The Migration of Southern Cameroonians Into La Republique Du Cameroun Territory: A Natural Phenomenon.
Recently, some privileged Anglophones and individuals who have been on the sidelines are trying to questioned the move of Southern Cameroonians from Buea and Bamenda most especially to La Republique Du Cameroun border towns with Ambazonia. Some have presented it to sound as if why should our people be running into LRC when we are fighting same LRC. Some political education is needed here and our people are missing the point. Permit me to get into this.
I have always said that people look at these things without giving deep thoughts. There are lots of issues we just look and conclude. It’s like a boy, a girl going into a cinema, looks at a poster and a film is told. We need to go deeper, quote examples, compare with our case. The fight for the Southern Cameroons Restoration of Independence has never been and will not be a Franco vs Anglophone fight. The people of Southern Cameroons have no political bad history with Francophones per say. The fight is that of assimilation, annexation by one Independent state through its political leadership over another state with a known international recognised boundary. In fact, a state that was the first to conduct a democratic elections in Africa.
Southern Cameroonians are not running to LRC because they love it. For everything they hate it. No one loves migration even temporarily. let people not look at the movement and think that it as an endorsement of the regime of Paul Biya or that the people are retreating. NO WAY. Southern Cameroonians are running from a useless and senseless war imposed upon them into safer areas no matter where that is. They are going for safety. This run for safety did not start today. It started months back. Many in manyu left for Nigeria after LRC brutality on them and their properties, others in the Far end of the northern zone in Ambazonia went into Nigeria as well, some within Ambazonia went into the bushes as a result of LRC actions and have been there till date. The political leadership of Southern Cameroons, its people have since then be in touch with them and very supportive.
The mass movements of persons from Buea and Bamenda to LRC is very much ok and falls within the normal norms of migrations of persons running from any conflict moving where they think it is safer. In any conflict, safety comes first. Even fighters consider safety measures when they fight. What more of civilians? Southern Cameroonians are not moving into French Cameroun neighboring cities near Ambazionia borders to stay with Camerounese or Francophones. They are moving into their family homes, relatives homes and friends who are foreigners in the LRC. LRC government or Camerounese is not offering them shelter or food. This difference must be clear. They are being absorbed by the same Southern Cameroonian families.
Let us not sound as if they are moving into Francophone homes or the government is offering them help. Thus, Southern Cameroonians in LRC should open their arms and temporarily embrace these people coming until it is ripe for a return. By the way, do you know how many Francophones are in Buea, Bamenda? Why don’t you think they are the ones going back to their country of origin? What measures do you even have to empirically conclude it is ONLY ambazonians moving?
Therefore, why didn’t you see them running into Ngoundere, East or other regions within Cameroun? Why are they moving into Douala, Bafoussam, Yaounde which are all nearby border cities and towns to Ambazonia and this is just ok. In every conflict in the world, persons migrate to nearby countries or areas they can settle. There is no WAR in LRC and as such under international law, our people have LRC legal requirements to stay there, in this case just the ID Cards. Why do we make as if this is strange? It is not strange at all. We can only ask our people to be more vigilant, peaceful so that they are not being attacked by unknown persons and they must not discuss any Amba issues in Public while there.
Now, why is it that our people in Manyu ran to Nigeria? Why didn’t they run to Douala and Yaounde? Do you think they lacked relatives there? This is because Nigeria was or is the nearest safest country and ok for them not because they necessarily love Nigeria so let us stop this cacophony of our people fighting LRC then turn to run into the LRC. The arguments are baseless, senseless and useless.
You will also recall that many people in the North of Cameroun left Cameroun in Nigeria as refugees when the war of Boko Haram started with LRC Army that was causing mayhem in the North? Recall Boko Haram was trying to create a caliphate (Please this is just an example and in no way endorses the activities or moves of Boko Haram or neither does it equate it with the Southern Cameroons War of Independence. This is just done to illustrate a clear picture of people trapped in a war area). Now why didn’t we see those in the North of Cameroun running into East or other regions in Cameroun? or even running to Southern Cameroons since then it was safe? Why did they run into Nigeria, where Boko Haram originated? This is a natural phenomenon. You run into the nearest safest area.
Likewise, those in the North of Nigeria also ran into Cameroun and not other parts of Nigeria, just the last two months, UN in Nigeria resettled thousands of refugees from the North of Cameroun being based in Nigeria back into Cameroun.
So, please the political arguments of those trying to question why our people are running into LRC holds no grounds. Let our people, the civilians make their choices where they think it is safest for them as the war continues. The Southern Cameroons War of Independence is still volatile and we have no captured county yet we can redirect our people into for safety. That will come, for now, we must do what we must do.
In any war or conflict, you have forces of both camps fighting, most often civilians got nothing to do. They are looking for safety nets. In our case, the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces are in a battle of Independence with Cameroun Forces. A move for Independence, which is morally, legally, politically and Ethically correct. We will overcome, but safety first no matter the movie.
Mark Bareta.