Sunday, February 28, 2021

US Congress Petition Scandal Ragues on: As Anglophones Disown Joshua Osih, Kamto Challenge Cameroon MPs, Fate of Asylum Seekers still Kept on Hold

Joshua Osih Justify Actions of Cameroon MPs, Call on Manipulators to Let peace reign.


PRESS RELEASE

 25.02.2021

Over the last couple of days, a position statement signed by several colleagues of the National Assembly including my humble person has been the main topic of discussion on several platforms and news outlets. This document has been subject to various interpretations, generating a lot of controversy on what its noble intentions were. Given the unprecedented challenges the country faces, we are all called to take our responsibilities and we must boldly take it up when and where necessary. Cynics, in deliberately misunderstanding and misrepresenting the intentions of this document, have also seized the opportunity to peddle innuendos of my collusion with the regime in its poor management of the Anglophone crisis and from seeking to benefit from it. It is this toxic politics, to which we have subjected every aspect of our national life which is at the very heart of the protraction of some of the crisis we face today. For the last 4-5 years, political apprentices have used sentimental judgements as a tool to stoke the sympathy of desolate Cameroonians, who have suffered and continue to suffer from various trials but never truly suggest any actual solution to the problems our fellow compatriots face. We will never succeed in building the Cameroon we believe in  through such cynicism and in trivialising every debate in the country. We are faced with several hard choices and we must face up to the truth and make those tough decisions. As famously quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbour will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. "

That said, the position by some members of the Cameroon National Assembly was published on February 22, 2021, in response to a petition from the United States Congress sent on February 17, 2021 by some 40 members of the United States Congress to the Biden administration. This petition was asking the administration to suspend the repatriation of Cameroonians from the United States to Cameroon because conditions in Cameroon continue to worsen as violence continues and the pandemic continues to take its public health and economic toll ... . In matters of parliamentary diplomacy, the position of a parliament is usually entertained by the opposing parliament concerned, providing a response to the  position in question except in cases of escalation. It was therefore within our remit, as representatives of the people, to provide a weighted response and seek further methods through which to best engage with these concerned members of the American Congress.

In response therefore, a position was taken on behalf of the Cameroonian Parliament and which can be summarized in its conclusion by the following words, "As legislators, we welcome the genuine expression of concern and support for the well-being of the vast majority of Cameroonians. We urge members of the United States Congress to engage more vigorously to ensure compliance with the international conventions against transnational crime and criminality to which the United States is a signatory and to ensure that their country is not a safe haven for perpetrators and funders of acts of extreme violence and terrorism on the people of Cameroon".

This response, for those who have taken the time to read it, is both diplomatically correct and courteous. As an unusual first, this document provided a medium of exchange from the Cameroon Parliament with foreign counterparts on a topic that has been the major concern for every Cameroonian, an opportunity I personally welcomed. The document in itself evoked several aspects, which make it foolhardy to read it in a singular context. It is necessary to unpack both statements and answer some questions, while pondering the proposal of "...suspending repatriation flights back to Cameroon..." for the various reasons provided, which include but are not limited to the war in the English-speaking regions. These questions are:

  Firstly, does this de-escalate the ongoing crisis in the country? The answer is a resounding NO!

  Should we be encouraging and celebrating more and more Cameroonians who are forced away from the responsibility of building this nation, the comfort of their homes in the hope of seeking asylum in the United States of America? Again, the resounding answer is NO! 

Does America provide safe harbour and anchor for the financiers, propagandists and sponsors of the war? Resounding YES!

Have those who have been repatriated so far been subject to any severe treatment besides the psychological, physical and economic cost of their journey, which would have been all but avoided had we the right government in place? Once again, a resounding NO!

  Do I feel for such Cameroonians who have been through such unbearable conditions, forced away from home in search of better? Absolutely YES.

  Do I feel there is another way we can solicit the support of the Biden Administration to ending the crisis and ensuring that Cameroonians feel welcomed and safe in their very homes? Absolutely YES.

Those are some key questions every patriotic Cameroonian must be asking and to which we must provide true answers. My political goal is not to look for the best means by which to portray the weaknesses of the country, but rather to the best way to resolve its imminent challenges. That is the responsibility I have as a representative of the people and a duty I must uphold. I am therefore baffled by the various negative reactions that I have received from this petition. Not that I am surprised by them, but rather by some of the authors of the criticism levied against me. Some have questioned the audacity to question or seem unyielding to a document regarding the state of affairs in Cameroon from the United States. Some have questioned why I appended my signature to a 'CPDM initiated document' as a member of the opposition and finally some political parasites once again are hoping to gain relevance in the face of the buzz this newsworthy action is making. 

