The leaders of the separatist group, or “Ambazonia,” as they wish to be known, abducted from Nigeria into Cameroon, and who are being held in detention at the maximum security prison in Kondengui in Yaounde, led by Sisiku, have put out a proposal for what seems to represent their position in any likely dialogue any time. From a careful observation, their proposals may sound too hard for the regime to absorb with ease, but we think the gesture is welcome, especially as it has been the popular call among a majority of those who feel concerned with the situation in the country and have for long been opting for an inclusive dialogue.
We say the proposal by the Ambazonian group may sound too hard, and therefore unacceptable, for the regime to absorb with ease because the Ambazonians are insisting on delving into such areas as a complete review of the origin of the conflict in which they argued that there was an absence of a union treaty in accordance with Resolution 102 of the United Nations Charter, which is where they believe things went wrong. Which is why they believe the United Nations, Britain and France, should be involved in the dialogue process, in their capacity as the main actors in the process of reunification.
The other sensitive issue is their call for the withdrawal of troops from the North West and South West regions. This of course remains an issue which the regime contests very vigorously. Recently, the prime minister during his visit to the two regions argued that such a move will only encourage the proliferation of terrorist groups all over the crisis areas. We think it may not necessarily be so. We think what is at stake is the massive deployment of troops with very sophisticated military hardware that is most disturbing if not embarrassing to the civilian population. Besides, it promotes the radicalisation of the youth.
That, this country is in a crisis, not just an ordinary crisis, but one that has turned into an armed conflict, certainly does not put us in a peculiar situation, where even the most hardened cynic would lose hope that someday we are bound to catch a glimpse of some light at the end of the tunnel. Let us accept the fact that we are in a mad world that abounds with conflicts and dreadful wars and that, we are part of this mad world.
We have always believed that whichever way we look at our present situation, we must not forget to remind ourselves that we are fighting a war which could have been avoided. The irony of it all is that even with the destructions, deaths and miseries, no matter how long these conflicts last, they all end up on a round table, where the warring parties will either voluntarily, or are put under pressure to take the option of dialogue.
We are in a war where a government is using sophisticated military hardware to fight its own people in the name of preserving a national unity that was made fragile from the very beginning. With the new development, we strongly believe that we are gradually crawling towards the reality and it is time for both parties to take the restoration of peace seriously. We see it as a glimmer of hope at a distance.