By Njodzeka Danhatu
The President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, Prof. Maurice Kamto, has berated the approach taken by Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, in resolving the Anglophone crisis.
Kamto and his Comrades languishing behind bars, observed that while PM Dion Ngute was on the field preaching Biya’s readiness for dialogue with the exception of secession, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, was on France 24, saying that form of the state is non-negotiable.
In a four page memorandum signed on May 17, Kamto and co observed that “This approach is more akin to staging for the conservation of power than to a process to address the multi-faceted challenges facing our country, including the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. Such manoeuvres should not mislead our compatriots or the international community”
The 2018 presidential candidate equally decried the fact that the 1996 constitution on decentralisation has been deliberately ignored by the Biya regime, thereby causing the Anglophone crisis, which the regime has failed to proactively resolve.
Stressing on the war declared on separatists by Mr Biya, the CRM party regretted that, the irresponsibility of those at the helm of the state has resulted in heavy humanitarian crisis, “More than 2,000 deaths from all sides; 500,000 refugees; more than 4,000,000 people in emergency humanitarian situation and the ultimatum of the international community”
The CRM party leaders went on to make proposals which they think, if adopted, can solve the challenges in the country. To the party, the President should create a commission in charge with the Anglophone questions. The commission as they suggest should be “Chaired by an Anglophone with a Francophone as Vice-President (these personalities will be selected after consultation with stakeholders). This commission will include about thirty members equally distributed between French- and English-speaking Cameroonians, with international observers (UN, AU, EU, USA, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Netherlands.)”
Among the suggestions was equally that of the unconditional release of all political prisoners, reformation of the electoral system and Amnesty granted to those in diaspora.
The incarcerated CRM leaders said doing what they have suggested, will guarantee a peaceful national dialogue in resolving the crisis with the help of a mediator. “The mediator must be a neutral personality, enjoying the confidence of all stakeholders” They said.
