By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Former regime’s baron and now prisoner, Jean Marie Atangana Mebara has released a letter in which he handles the Anglophone problem and proposes possible solutions. To end the present stalemate, he proposes “the setting up a National Committee of Conciliation, with credible and reliable Cameroonian citizens from the civil society, under the Chair of a person like Archbishop KLEDA of Douala, or any other religious leader with members such as:Mr ABOUEM A TCHOYI, Prof AJAGA NJI, Prof KONTCHOU KOUEMEGNI, Barrister AGBOR-BALLA, Dr FONTEM NEBA, Dr ACHA MORFAW Diana, Journalist Valentin ZINGA, journalist BOH Herbert, Prof Simon MUNZU, Dr Carlson ANYANGWE, Me Alice NKOM, Pr Jean KOUFAN, Dr DZE NGWA, Cheikh HOUSSAINI WAZIRI, Mrs Margaret TENDO, Mrs Dorothy FORBIN, retired magistrate Toussaint ZIBI NSOE, Traditional Rulers such as Fon FORBUZIE etc and tasked to delve on all the grievances raised by Anglophones, from 1961 till date; and for each of them, they will list the possible solutions, the practicable ones.”
Atangana Mebara listed that “if we aim at destroying mistrust first and building new confidence for real dialogue to be effective, the following measures must be taken; the release of the people arrested during the crisis events would be the first. The launching, without any delay, of an inquiry into the violence in the Anglophone regions, on the 1st of October, 2017, could be a positive move towards a sincere and efficient dialogue. Some other Anglophone citizens in jail, arrested many years back within the “sparrow hawk operation”, who can contribute in solving this crisis, could also be released. By the way, the President of the Republic may need, for the benefit of the Nation, to renew, fundamentally, the Anglophone Elite at the highest levels of the State. And there is no doubt for me that there are many young and competent Anglophone citizen, anonymous, in different administrations and parastatals, as well as within the private sector. To crown it all, some government officials and those of the ruling party in particular, should be instructed to stop fuelling the crisis with provocative and threatening declarations towards the people who do not share the opinions. They have not been contributing to prepare a peaceful and constructive dialogue.”
He starts the letter with a series of questions that speak volumes “Who can therefore say the problems of Anglophones are the same as those of Francophones? When our Anglophone brothers and sisters are asking why one of theirs have never been appointed to certain State functions, can Francophones also say that there are functions that they have never occupied in this Nation? Functions such as : the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, the Minister of External Relations, the Delegate General for National Security etc. Who can say all the issues raised concern both Francophones and Anglophones? To these functions, let us add, without being exhaustive, the management of parastatals such as the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH), the National Oil Refinery Corporation (SONARA), the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS), the Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL), the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), the Douala Ports Authority, the National Directorate of the Central Bank (BEAC).”
The former SG at the Presidency of the Republic wonders aloud “what would have been the analysis and opinions if status were to be swapped; meaning, if Francophones were the minority and Anglophones the majority of the population? How would the Francophones have reacted if they had to systematically face discrimination in State services and poorly considered in State matters? Would it not be their right to know why they are treated like that?”
In his ideas for a debate, Jean Marie Atangana Mebara invited Francophones to “first of all, admit, with humility, that their Anglophone brothers and sisters have specific problems, because of their specificity. Francophones must remember that their Anglophone brothers were not submitted to the same type of colonial rule (Mandate or Trusteeship). With their Traditional Rulers, they used to manage their local affairs, without waiting for instructions from the capital city. They have not been educated in the Francophone-submission culture where, submission to any authority designated by the State, is almost a religion. One can therefore understand that our Anglophone brothers and sisters are not at their ease in a very centralised State management, as their Francophone brothers could be.”
He underlined that for genuine dialogue to hold “Now that each party has shown its determination, strength and capacity to stick to its position, unfortunately with victims, it is time to give up pride and arrogance.”
Admitting that “To the majority of Anglophones, the Reunification has been a “Contract to dupe one party,” he advised President Biya not to use the vomited Anglophone elite at the announced dialogue because it would push Anglophones to seek for an international mediation which will not be so good for the nation.