Who are the federalists and how are they different from other diaspora groups acting to reshape the political configuration of our country, Cameroon?
Thank you for inviting me. The Cameroon Federalist Movement is an association of Cameroonians from all ten regions who believe that Federalism is the right political system for Cameroon. Federalism addresses two realities:
On the one hand, it will correct a historical constitutional error made in 1972 when the Federation was dissolved.
It will address the rich diversity we enjoy in this country. It is therefore not by mistake our slogan is “Unity in Diversity”. CFM differs with most major diaspora-based groups in two ways:
We are active in Cameroon. In fact, a good portion of our leadership is in Cameroon.
We do not advocate for breaking up the Country and we do not believe in violence or taking up arms to achieve our objectives. We believe in engaging the Government through an open, frank and inclusive dialogue process.
You say the federalists believe in the unity of Cameroon. Does that not put you at crossroads with those advocating and even fighting a war to split the country along linguistico/political lines?
As a matter of fact, it does. Let me make one thing clear. The CFM recognizes the existence of an “Anglophone Problem” in Cameroon, but we also understand there is a larger problem which we have termed “The Cameroon Problem”. We cannot solve the “Anglophone Problem” in isolation of this larger one which is mainly driven by hyper-centralization of power, lack of accountability, lack of checks and balances and corruption. We believe Federalism will address all these problems and there is no reason to break up the country to do that. So, while we are looking at the larger “Cameroon problem”, secessionist groups are seeing only the limited “Anglophone problem”.
Why is the unity of Cameroon so much treasured by the federalists?
The answer to that question is simple. Unity is strength. All over the world, successful communities derive their strengths from working together, not breaking apart. If we start breaking up the country every time there is a problem along geographic lines, where do we end? Let’s not start a precedent that will come back to haunt us. Secession is not the answer. Not today. Not tomorrow.
You have just released the blueprint of the federalist vision for Cameroon. What are the highlights of your blueprint?
Doctors say the best way to treat an illness is to first diagnose the disease. The blueprint serves a dual purpose. In the first part, we clearly define the problems. The second part then prescribes the solutions. As mentioned above, the main problems in Cameroon are a hyper-centralized model, an unchecked executive branch, corruption and mismanagement. The solutions are therefore decentralization, activating the Judiciary and Legislative branches to perform their constitutional roles of checks and balances, having elected Regional Governors, putting in place a proactive mechanism to fight corruption and having a truly Independent Electoral Commission and a rotating Federal Presidency, among others.
Your blueprint comes in a context of imminent legislative, regional and local council elections in Cameroon. Is the timing deliberate? What in your view could be the impact of this blueprint on upcoming elections?
It is my understanding the Head of State has requested the postponement of the Legislative and Council Elections. We actually see this move as a good sign. At the very least, it means he knows the environment is not right for elections. We need to have a broad-based dialogue first.
The government has opted for decentralisation according to the provisions of the 1996 constitution. But in your blueprint you call the government’s version of decentralisation “a smokescreen.” why do you say so?
We use the term “smokescreen” because, for all the talk about decentralization, the Government has never delivered. So, we think it is a scenario of “Promises made and Promises not kept”. If you look at what the Government is offering, you will understand our skepticism. They plan to place “unelected” Regional Governors above “elected” Regional Council Presidents. We think this is not only wrong, it is undemocratic. We, therefore plan to use all available democratic and legal means to express our opinions on this.
The federalist blueprint outlines a general framework for better governance in Cameroon. But also you seem to take particular interest in the treatment of minorities, especially the Anglophones. Do you think a solution to the problems Cameroon is facing today passes through a solution to the Anglophone problem?
As mentioned above, we think Anglophones, like all minorities should be protected. This is the cornerstone of any democracy. What makes Anglophones a special minority group is our history. Anglophones were already protected by Article 47 of the Federal Constitution of 1961. Unfortunately, the terms of this article were violated by the late President Ahidjo. It is our intention to correct this grave historical mistake.
What is the relationship between the federalists and the Cameroon government? What is your level of interaction?
At this time we don’t have any relationship with the Government. We hope this will change soon. In the days ahead, we plan to meet with top Government officials to present our blueprint. We hope the Government will see us as a valuable partner when they realize our patriotism and sincerity.
Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute recently undertook a crusade for a return to peace in the troubled anglophone regions, announcing in the process the imminence of dialogue to discuss the anglophone crisis. What is your take on this as general coordinator of the federalists?
It is often said “the taste of the pudding is in the eating”. We don’t doubt the sincerity of the Prime Minister, but we also know the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. If we go by what the Government has done in the past, there is not much weight we can place on their words. We understand it may take a little while for the Government to catch up with us and when they do, they will find in us a ready and willing partner.
What future do you see for the country?
We see a future full of hope. Cameroonians are smart people. There is no problem we cannot solve if we come together as one people, united in our diversity. We want to release the genius that is hidden in us. It has to begin with an honest and inclusive discussion of the problems that plague us. The bad news is that, for the most part, we are the source of our own problems. The good news is that, we are also the solution to these problems.