Father Gerald Jumbam is calling on Ambazonians to unite in purpose and that we must not blink in the face of Cameroun atrocities facing our land. In this next episodes of his letters to the people of Amba, he writes:

Why we must not Blink

The gory happening unlocks a new vista of examination and investigation into the dynamics responsible for the near-total extinction of an internationally recognized people, the Southern Cameroons. The recent Southern Cameroons’ massacre underscores the calamity writ large on a government that has traded human rights to the swamp of political bestiality and momentary economic trappings. It has advertised the intoxicating dangers staring the two Cameroons for exchanging basic human values for political gains and injudicious consolidation of power. It illustrates a frightening portrait of the alarming dangers that we face for the simple reason that we have downgraded the importance of human life in preference for oil, pomp and power. It is as scary as it is intimidating and the pogrom visited on Southern Cameroonians recently, pictures a horrific harvest they stand to gain from the families of the victims. History never forgets, it only delays and when the time comes, they will face International and Divine Justice.

In the best of times, catastrophe is unavoidable for any regime on the verge of a high cliff of self-infliction. But under Paul Biya, the decimating conflict started since 1984. It has been worsened by Biya’s inflexible narrow-mindedness and, deplorably, compounded by old age. A thoughtless gerontocrat and inflexibly narrow-minded decides to bastardize the promising lives of innocent peoples in an attempt to carve us into his banana republique that stands stupidly tall as metaphor for the wretchedness and misery of my people.

What is more, the rise of brutality and mayhem among Paul Biya’s political surrogates is connected to another disease: that of impunity. By impunity I mean the failure of national and international bodies to prosecute powerful individuals guilty of crimes against humanity. It is our job to counter the narrative of the Paul Biyas who think they have a divine right to mess up our lives.

We Must Unite

The problem-du-jour in the Southern Cameroon’s leadership is fairly obvious: the case of the hundreds of lives slaughtered by Cameroun republic’s military, the thousands of our strong men in bushes and forests, and the huge numbers kidnapped to unknown detention camps. Little wonder that most young people today now beat the drums of war at ear-tearing decibel. Many howl for blood. The social media has burst at its seams with campaigns of freedom fighter warfare. Facebook, twitter and whatsapp are teeming with all types of terrific propaganda. Each person believes he has the truth, and half-truths and entire lies are winning the day. All this boorishness makes the blood boil and the emotions threaten to jump out of the body for combat. I have seen individuals come out and daringly proclaim their willingness to die for the cause they so passionately promote. It is so terrifying; and it is no more mere feeling that we are already in war. These are real concrete sentiments especially when we consider what bullies from the Cameroun republic have wrought on innocent souls in homeland. Our people are justified in their fire and anger.

The fact is, regardless of whatever provokes the fighters, warriors would still come to the debate table one day. Even in the nastiest of combats, people must still bump into each other at some point to negotiate. So why not spare ourselves the pains this time and rekindle the fire of our non-violent fight which in the 21st century is more compelling than gun and bomb. Grief-stricken by the pictures of the innocent blood that has flown as a result of military bestiality and therefore the thousands of lives lost in this genocide, we can be tempted to passivity or complaisance.