When we consider the questions above, our actual challenge becomes evident. We can see how a genuine problem became hostage to the fantasies of some virtual leaders and gun wielding miscreants. From the onset, the Anglophone problem, which enjoyed the full support of every meaningful Cameroonian and to which we formulated the problem question adequately and had a clear roadmap for its resolution, was side-tracked by a group. They hijacked the "struggle" by peddling the idea of an independent country. Driven by frustrations and misgivings with the system and the vices we have condemned over such a long period, the idea of an independent country where they could reset and restart afresh was very appealing to several young men and women. They greeted this false believe with so much enthusiasm after giving up all hope and trust in the system. We must not forget the effect of this narrative on the escalation of this crisis. From the moment they embarked on this method, any other position or any other leader was dealt all sorts of derogatory terms. Several well-meaning Cameroonians were forced out of this debate because of its toxicity.

For those who rightly evoke the absence since the start of this terrible war in the North-West and South-West of a real debate on the issue in the Cameroonian parliament, I would like to begin to reassure them that I am offended as much as they are by this inexplicable incongruity maintained by the CPDM majority. In their short-sightedness, they never imagined the impact the SDF debate on the crisis would have brought about. We petitioned and revolted on the floor of parliament and today they see the need to take action. By this therefore, we would call for more discussions on the floor of parliament on the crisis.

The SDF to which I belong is for a strong Cameroon, united in its diversity through a federal system set up with a broad consensus and which gives pride of place to local development and the enhancement of the specificities of its components in a participatory and inclusive democracy. We are for a true inclusive dialogue to resolve the crisis in the North West and South West. Our social democratic and progressive values are for peace all over the country and we carry values which dictate to us that there can be no real and lasting peace without justice and this justice knows no borders. The SDF has given its all to try to bring peace to the North West and South West regions for the past five years in a deadly conflict in which we are not a party but for which we are paying an immeasurable price. This, however, will not deter us from sticking to our democratic fundamentals enshrined in our internal constitution.

Party members should therefore not be drawn into this sentimental expressions and futile debates fanned by political lackeys. To do politics is to have political ideas, a political program, a clear vision of the economic and social mix that you want for your country. Political life is the confrontation of these ideas and these programs. Let's talk and debate about ideas. Let us be focused and reflect together on the fundamental problems of our society and propose to the electorate a program based on socio-democratic and progressive values to solve them. This is what the SDF should be for the days and weeks to come. This is my vision. Conserving old positions divides, adopting change unites. I live my political struggle as a divine blessing. Being misunderstood, stigmatized, or just fought is an inseparable part of this fight. I am for the unity of all the political forces of the left, of all the progressives. I am for a strong and united SDF. Only the struggle liberates and together we win.

Hon. Joshua N. O I

Member of Parliament




Prof. Maurice Kamto Wades in, Challenging Cameroon MPs

STATEMENT

On the betrayal of the People by Cameroonian MPs complicit in the war in the North-West and South-West Regions


On 17 February 2021, forty members of the US Congress wrote to the President of the United States of America and his Secretary of Homeland Security, requesting the implementation of measures to prevent the repatriation to Cameroon of some of our compatriots who are currently in an irregular situation on American soil. The measures requested from the U.S. administration would be activated under the Temporary Protected Status or the Deferred Enforced Departure, two instruments developed to ensure the protection of foreign nationals living in the United States "from civil, political and humanitarian crises in their home country that make it unsafe for them to return" or "if conditions in the[ir] country make return unsafe".  In support of their initiative, the American parliamentarians illustrate the situation in Cameroon as follows: “[a] humanitarian crisis and civil war characterized by massive internal displacement, war crimes, and shortages of essentials like water, food, healthcare, and housing […]”; civilians caught in the middle of multiple and complex armed conflicts between English-speaking separatists, the government and Boko Haram; “an extensive and troubling catalogue of human rights abuses against Cameroonian civilians, including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detention, and targeted violence against vulnerable populations such as children and members of the LGBTQ+ community.” 

