As activists evoke provocation:

What fate awaits Biya’s appeasement emissaries to NW & SW?

By Njodzefe Nestor in B’da

Prime Minister Philemon Yang

In what looks like a response to national and international calls for the government of Cameroon to initiate frank, sincere and sustainable dialogue following the September 22 and Oct 1 demonstrations in the ongoing Anglophone crisis, the Head of State President Paul Biya has ordered Prime Minister Philemon Yunji Yang to constitute and dispatch delegations to the North West and South West Regions for appeasement and dialogue.

            According to a release from the Prime Minister’s Cabinet dated Friday 13 October 2017 and signed by the DICAB PM’s Office, Prof. Ghogomu Paul Mingo, “the teams will set out to work from Sunday 15 October to Tuesday 24 October 2017”.

            Through this mission, President Paul Biya seeks to play the appeasement card, after several fruitless efforts made in this direction.

            “The delegations are expected to commune with the population, bring the President’s good will message of peace and encourage the return to normalcy. The delegation will dialogue constructively with the population,” the release reads.

            As the delegations begin their work this Sunday, conspiracy theorists have starting speculating the fate that awaits the emissaries who will be combing the length and breadth of the North West and South West regions with their appeasement project, with many speculating that they might meet stiff resistance from the population .

            Many have expressed fears of a repeat of the Thursday, 8 December 2016 scenario where the population of Bamenda foiled a CPDM rally and March pass that was supposed to be staged by Prime Minister Philemon Yang, the Secretary General of the CPDM, Jean Nkuete, and CPDM supporters, at the Grand Stand at the Commercial Avenue.

            They had left Buea, South West region of Cameroon with a message of peace and unity that was supposed to be delivered to the population of Bamenda.

            Though the march pass and rally which was billed for 10:00 am was later postponed to 1:00 pm over security concerns, it however never took place due to resistance from irate youths who pelted stones at the organizers and law enforcement officers.

            Faced with the situation, Jean Nkuete, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPDM and Philemon Yang, Prime Minister, Head of Government, and other CPDM bigwig took refuge in Ayaba Hotel for prudence.

            Four persons were confirmed dead by police sources (although other sources talked of 8), and several scores others wounded, as trigger-happy security forces opened fire on armless protesters, who were demonstrating against the holding of a CPDM party meeting.

Agbor Balla evokes “Provocation”

            Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, President of the outlawed Consortium who was recently released after being unjustly incarcerated has however lambasted the appeasement move calling it a “provocation” and a mockery to the population.

            “At the a time when many have been arbitrarily arrested, hundreds seeking refuge in farms and many unaccounted for, dozens dead and many hospitalized with gunshot wounds, we consider these visits as a provocation, which is irresponsible and a mockery to the population,” a statement from Barrister Agbor Balla reads.

            To him, the genuine approach government can use to appease the population is to “release all peaceful protesters, account for the number of dead, restore complete internet access and call for a round table dialogue in the presence of the United Nations”.

            Apart from Agbor Balla, USa-based public intellectual, Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai has lambasted the “shameless” and “self-seeking” elite of the NW and SW, who because of sheer materialistic woolliness, could not raise a finger of protest, even as their brothers and sisters were being brutally killed in cold blood, maimed, tortured, raped, arrested and packed in overcrowded prisons like sardines. Ekinneh wondered if these Anglophone elite still have any sense of shame.

            It is for these and other reasons that one cannot say with certainty the fate that awaits the emissaries from Yaounde.

            Yet, it behooves us of this newspaper to urge both the visiting elites, as well as the protesters to exercise patience, restraint and a sense of compromise, during their interactions because peace is of the essence at this time.