to achieve a better life and help their parents? Have you laid out plans as to how this can be achieved?
You give La Republic ideas that Southern Cameroon is scared to stand up for Independence because of weapons? How did La Republic obtain theirs. It will be the same way others can.
Don’t be a puppet or 2 side cutlass and stop taking bribe from La Republic.
You have done a fine job as far as communication with the people as Interim leader. Keep that good memories with the people and stop being corrupt.
The man is Bamileke.
Please comrades no tribalism. We are peaceful and intelligent people.
Since the dismissal of Ivo from the Consortium, he has always been against the struggle. We need unity but he keeps on derailing with his federalist and immature imaginations.
According to Ivo, at federation, and once a Southern Cameroonian is in power, he will declare independence.
LRC has defined federation as an act of terror and a seccetionist move so federation is out of the table. King Biya made it clear on 31st Dec 2016 that form of government is non-negotiable.
The UN cannot interfer for federalism. Federation is a form of governance and that is determined by the government.
YES the UN can interfer in case of independence because it is the UN that will accept us to their Union as a nation.
Talking federation at this stage is a stabb in the back of this struggle.
“We have passed the stage for a referandum for Federation” Tassang Wilfred, 12 April 2017
Good news. However, we should not become relaxed and comfortable. We have won just a battle but not the war. Rather, this should be the time when our struggle towards our total liberation from LRC should be more intense than ever before. Let our professionals, legal minds etc find a way to use this UN decision granted in our favor to catapult us much closer to our goal, the total liberation of our Southern Cameroon/Ambazonia territory from the rats of la republic. Let us be catapulted to a level of the struggle that we have never before attained. May God direct and bless us all.
I support ivo on one point. We all want independent. But we are not doing enough for more than six months now. Let’s be realistic and stop blaming ivo. He is correct. People want independent but can’t contribute money for arms funding. Only talking without no action. We back home are tired.for how long should we embark on ghost town were there is no game changes. Our leaders in jail. No internet. La rep. Continue with abductionso every day. Our people are molest. We can even fightback bc of no arms. Let’s react faster or else we gonna lose.
Independence is a right of any people recognised as a people within a defined geographical area. It is an international right recognised by the UN and the AU.
Federation is an internal agrement on the form of government.
Where are we?
1) we were supposed to be independent after the british rule but instead we were sold into slavery.
2) Our supposed union was never ratified even at the UN just bc of bad faith right from the beginning.
3) The supposed Federal State was only accepted for a while just to allow time to take control of our land, militarise and secure the territory and then scrap it off and this has been progressively implemented by Ahidjo and Paul Biya – we all know this.
4) WE HAVE ONLY ONE LEGITIMATE RIGHT: INDEPENDENCE FROM THE UN THAT WAS NOT GIVEN AND THE VOTING TO GET INDEPENDENCE WITH LA REPUBLIC WAS NOT RATIFIED AND THUS WE AS A PEOPLE ARE LEFT IN CROSS-ROADS. GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD IS THE MOST RATIONAL AND LEGITIMATE ACTION. who says arms struggle must be the only way out? You can never suffocate the liberation of a people.