ISSUES
The Crisis in Southern Cameroons
A Call for US Leadership
Background
The conflict between British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon dates back to 1961 when the United Nations tried but failed to join the two countries, and Cameroon simply annexed Southern Cameroons through the guise of a federation. Despite the fact that the UN voted for Southern Cameroons independence (Res. 1608(XV)) and Southern Cameroons and Cameroon agreed to form a federal association of two states equal in status, that federation did not materialize. Until this day, UN Resolution 1608(XV) has never been implemented. In fact, the Administering Authority, the UK, ignored the governing law on decolonization (Res. 1514(XV), December 14, 1960) and illegally transferred the territory to Cameroon. As such, Southern Cameroons has never been able to assume control of its own affairs or negotiate its future with Cameroon. Cameroon simply amended its internal law, adopted it in parliament and imposed it on Southern Cameroons in the name of a federal constitution. Neither the people of Southern Cameroons or its House of Assembly were provided an opportunity to vote on the law adopted by Cameroon’s parliament. The law led to annexation. Cameroon’s federal constitution prohibited changes to the structure of the country. In 1972, then president of Cameroon Amadou Ahidjo arranged for the population of French Cameroon, which was four times greater than Southern Cameroons, to participate in a referendum to abolish the Federation, and it was abolished. In the place of the federation, the president instituted the “United Republic of Cameroon,” and declared the two Cameroons “one and indivisible.” In 1984, Cameroon president Paul Biya discarded the name “United Republic of Cameroon” and submerged the identity of Southern Cameroons by renaming the two countries “the Republic of Cameroon,” the appellation by which French Cameroon obtained its independence in 1960. From that presidential decision forward, any citizen of Cameroon that challenged the decision was declared a secessionist and jailed. In this way, thousands of Southern Cameroonians were jailed. In October 2016, lawyers, students and teachers in Southern Cameroons began peacefully protesting the subjugation of the people of Southern Cameroons by the government of Cameroon in the legal and educational systems, as exemplified by the appointment of French-speaking judges and teachers in the Northwest and Southwest regions of the country and the publishing of legislation solely in the French language. The protests were met with brutal force by Cameroon police, which led to gross human rights violations, the arrest of lawyers, teachers and civic leaders, and their detention. The government initiated dialogue with representatives of the protesters, but when negotiations broke down, they were promptly arrested and charged with “secession” and other crimes before military tribunals. Some leaders managed to flee the country. On October 1, 2017, the people of Southern Cameroons declared their independence and statehood by referendum. In turn, on November 30, President Biya declared war on the people of South Cameroons in order to enforce Cameroon’s annexation of Southern Cameroons. Since then, the Northwest and Southwest regions have been shut off from the international media and human rights groups. Until and unless the international community is able to independently verify the actions of the government of Cameroon in Southern Cameroons, the conflict will not be resolved. The 2019 State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Cameroon documented killings of civilians, kidnappings, abductions, and hostage taking, beatings, attacks on health workers and the media, restrictions on movements of persons and goods. The UN Children’s Fund estimates that more than 855,000 children are out of school due to the conflict, and the State Department added Cameroon to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act List in its 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report as a government ‘‘identified during the previous year as having governmental armed forces, police, or other security forces, or government-supported armed groups that recruit or use child soldiers.” In February 2019, the State Department announced that it would withhold some security assistance to Cameroon, including equipment and training, citing credible allegations of human rights violations by state security forces and a lack of investigation, accountability, and transparency by the government of Cameroon. In December 2019, the US terminated the designation of Cameroon as a beneficiary under the African Growth and Opportunity Act because ‘‘the Government of Cameroon currently engages in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.” A European Parliament resolution, passed in April 2019, urged inclusive political dialogue to resolve the crisis in Cameroon, called for the conflict to be considered by the UN Security Council, and urged the European Union to ‘‘use the political leverage provided by development aid and other bilateral programs to enhance the defense of human rights in Cameroon.’’ In June 2019, the government of Switzerland announced that it would facilitate a dialogue between the government of Cameroon and opposition groups to support a resolution of the crisis. For its part, France maintains considerable interests in Cameroon, including significant economic and security cooperation, but has not adequately used its influence to stem government atrocities committed in Southern Cameroons or supported stronger international action to seek a resolution to the conflict. In November 2019, President Biya admitted that his government’s policy was always aimed to assimilate the people of Southern Cameroons. Economic, political, legal and educational repression has been the goal of President Biya’s administrations, as has been his efforts to steal the identity, language and cultural heritage of Southern Cameroons. In January 2021, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 684 urging the international community “to address the root causes of the conflict and pending grievances, and seek nonviolent solutions to the conflict” in Cameroon. A non-violent solution depends mostly on the attitude of the international community. As long as the international community does not verify the facts on the ground and stands by the claims of the government of Cameroon, as it relates to Southern Cameroons, the government will continue using violent means to suppress what it calls an internal affair. Once the US and the international community acknowledge that Cameroon is waging a colonial war in order to impose its will on a distinct people, in Southern Cameroons, it will be easier to address the conflict, and to resolve it. The people of Southern Cameroons have long accepted and accept today the Swiss offer to mediate between the two sides. The people of Southern Cameroons wait for the government of Cameroon to accept mediation.
