Overwhelmed by events, Ghogomu committee throws in the towel

No one in sight: Streets in Bamenda, where the public overwhelmingly 

respected a ghost town protest, remained empty on Monday

The inter-ministerial adhoc committee created by Prime Minister Philemon Yang, to examine the grievances of striking Anglophone teachers and propose solutions to government, has prematurely called off further deliberations, after talks ended in a stalemate and teachers reaffirmed their determined stance for schools to remain closed sine die. The teachers acting under the canopy of what is now referred to as the consortium, also reaffirmed their stance for a two-state federation and the organization of a referendum in West Cameroon to determine whether or not Anglophones want to stay in a highly centralized Republic.

                The President of the Adhoc Committee, Prof. Ghogomu, submitted the committee’s report to the Prime Minister Monday, regretting that the talks could not go to the desired end due to the intransigence of the teachers.

                Ghogomu however noted in the report that most of the technical complains of the teachers were examined and thrashed but that those demands that have no direct link with the work of teachers could not be put on the table this, against the insistence of the teachers.

                Ghogomu’s report was submitted barely two days before talks were expected to resume between the government and leaders of teachers’ trade unions. The premature end of the talks has reinforced doubts about an early resolution of the crises in Anglophone regions and further left things more complicated for the authorities who must do everything to save the school year which is now threatened.

                The populations of the NW region stayed home for a second day on Tuesday, yielding to calls from activists condemning police brutality and demanding a referendum to determine the fate of the country’s English-speaking territory. Schools and courts, which have been directly hit by the uprising, are likely to remain in limbo much longer.

                Other cities, towns and villages across Anglophone Cameroon also respected the ghost towns declared by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Societies Consortium (CACSC), after security forces shot at civilians in Bamenda on Friday, killing one.

The recent shootings stalled an announced resumption of talks, which had made some progress towards saving the school year when they held last week

                Activists have called the government hypocritical, accusing authorities of using dialogue and lethal force at the same time to try to end the deadlock that has lasted since November 2016. It is unlikely that the mutual distrust that has intoxicated the talks will go away, if it does not grow deeper.

                The government looks worse off each time the talks fail and activists seem ever ready to move further from the center with new and harder to meet demands. What began as a series of grievances from teachers and lawyers has mutated into a political and constitutional dispute that has questioned the very foundation on which modern Cameroon was founded.

                Bamenda, where troops killed at least four protesters during riots last December and arrested dozens more, has become easily the heart of the struggle, seen by some as a movement of “resistance” against the authorities in Yaounde.

                A few petty businesses such as road-side eateries, hawkers and some motorbikes ignored the protest between 6am and 9am. But before long, everyone was back indoors, leaving behind scanty streets.

                Major streets like SONAC and Commercial Avenue were deserted by noon. The Bamenda Main Market did not open at all. Here and there, youngsters turned empty streets into football pitches and playgrounds.

                Armed security forces, some in anti-riot gear stood at major street corners. But unlike the weekend before, things appeared calm. CACSC used social media to urge city dwellers to stay at home and avoid confrontation with troops.

                When teachers and the government meet again on Wednesday, talks will focus on saving the school year.

                Schools have been closed since November and could stay so until the ad hoc committee led by the prime minister’s chief of staff , Paul Ghogomu produces solutions teachers can agree to.