Cameroon's separatists: Somaliland Clone

[Samafal]

Thousands Flee Villages in English-speaking Parts of Cameroon

BUEA, CAMEROON — 

Thousands of people are fleeing villages in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon less than a week after President Paul Biya declared war against anglophone separatist groups. Fleeing villagers complain troops are engaging in rape, killings, and harassment, but the military says they are out to defend the population.

The number of people traveling along the Kumba Mamfe Road in the English-speaking southwest region of Cameroon has drastically dropped. It is along this road that goods from Nigeria are brought into Cameroon and vice versa.

Thirty-two-year-old merchant Takem Ethel said she and her peers suspended business trips between Cameroon and Nigeria after President Biya declared war on separatist groups.

"The number of checkpoints are just unbearable," said Ethel. "Since the president announced that he was fighting against terrorists, it is as if he removed his hungry lions called the military from their den. Those who want to be killed can travel. I still have my life ahead, so I will not move."

Ongoing violence

Violence in the towns of Mamfe and Eyumojock last week claimed the lives of at least six soldiers and a police officer.

Eyumojock is also the hometown of Julius Ayuk Tabe, the man who said he is the first president of Ambazonia, the state the separatists say they have created.

The government of Cameroon says many fighters were being trained there and across the border in Nigeria.

Residents say most youths have escaped to the bushes to flee the heavy presence of the military.

Nyeke George Likiye, an independent analyst in southwestern Cameroon, said he has written to the national government to complain about the troops.

"They are doing their job in excess proportions," said Likiye. "There are some arrests, some unreasonable arrests that are being done, people are being tortured, people are being beaten. This is not correct."

Military denials

General Melingui Noma, one of Cameroon's highest-ranking military officers, denied the southwest has been militarized or that soldiers are committing atrocities. The general said he is aware of alleged excesses but insisted the military is there to protect the population.

"We know that if we want to overcome this crisis, we have to make sure the population is with us," he said. "How can you go and embarrass and harass people whom you want to take information from? If they cannot give us the correct information, if they cannot tell us the truth of what is happening in the field, you will see that the population will then turn and follow those secessionists."

Schools have been closed in most of the English-speaking northwest and southwest since November of last year, when lawyers and teachers called for a strike to stop what they believed was the overbearing use of the French language. Violence erupted when separatists joined in and started asking for complete independence.

President Biya has said he is not open to any negotiation on the form of the state and that Cameroon is one country.

[Samafal]

The comments by the separatist supporters is very interesting and familiar:

"Thank you for an elaborate report, however, we are not creating a new state that never was, we are restoring a state that once was. The United Nations holds the key to this. Biya and his troops are just wild animals. Sisiku is the Interim President whose legitimacy comes from the English speaking people. Ask to go with the military and you will see the truth for your self" ,Albert Ndze

[Old_Observer]

And not surprisingly the government is taking same measures as did Ethiopia with Eritrea.

First step Ethiopian government took was burn books, close printing presses of Tigrinya language and force children even punish them if they speak any language other than Amhara in school yards.

Then brought the army everywhere and all went downhill. It took 30 years but Eritrea finally separated and became an independent country of its own.

[Old_Observer]

On 3/18/2018 at 8:23 AM, Samafal said:

Thousands of people are fleeing villages in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon less than a week after President Paul Biya declared war against anglophone separatist groups. Fleeing villagers complain troops are engaging in rape, killings, and harassment, but the military says they are out to defend the population.

Typical

The people loose trust in the military

The military doesn't get right information and brings atrocious acts against whole population

The separatists gain support

Before you know it the country is down the drain. People will not see it coming since they are so blinded by stupid president who appears to be nationalist, greater cameroon etc.

[Tallaabo]

On 18/03/2018 at 4:09 PM, Oodweyne said:

Desperate stuff, really. But then that is what we habitually seems to get it from our old friend, namely, Mr Samafal, who not long ago tried to tell me how the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) actually works and delivers things on the ground.

And that was despite the fact that I was actually one of the folks who have lobbied for this fund to be established in the ground in Somaliland in the first place.