In a correspondence dated 22 February 2021, some members of the National Assembly of Cameroon felt they had to speak out against the granting to our compatriots by the United States Government of the protection measures envisaged, on the grounds that the "extremely negative description of Cameroon" made by some "misguided" American parliamentarians could be false and distorted. In the opinion of the MPs in question, the Cameroon referred to by the members of the US Congress "does not exist ... [but] is a figment of the misinformed views of certain individuals who are determined to cause further destabilization in the whole Central African Region". 

The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) finds regrettable and irresponsible the views expressed by the group of Cameroonian parliamentarians concerned whose approach gives the measure of the state of collapse of the foundation of values on which our young nation wanted to build itself. Indeed, what can we say about "representatives of the people" who, not satisfied with doing nothing to stop the continuous deterioration of the standard of living of the population and doing everything possible to kill all hope for the youth, notably by throwing the latter into exile, are pushing their cynicism to the limit by demanding the repatriation to Cameroon of some of our compatriots, and consequently that they be denied humanitarian protection. 

The CRM notes that a concerted approach of this nature has never been initiated by the Cameroonian MPs in question, to demand a parliamentary debate on the fratricidal war that is destroying the North-West and South-West Regions and endangering the destiny of our country as a united Nation. We did not see such "solidarity" around their colleague, the Honourable Joseph Wirba, when he courageously spoke out on the Anglophone question at the tribune of the National Assembly a few years ago. For the Cameroonian parliamentarians concerned, the civil war in the North-West and South-West Regions does not exist, unless in the opinions of these MPs, these regions are no longer part of Cameroon. The hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons, victims of this fratricidal war would just be the imagination of distraught individuals. One can now understand why the issue of this absurd war in the North-West and South-West Regions has never been debated either in the National Assembly or in the Senate. The unbearable episodes of this dirty war, including Ngarbuh, Menka-Pinyin, Muyuka, Kumba, Mautu and others, do not seem to change the prevailing autism and blindness: even the "representatives of the People" do not see the People suffering.

We also better understand the complicit silence of parliamentarians of the CPDM regime and its allies in the face of arbitrary arrests and detentions, submission to acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, to which CRM militants have been subjected for several years, for having demonstrated peacefully (on 26 January, 1 and 8 June 2019 and 22 September 2020) to demand an end to the war in the North-West and South-West Regions. In doing so, the group of concerned Cameroonian parliamentarians provides a further illustration of its indifference to the suffering of Cameroonians. In any case, it confirms their complicity in the serious violations of fundamental human rights and their support for acts of barbarism carried out by the state apparatus, all institutions combined, as reported in the first CRM Report on Human Rights and Governance, which covers the year 2020. 

  Our "People's Representatives" obviously live in another country, when they are bold enough to claim that "Cameroon readily issues travel documents and passports to its citizens."! Yes, when they are not deprived of passports, many of our compatriots, especially from the diaspora, for whom returning to Cameroon has become dangerous for many years, as they are on file by the Cameroonian authorities because of their political opinions, or their alleged political views.

The CRM's mission is to restore the rule of law and to ensure that Cameroon adopts and respects a true national charter of human rights and democracy. It promotes and defends the fundamental rights of all Cameroonians wherever they are. The CRM welcomes all initiatives that go in this direction, including from countries and institutions that take the measure of the suffering and distress of the Cameroonian people and come to their aid.  Our people will know how to recognise their friends.


Yaoundé, 27 February 2021






Monday, February 15, 2021

Fru Ndi Dumps SDF and Anglophones at Much Needed Moment


My take and the Views of Vexed Political Pundits;

Fru Ndi Dumps SDF and Anglophones at Much Needed Moment

What an unfortunate situation every right thinking political analyst will want to bear for the SDF Chieftain and his one time Vibrant Political Party.

A Party, if not but for it's creation at that much needed Political moment 1990 Cameroon would have still been in the dark, stripped off of all political advancements and evolution.

Thanks to Fru Ndi and SDF, Cameroonians became awakened, multiparty politics came in place, the right to say, think or do anything freely came to pass and Cameroonians today to an extend enjoy liberal rights.

Not complete Liberation, I must emphasis as the old schools and enlightened Cameroonians will want. That is taking over power or the Presidency of Cameroon. In Fru Ndi's political career, on three executive counts, he tried to pick the high office of the President of the Republic, but failed thanks to an electoral process he often define to be irregular and was only kicked out of the political circumference by the much more relevant MRC Party of Maurice Kamto today.