Call for US action
The Interim Government, on behalf of the people of Southern Cameroons, calls on the Biden Administration, as leader of the free world and champion of democratic values and human rights, at home and abroad, either independently or in collaboration with allies and members of the international community to: Strongly condemn the culture of impunity and abuses committed by Cameroon security forces in Southern Cameroons (referred to as the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon), including extrajudicial killings and detentions, the use of force against civilians and peaceful protesters, torture, rape, kidnappings and other forms of violence against women, and violations of freedom of the press, expression and assembly; Insist that the government of Cameroon guarantee unfettered humanitarian access and assistance to the over two million Southern Cameroonians affected by the ongoing war in Southern Cameroons; Take a leadership role in finding a solution and actively supporting the establishment of a credible process for a genuine dialogue that will bring the leaders of Southern Cameroons and the government of Cameroon to a negotiated settlement, as a suitable political solution that recognizes the basis of mutual equality of the two Cameroons (The Republic of Cameroon and Southern Cameroons) as envisioned in relevant UN Resolutions of 1961 that define the terms for termination of the trusteeship agreement over Southern Cameroons; Urge the government of Cameroon to cease all military operations in favor of a political solution; Advocate for and support initiatives to identify and address the root cause of the ongoing conflict in Cameroon, and shepherd a credible nonviolent process in conjunction with the Swiss government, to broker a negotiated ceasefire that includes peace-keeping operations; Urge the government of Cameroon to respect the rule of law and the constitutional rights of all Southern Cameroonians, including the right to self-determination, with regard to unlawful detentions without trials, the inhuman treatment of prisoners of conscience, journalists, women and children by Cameroon authorities; Hold the government of Cameroon responsible to ensure the safety, security and constitutional rights of all those she considers her citizens, regardless of their political or religious views. Urge the government of Cameroon to: Participate in third-party international efforts to end the armed conflict in Southern Cameroons; Accept solutions that address the root causes of the ongoing war, and seek and support nonviolent processes to resolve the conflict, including involving independent mediator(s) to facilitate negotiations; Respect the rule of law and the constitutional rights of Southern Cameroonians including members of Southern Cameroons civil society activists and journalists; Demand the creation of a credible, independent UN-led Fact Finding Mission to Southern Cameroons to investigate all allegations of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity; Take action for the immediate release of all political prisoners and journalists currently detained in deplorable prison cells, many for years without trial, and end all arbitrary detentions, tortures, forced disappearances, deaths in custody and inhumane treatment of Southern Cameroonians, and Cooperate with the US government to bring to justice the murderers of the American missionary Charles Wesco. The Ambazonia Foundation also calls on the US Government to: Call on Southern Cameroon armed separatist movement leaders and Cameroon authorities to subscribe to available peaceful means to express their grievances, and engage in non-violent efforts, apart from self-defense, to resolve the conflict, including participation in a credible and unconditional dialogue, involving an independent mediator, such as the internationally endorsed Swiss-led process that is mediated by the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue on behalf of the Swiss government; Impose targeted sanctions on Cameroon government officials and her supervising authorities, responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture and other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in Southern Cameroons; Deliver a strong message to the government of Cameroon that it must provide unfettered access to the international media and humanitarian organizations in order to provide assistance to vulnerable populations in Southern Cameroons; Support credible multilateral efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict and achieving sustainable peace and reconciliation through third-party mediation as well as efforts to aid the economic recovery of and fight against Coronavirus in Southern Cameroons; Stop all security and military-related assistance to the government of Cameroon, ensure that US Government training and equipment are not being used to support the government of Cameroon’s war of assimilation and associated human rights abuses in Southern Cameroons and, ensure that international donor institutions and governments stop supporting