By TALLA A. CHISTOPHER & NOELA E. BISONG
We are in 2020. This year is likely to be a turning point in the history of Cameroon with elections for members of Parliament and Municipal Councillors scheduled for February 9, 2020 and the implementation of the ‘Special Status’ for the North West and South West Regions that was promulgated into law by the Head of State last December 24, 2019.
However in 2019, some major incidents were recorded in the country amidst the Anglophone crisis that has been a hot potato to swallow, for the past three years. A bird’s eye view of Cameroon in 2019 some observers have concluded could be summarised as the ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly.’
Juicy appointments
The year started on a good footing with the appointment of Cameroon’s 6th occupant of the Star Building, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute through a Presidential Decree on January 4, 2019 to replace Philemon Yang, after serving for a little over nine years. The confidence bestowed on Chief Dr Dion Ngute, by the Head of State, by appointing a son of Bobongo I village, Ndian Division, South West Region was greeted with euphoria, especially amongst elites and living forces of Anglophone Cameroon, because, it came at a time when there was dire need for a lasting solution to end the impasse rocking the two English speaking Regions of Cameroon. His appointment was equally seen by Anglophones as a sign of determination by the Head of State to put an end to the crisis considering that he served for just about six months as Minister delegate at the Presidency in charge of Special Duties.
At the dawn of the celebration of the appointment of Chief Dr Dion Ngute as PM and Head of Government, there was breaking news that came from the lone refinery company in Cameroon, SONARA. Madam Ndoh Bertha nee Bakata, Special Adviser at the Prime Minister’s Office was appointed Board Chair of the Refinery outfit to replace John Ebong Ngolle who served in that position for about 27 years and Simo Njonou Jean Paul as new General Manager in replacement of Ibrahim Talba Malla. Another land mark appointment in 2019 was at the South West Development Authority, SOWEDA. Presidential Decree No. 2019/103 of 18/06/ 2019 saw the appointment of Ediage Apande Herbert as Board Chairman to replace Noah Mbongo Molongo who died in 2016 and Dr Besong Ogork Ntui as Director to replace Dr Andrew Eneme Ngome.
Bad news from Cameroon’s lone oil refinery
During the evening of May 31, 2019, bad news spread like wild fire across Cameroon and beyond, which had it that Cameroon’s lone oil refinery was engulfed in fire. Indeed, what started as rumour soon became true, as fire, from an unknown source had caught SONARA’s production units, an incident which will change the course of the company. Following the fire incident, a temporary shutdown was immediately declared, various ministerial delegations from Yaounde stormed the refinery to make sense of what had transpired. Convocations, grilling were done on the company’s top management as well as others, including new General Manager Simo Njonou. Arrests followed. A fact-finding mission set by PM Dion Ngute was created and given a 30-day deadline to establish the cause of the fire incident. The results of the mission are yet to be made public.
‘Ambazonian leaders’ jailed for life
The year 2019 equally saw the laying to rest of the case pitting The People of Cameroon Vs Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius & 9 others in Suit No. OMDJ. No.669 of 29/11/2018. The matter that suffered several adjournments ever since the ‘Ambazonian Leaders’ cum the Nera 10 were extradited from Nigeria and incarcerated at the Kondengui Principal Prison for terrorism and other offences against the security of the state, were finally handed a life jail imprisonment by the Presiding Magistrate of the Yaounde Military Court Magistrate, Lt Col. Mise Njone Jacques. The judgement that was delivered in the early hours of Monday, August 19, 2019 received widespread condemnation and was described as a miscarriage of Justice.
Major National Dialogue
It’s not a hidden secret that the crisis in the two English Speaking Regions otherwise known as the Anglophone crisis, for about three years has been the talk on every lips, including international organisations and Western countries with the call on the government to summon an inclusive National Dialogue to end the quagmire that has caused lives, with houses and villages razed to the ground, and many Internally Displaced Persons and others as refugees in neighbouring countries. The road to the National Dialogue saw the PM embark on a peace mission to the two affected Anglophone Regions in May 2019 during his maiden visit to the area. The findings of the PM to these regions paid off with the September 10, 2019 historic speech of the Head of State that announced the Major National Dialogue to explore avenues for resolving the crisis in the North West and South West Regions. The Major National Dialogue was thus convened from September 30, 2019 to October 4 2019. The Dialogue took place at the Yaounde Conference Centre with over 1000 participants living the ceremony under the chairmanship of PM Dion Ngute. The crowd was unprecedented grouping the Diaspora, Separatist Fighters, Federalists, Unionists, regime critics, opposition parties, the clergy, civil society, and Traditional Rulers, all grouped in 8 Committees, and numerous recommendations were arrived at including the a ‘Special Status’ for the Anglophone Regions.
333 Anglophone detainees, 103 MRC militants gain freedom
Another remarkable event that took place in 2019, was the release of 333 Anglophone detainees who were arrested and detained in connection with the crisis and who stood trial at the military court and about 103 militants of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, MRC, including its National President Prof. Maurice Kamto who were all incarcerated at the Kondengui Principal Prison for close to 9 months. It was one of the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue for all political prisoners and those arrested in connection with the Anglophone crisis, to be freed. The Head of State immediately at the close of the Dialogue on October 4, 2019 halted all proceedings against these detainees and they immediately gained freedom.
Death snatches top-notch Anglophones
Apart from the happiness shared in some quarters in the country, tears were seen running down the cheeks of others especially Anglophones. One of such was the death of retired magistrate, Barrister Helen Ebai, a prolific and great legal mind in the town of Limbe, who died on September 5, 2019. Barrister Helen Ebai was acclaimed, for frankly telling PM Dion Ngute the real situation on ground, during his consultative visit ahead of the Major National Dialogue. At the close of the Major National Dialogue, the breaking news was the demise of Barrister Ben Muna, on October 6, 2019 in Yaounde at the age of 70. Anglophones across the board including the entire judiciary corps couldn’t hide their feelings about the abrupt death of the man who served as President of the Cameroon Bar Council from 1986 to 1992. The erudite legal luminary is remembered to have stood as Presidential Candidate for Alliance of Progressive Forces, APF, party in the 2011 Presidential elections. Another shocking death was that of the Lord Mayor of Buea Council, Ekema Patrick Esunge in late October 2019 in Douala. Lord Mayor Ekema Patrick who was accorded a State burial is remembered to have fought tirelessly to chase ghost towns in Buea. Heaven break lose again on December 20, 2019 when news of the death of Francis Konyuy Wache was announced. Francis Wache was a seasoned Trainer, Incisive Journalist, erudite politician. He was the Executive Publisher of The Post Newspaper and the Mayor of Nkor Council, a Social Democratic Front, SDF, run Council, in Bui Division, North West Region.
National Mourning
Following Presidential decree No 2019/303 of 17 June 2019, a National Day of Mourning was declared by President Paul Biya, to mourn the death of 17 soldiers killed in the Far North region of the country. The National Day of mourning took place on Friday June 21, 2019, during which flags nationwide as well as Cameroon’s embassies abroad were flown at half mast in honour of the fallen soldiers, who died following a gun battle with Islamic militants of the Boko Haram group on the night of Sunday June 9, breaking Monday June 10, 2019. The incident took place in the DARAK locality of the Logone and Chari Division in the Far North region of Cameroon.
The Nation was equally gripped with sorrow following the Gouachie land slide in Bafoussam I Sub Division, Mifi Division, West Region. The sad incident which occurred on October 28, 2019 saw about 43 perish. A National Mourning ceremony was later on organised at the Bafoussam grandstand and presided at by PM Dion Ngute, personally representative of the Head of State.