Maurice Kamto, Cabral Libil, Serge Matombo and the Anglophone Liberation War of Independence of late have made rubbish of Fru Ndi and his one time famous liberation political party.

 News during the weekend of Fru Ndi retiring from active Politics and political life took the population aback and it’s staunch militants by surprise. Who at all levels still saw  hope and possibilities in their old ailing political figure or icon.

It is all unfortunate, but from all indication Fru Ndi himself have discovered that he has lost value and is short of the political strength to liberate Cameroonians and as such has to hand over.

To who? And why now? Is the one dollar question political pundits are asking Fru Ndi? That after auctioning and stripping SDF naked,  he has decided to hand over the Party? To who and who will want to shoulder or bear such a risk.

Hear over vexed pundits, “ if it has reached a level that Almighty Fru Ndi can no longer come to Bamenda for fear of Amba Boys then who is that Cameroonian to take the crown of a fallen hero full of thorns?

Joe Ntarikon is now past tense in the political history of Cameroon, that you and I should accept without reserve. With your permission, What have suddenly become of his J Rowling's and Mandela ambition? What a miasma, when you fight a fight and leave it half way, you must live to fight the uncompleted battle or bury your head in shame or disgrace. What have become of those young Cameroonians who died for power to the people freedom movement fight in the early 90s? What more of those whose hands were amputated because of grenade and those who inhaled teargas  profusely.” Abakwa Don suffer plenty!” With all these political turn around, blunders or mix ups,  Can any one dabble with or question Prof Asonganyi’s one time appellation and declaration that from all indication Fru Ndi is now CPDM Mezam V section President? The Big Answer is?....

The political game has played and outlived Fru Ndi nobody will deny it. Pa to be honest and by his own right  thinking self is now of no use. But posterity will have to judge him for not taking Cameroonians across or Liberating them completely. Hear most of those  fuming with anger today “why will he not dump the Party? Haven’t stock piled more than  enough for himself and his  family? God is watching, how many young Cameroonians are miserable today because of Pa and his Party? Bamenda people are waiting for him”. 


Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Biya Pacify Cameroonian, Speaks to Youths in Modest Tone, Raise Hopes and Expectations of the Working Age Group


55TH EDITION OF THE YOUTH DAY 

********* 

HEAD OF STATE’S MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH 


 Yaounde, 10 February 2021 

My dear young compatriots, 

The Youth Day celebration this year is taking place shortly after the successful organization of the 6th edition of the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Cameroon 2020, which our country had the privilege of hosting from 16 January to 7 February 2021. 

It was an excellent opportunity to commune with all young African sports men and women and to showcase the vitality of the Cameroonian people. 

On that occasion, Cameroon, which is renowned for its legendary hospitality, was up to the task, thanks notably to the massive mobilization of its dynamic, talented and enthusiastic youth. 

By hosting the Total CHAN 2020, our country was able to offer other young people from Africa and the world a wonderful sports and cultural festival, as well as a pleasant moment of entertainment, within a rather challenging health context. 

As we can see, compliance with the preventive measures prescribed by the Government and with other measures requested by the organizers of the tournament, helped to ensure the smooth organization in Cameroon, a country of fraternity and peace, of the first international competition in a world that is grappling with the coronavirus. 

Given the success of this sporting event, I feel like saying that 2021 is beginning on a positive note for our youth. And I hope that this breath of fresh air will rekindle lasting hope in every one of you. 

Another event, the Africa Cup of Nations, Total AFCON Cameroon 2021, will take place in 2022. I have no doubt that it will be another opportunity for you to express your dynamism, talent and enthusiasm. 

In spite of the difficult economic situation, our country is well prepared for both events. We have built ultra-modern facilities, some of which were used for the first time during CHAN that has just ended. We have to learn to preserve them. 

On account of their multiple achievements, Cameroon’s young sports men and women deserve the sacrifices made for these major investments. This should be a genuine motive of pride for all of us and an encouragement to win more victories. 

I want to call on Cameroonian football governing bodies to pull themselves together and restore order to their organization. It is only in so doing that we can create the best conditions for the sustained development of our football. 

