Escalation of Anglophone crisis:

Agbor Balla - Killing of security officers is intolerable

-But Genuine, sincere dialogue is imperative

The emblematic and charismatic president of the now outlawed Consortium of Anglophone Civil Societies Thursday spoke to the press at the Yaounde Military Tribunal, where he sat in as one of the lawyers for the defence of the leader of “the coffin revolution”, Mancho Bibixy and several others, against the state and people of Cameroon. Balla in the interview condemned in very strong terms the killing of civilians and soldiers in the NW and SW, but maintained that only dialogue can take the country out of the present crisis. The Median transcribed the edifying interview for your reading pleasure. It makes for compelling read.

             

Barrister Agbor Balla

   **Barrister Agbor Balla what justifies your presence at the military court today?

                --I am here today 30 November 2017 in my capacity as a lawyer. I am here to defend my fellow compatriots who are in detention in connection to the crisis which is localized in the NW and SW regions of the country since for over one year now. I also came to give moral support to these youths who have been detained far away from their families. I was in prison with them before, so I know how deplorable the conditions are in our prisons. Ever since I regained my freedom in August this year, I have not had the occasion to come and assist in the court sessions whenever they were called up, and this was because each time the matter came up I was out of the country. Today that I am around I told myself that it is incumbent and imperative that I come and give support to these my young brothers. It’s a fight that we started together and we must continue fighting right to the desired end.

                **Have you already incorporated yourself in the matter as one of the defense counsels?

                --I have already submitted my request at the Court. I did so since two months ago because i want to defend all my brothers who are concerned in this matter. But this is the first time that I am assisting in a court hearing and you can see that I am effectively sitting among the bench of defence lawyers. My wish, which I believe is the wish of most Cameroonians, is to see these young Cameroonians regain their liberty and join their families.

                **Where have you been since you came out of prison detention?

                --I am in Buea. That’s where I live. Whilst there I continue to fight for our people; I continue to advocate the respect of human rights both here and abroad. I am fighting for there to be justice and equity for all Cameroonians and that our poor compatriots should not be abandoned in prisons without having been judged. I continue to reflect every day on how we can come out of the present crisis which threatens our living together as Cameroonian since for over one year now. Truth is the crisis does not profit any one of us. So, every Cameroonian has the duty to work towards finding a lasting solution so that peace can return. And this is the fight I have engaged since I regained my freedom.

                **Talking about the Anglophone crisis, we have witnessed in the past several days a radicalisation which has seen the killing of some security officers. How do you react to this?

                --I condemn in very strong terms these atrocities happening in our country today especially the killing of civilian populations in October this year and the recent killing of some defence officers. Like I have said before, I continue to maintain that we can avoid all of these if we accept to engage in frank, sincere dialogue. It is unacceptable that Cameroonians should be killing one another, be them civilians or military or police officers or gendarmes. I think in such circumstances it becomes incumbent on us to sit around a table and talk, so that we can put an end to this crisis. This should be the challenge for every Cameroonian.

                **But the government had initiated dialogue months ago and some concessions were made. Why in your opinion is the problem still persisting?

                --There has never been any genuine dialogue since this crisis started. I think it is high time the authorities understand that we can only come out of this crisis through dialogue, sincere dialogue. And such dialogue should include those who evoke secession. It does not suffice for the authorities to listen only to traditional rulers, civil society actors or political actors. No one should be excluded and I fervently believe that if the government fails to include all shades of opinions then we risk plunging the country into chaos. The government has taken corporate measures to address the requests made, but now it behooves the authorities to consider going beyond just the corporate measures.

                 **Recently a fire incident was reported in your residence in Buea. What actually happened?

                --It was my late father’s home in the village that was burnt. Some unknown persons came and set the fire but fortunately the villages rushed to the scene and put the fire off and averted what would have been serious material damage.

                **You were freed after spending eight months in jail. Do you regret going to prison or are you planning any revenge on your jailers?

                --I don’t like bearing grudges against others. I have an open mind. As a Christian I believe that God knows what is good for every one of his children. My sojourn in prison helped me to reflect on many things-my country and my life especially. Staying in prison has also helped me to understand many things happening around me, and perhaps to also understand better how our society functions, especially as I had the opportunity of coming in contact with many top national and international personalities.