Politics

In a press statement, Dr Foretia said he has taken a very difficult decision to step down due to personal challenges. He also promised that while he concentrates on his other duties, he will still maintain his support for the mission of the CDN so that it achieves its set and desired goal which is gradually taking shape.

In the leaders retreat, organised and coordinated by the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations, CDN they have in their Declaration, stated amongst other things that recognising the importance of collective engagement in matters of negotiations founded on trust, they will create space to build from their different strategies to engage in external negotiations as one entity, representing the people of the Southern Cameroons and their ultimate interest.

According to outlined objectives, the leadership retreat is expected to cultivate and begin nurturing trust among the Southern Cameroonian leaders across religious, traditional, civil society and various armed groups fighting for independence of Anglophone Regions. The retreat is also expected to come out with an agreement on a framework to enhance access to education, humanitarian aid and to uphold human rights in the crisis-hit Regions.

In the compendium, the Committee to follow up the implementation of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue notes that “Since 2016 when corporate claims morphed into civil disobedience acts in the North West and South West Regions, the government elected to address the issues raised through Dialogue. It is in this regard that ad-hoc commissions in both the educational and legal sectors were created, meetings were organised and actions taken to address the concerns presented by the corporate bodies,” it says.

National dialogues have recently gained traction as vital instruments for peace transformations in Africa. National dialogues are usually initiated to deal with a wide range of issues, including political reforms, constitution making and peacebuilding. They can also be seen as political processes aiming to reach a new social contract between interest groups and community in a country.

Buhari said his country will do everything possible to support Cameroon’s unity just as Cameroon supported Nigeria against the Biafran secessionist war of 1967-1970 during which about 3 million Nigerians were killed.

Of the three deep seaports in Cameroon, Limbe is the only one that is still to be constructed after several failed promises.

One year since Government announced that Buea-based television journalist, Samuel Ajiekah Abuwe, (Samuel Wazizi) had died in detention, the Cameroonian population and the international community have not seen the late journalist’s body.
Owing to widespread condemnation of Wazizi’s death, President Paul Biya promised to personally investigate the case but findings are still being awaited.

The US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, has announced that the US has decided to introduce visa restrictions on Cameroon nationals, who are “undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Anglophone regions of Cameroon”
In a statement released on June 7, 2021, the Secretary of State said the move to institute visa restrictions on those against the peaceful resolution of the crisis was going into effect immediately.

With the escalation of the Anglophone crisis, traditional rulers in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, have continually been targeted by separatist fighters for either supporting a government initiative, or refusing to side with separatists’ agenda, or voting.
Also, traditional rulers seen by the government as weighing more on the separatists’ side of the divide, have been targeted and harassed by government forces. As a result, some have fled their palaces too, for fear of further harassment or prosecution.