My dear young compatriots, 

As I have often told you, you should never lose hope in your country. You should have faith in the future of a winning Cameroon where everyone is willing to work for the general interest. You should remain at the forefront to fight the vital battles of your time. 

This does not mean that I am overlooking the difficulties you are facing. However, remember, two years ago, under the same circumstances, I told you, along the same lines, that each generation has a historic mission to accomplish for the future of the Nation.  

It is obvious that your mission today is the preservation of the peace, unity and prosperity of our country, beyond the inescapable constraints due to the changes taking place in the world. 

Peace is a prerequisite for progress. As you are aware, it has been threatened for a few years now in our country by armed gangs that are spreading terror on the western border of the Far-North, and in some areas in the North-West and South-West. Our eastern border is also facing insecurity. 

Fortunately, courageous and patriotic Cameroonian youths are effectively playing their role as the driving force in the defence of the Fatherland on these different fronts. 

Our young soldiers are actively engaged with determination, professionalism and a high sense of sacrifice in restoring peace to our country. 

Similarly, within the framework of the Army-Nation tandem, young people are the most active in vigilante committees which are providing valuable support to the Defence and Security Forces. 

These dedicated and committed youths are the pride of our country. They are a model of abnegation, patriotic awareness, service for the common interest and preservation of national sovereignty and unity. 

May their example inspire you in various other aspects of national life. 

Concerning national unity, some of you have unfortunately chosen to rally behind the demons of hatred and division. Driven by barbaric fanaticism, often whipped up and nurtured from foreign countries, or by a perverse use of social media, they try to undermine the foundations of the Nation.  

They are “anti-role models”. I urge you to stay away from them. They are not contributing to building a prosperous Cameroon that is united in its diversity, an exemplary Cameroon that we all fervently long for. 

My dear young compatriots, 

Our country has just completed the establishment of its democratic institutions, as provided for by the Constitution. Many young people are part of the various parliamentary, municipal and regional bodies. This is the way the generational transition in the management of public affairs is prepared. 

Time for politicking is therefore over. It is now time to resolutely get back to work. 

Regional and local authorities constitute a source of opportunities that I urge you to seize. 

The Government, for its part, will continue its efforts to develop the entire country. The effective participation of young people in the Nation’s socio-economic life will continue to be at the centre of its action. In that connection, it will ensure that they are increasingly involved in decision-making concerning them. 

The broad outlines of our country’s progress towards emergence by 2035 have been redefined in our National Development Strategy adopted recently. It is necessary to fully acquaint yourselves with it so as to identify all the opportunities it offers. 

Prior to that, however, I had already ordered the development of several youth support programmes. These initiatives are being implemented in various production sectors. 

I once more call on the Government to work towards ensuring the successful implementation of these programmes. The solution of the thorny problem of youth employment in our country depends to a large extent on their implementation. 

The programmes include:  

- the “Special Youth” Three-year Plan which, in 2020, financed about 5 500 projects for a total amount of nearly 15 billion CFA francs, thus enabling the settlement of a little more than 16 000 young people in 66 second-generation pioneer villages. 

- the Decent Employment Promotion Programme which aims to create  500 000 jobs during the 2021 financial year. 

My dear young compatriots, 

Nation building is the responsibility of all of us. It requires a spirit of harmony and tolerance among citizens. I therefore urge you to cultivate this spirit at all times, and to champion peace in order not to squander the opportunities that your country is offering you. 

As the majority sociological component, mobilize for the future of your country, Cameroon, a stable, united and prosperous Cameroon. It is your priceless heritage. 

Be pragmatic and persevering. Do not yield to pessimism and discouragement. Shun adventurous paths and those that seek easy gain. 

If you embark on the conquest of the world, come back to build your country. Promote Cameroon like your compatriots, namely: 

- the physicist, Arsène Stéphane TEMA BIWOLE, at General Atomics;  

- the mathematician and computer scientist, Thystère Djob MVONDO, who has just brilliantly defended his doctorate thesis at the age of 22; 

- the writer, Djaïli AMADOU AMAL, who, as you know, won the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens 2020; and 

- many others that I cannot name here. 

My dear young compatriots,  

It is in so doing that you will effectively contribute to building a strong, united, democratic, decentralized and emerging Cameroon by 2035. I know you can do it. I count on you. 

Happy Youth Day to each of you! 

Long live Cameroonian youth!

Long live Cameroon!