Cameroon’s war of assimilation; Promote efforts to help develop and sustain effective, professional civilian oversight of law enforcement and security forces in Southern Cameroons, and Engage in ongoing efforts to ensure that the war in Southern Cameroons is discussed in international fora, including at the United Nations Security Council, with a focus on urgent diplomatic engagement and response. Urge members of the international community to: Reject the temptation of accepting an outcome in Cameroon based on violence and war as a solution to the conflict; Verify the legitimacy of the claims of the government of Cameroon over Southern Cameroons in order to ensure a better comprehension and validation of the root causes of the conflict before prescribing options for a long-lasting solution. Join in a strategic collective effort to pressure the government of Cameroon, including through the use of available diplomatic and punitive tools, to arrange for a negotiated ceasefire; Increase direct funding for local and international organizations providing humanitarian assistance in the war-torn Southern Cameroons, including the fight against Coronavirus, in communities affected by the conflict, and Leverage bilateral relationships to prevail on key partners of the government of Cameroon, particularly France, to actively foster a peaceful resolution of the ongoing war in Southern Cameroons. Urge regional and international fora, including the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the United Nations Security Council to: Discuss the ongoing crisis in Southern Cameroons; Help to refer the Cameroon conflict to the ICJ for a determination as to whether the decolonization of Southern Cameroons was valid and the consequences of its decision on the status of Southern Cameroons; Alternatively, seek international arbitration of the conflict between Southern Cameroons and the Republic of Cameroon; Heighten calls for an investigation and prosecution of human rights abuses and crimes committed against civilians. Urge the ICC to open an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide perpetrated in Southern Cameroons (The leadership of Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia has a 150-page petition pending before the ICC since November, 2020).
US-Southern Cameroons
A Shared Partnership
Economic and Investment Cooperation
● A free Southern Cameroons, known also as Ambazonia, will seek to be included in the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) aimed at facilitating economic growth in Southern Cameroons through duty-free trade between the US and Southern Cameroons. ● Estimates of Cameroon’s 2019 GDP, according to the IMF, was $38.6 billion. Southern Cameroons contributed the better half of this GDP due to its abundant natural resources, which has been exploited by the government of Cameroon. ● The US and Southern Cameroons stand to benefit from fair trade agreements in post-conflict Southern Cameroons, which will serve the mutual economic interests of both. ● A US-Southern Cameroons business partnership will be fostered by the private and public sectors in both countries. Presently, some affiliated American companies doing business in Southern Cameroons include: - ExxonMobil (E&P Petroleum) - Shell Pecten Cameroon (E&P Petroleum); operating in the Rio del Rey estuary of Bakassi in the Equatorial Zone of Southern Cameroons - Prudential Beneficial Life Insurance - Del Monte Foods - Taylor Guitars (Crelicam is Taylor's Guitar subsidiary)
Institutional, Educational and Cultural Relations
● The impact on more than eight million Southern Cameroonians with American engagement in the territory, by way of US government agencies and NGO development projects (presently in the form of emergency relief to refugees and IDPs during the conflict) cannot be overestimated. ● The Ambazonia Foundation hopes these engagements will be accelerated in post-conflict Southern Cameroons. ● US government agencies, organizations and educational institutions operating in Southern Cameroons include but are not limited to: - USAID: a) Presently, USAID is assisting Southern Cameroonian students to get back to school through its Educational Response Program. b) Providing humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs affected by the ongoing genocide in Southern Cameroons. - International Rescue Committee (IRC): Providing emergency relief services in war-torn Southern Cameroons. - Catholic Relief Services: Providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Southern Cameroons during the ongoing conflict. - International Medical Corps: The NGO is providing medical assistance in war-torn Southern Cameroons. - Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy: The international NGO promotes holistic health and humanitarian projects in Southern Cameroons. Cultural Relations The peoples of the United States and Southern Cameroons have benefitted from both countries’ rich cultural heritages through numerous cultural exchanges during the past decades. These longstanding cultural relations will be encouraged in a free Ambazonia.