And to boot was indeed a member of the technical committee (from Somaliland's side), under leadership of Dr Sacad Cali Shire (who was the "line-minister" responsible for this SDF project) who then sat with the British's officials from the Department of international development (DfID) just to establish this SDF few years ago.

Hence, it's by the by, to see that our Samafal fellow still "talking" with all the breezy irrelevance he could get his hands on about Somaliland without worrying about whether others will make a short work of his tendentious line of argument. 

Now coming back to this issue in Cameroon, one can say, that, there is a state there (an actual state) that seems to be a functioning state, whereas in Somalia, there is no such thing.

Which means Somaliland is actually taking its leave of legal departure from non-existent state, which is Somalia, whereas the English-speaking region of Cameroon is part and parcel of a legally intact and politically functioning State. 

Moreover, what there is in Somalia is actually a glorified UN's Trusteeship entity in Villa Somalia, whereby the powers-that-be (i.e., the Western's powers) actually thought that in-order to keep on chasing Jihadis in the Somali territories, it will be legally lot simpler to do if you create a "fictional government" there. Then bestow that government with a "legal mandate" and with "international legitimacy". Even if it's not in a position to run a two-kilometers square wide areas within the capital of country.

And once all of that is done, and all that "legal niceties" are out of the way, you then ask that so cobbled together of a government to sign an "international agreement" that will allow any body to come and chase any terrorists in the country without the said government having anything to say about it.

Furthermore, there is a large and learned literature in the International Relation (IR) Schools of thought which in turn describes how to managed countries like Somalia (and Afghanistan). And as a matter fact it's call the "Afghanistan model". And it works in most failed Muslim countries that have terrorists in their country.

Which basically mean this way:

1- you create a fictional government that runs or controls no where (but still has a toe-hole inside the country in question).

2- you then legally "empower" or give "international legitimacy" to that government at the UN's level.

3- You then send an "international force" to be stationed inside the country just to keep "terrorists" from taking over that country's capital without the alleged government having anything to say about matter.

4-  You then allow the "leadership" of that "fictional  government" to make any claim they like about the "sovereignty or the territorial integrity" of their country without actually being allowed to implement any policies that can "enforce" those claim of theirs in the ground. As the case of the DP World issue in the port of Berberra amply demonstrated it.

So as I said Cameroon and Somalia are so different in every sense and in every aspect of their current political reality that I really do not know how anyone could make a "connection" between the case each of them have in their own way.

And then by way of simple and logical steps one could easily see and read as to why actually Somaliland in the present circumstances is very different from what seems to be going on in the English-speaking part of Cameroon.

And that really is the case in here, unless, of course, one is "contend" to read the superficial sense of the "comparison" of the "two cases" without really going into any sense of a depth just to see whether such a "tenuous link" could even be establish with any level of sustained reason between the "two cases".

But then again perhaps that may largely has something to do with the fact that I expect folks to reason with themselves, and with good measure, to reason with their own arguments before they share those sort of arguments with others in public forum like this one of ours call SOL. And most folks may not really be inclined to do things in that sort of way. Which is pity, really.

Waar Oodka, I couldn't help but chuckle at the "Afghanistan model". It is basically what we in Somaliland have had to deal with for the last twenty eight years!!! I had no idea that the occupants in Villa Somalia where a "toy government" created by wicked academics  I really feel sorry for our leaders for they think there is a normal government in Mogadishu. Yaa ragga u sheega inay "toys" la shiraan 

The other thing you forgot to mention is that unlike the "English speaking"(another funny thing) Cameroonians, Somaliland is an actual state, and indeed a better state than not only the one it seceded from but better than many other recognised states as well. 

[maakhiri1]

Good luck to them, we see how they go in 28 years!

[Old_Observer]

3 hours ago, maakhiri1 said:

Good luck to them, we see how they go in 28 years!

Never know this is Africa. The reason separtion or breakup takes longer in the Horn is the horn is too old. New countries like in West Africa are not so attached.