Voices for Ambazonia: Uniting for Peace and Justice** *Introduction* In the heart of Africa, a crisis has persisted for over seven years, causing immeasurable suffering and loss of life. Ambazonia, Cameroons English speaking neighbor, has been engulfed in a conflict that has claimed the lives of over 35,000 people. It's a crisis that deserves our attention, compassion, and collective action. In this article, we will delve into the crisis in Ambazonia, highlight the voices advocating for peace and justice, its time for all of Africa to raise including a list of 25 advocacy groups from across Africa who should dedicate their focus on raising awareness about this issue. The Children of Africa are dying. **The Crisis in Ambazonia** Ambazonia, a predominantly English-speaking country in Africa a neighbor to Cameroon, has been embroiled in a conflict since 2016. The conflict arose from grievances related to political representation, language discrimination, and calls for autonomy as a new state in Africa (restoring their independence stolen by LA Republique Du Cameroun. Unfortunately, it escalated into a violent struggle, leading to widespread suffering from #Cameroonian army and colonial regime and puppet to France hegemony in Africa. - *Humanitarian Crisis*: The crisis has caused a humanitarian disaster with thousands of people displaced from their homes, lack of access to essential services, and food insecurity. - *Violence and Human Rights Abuses*: Both government forces and non-state armed groups have been accused of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and abductions. - *Children's Plight*: The conflict has also had a devastating impact on children, with many unable to attend school due to insecurity, leading to a lost generation deprived of education. **Advocacy Groups: Amplifying Voices for Ambazonia** Advocacy groups across Africa have not at all played a crucial role in raising awareness about the Ambazonia crisis, they urgently need to start urging governments, organizations, #AfricanUnion and individuals to take action. While there are numerous groups involved competent enough to come to the rescue of the 8 million people in #Ambazonia , I have highlighted 25 of them, along with their Facebook handles. These groups are at the forefront of efforts to address the crisis in #Africa and Ambazonia should be at the top of their Agenda: 1. **Advocacy Group Africa** - @AdvocacyGroupAfrica 2. **African Solidarity Network** - @AfricanSolidarityNet 3. **Voices for Peace in Ambazonia** - @VoicesForPeaceAmbazonia 4. **Pan-African Justice Collective** - @PanAfricanJustice 5. **Africa Stands Together** - @AfricaStandsTogether 6. **Ambazonia Crisis Awareness** - @AmbazoniaAwareness 7. **Africans Unite for Ambazonia** - @AfricansUnite4Ambazonia 8. **Human Rights Africa** - @HumanRightsAfrica 9. **Ambazonia Relief Initiative** - @AmbazoniaRelief 10. **African Voices for Change** - @AfricanVoices4Change 11. **Women of Ambazonia** - @WomenOfAmbazonia 12. **African Youth for Peace** - @AfricanYouth4Peace 13. **Justice and Reconciliation Africa** - @JusticeReconciliationAfrica 14. **Ambazonia Youth Network** - @AmbazoniaYouthNetwork 15. **African Diaspora Voices** - @AfricanDiasporaVoices 16. **Ambazonia Unity Coalition** - @AmbazoniaUnityCoalition 17. **African Artists for Ambazonia** - @AfricanArtists4Ambazonia 18. **Ambazonia Women's Initiative** - @AmbazoniaWomensInitiative 19. **Africans Against Injustice** - @AfricansAgainstInjustice 20. **Ambazonia Student Union** - @AmbazoniaStudentUnion 21. **Youth Advocates for Ambazonia** - @YouthAdvocates4Ambazonia 22. **African Journalists for Peace** - @AfricanJournalists4Peace 23. **Ambazonia Health Alliance** - @AmbazoniaHealthAlliance 24. **African Lawyers for Justice** - @AfricanLawyers4Justice 25. **Ambazonia Diaspora Network** - @AmbazoniaDiasporaNetwork These organizations are should tirelessly be working to shed light on the crisis, provide humanitarian assistance, and advocate for a peaceful resolution. **The Power of Advocacy** Advocacy plays a crucial role in addressing crises like the one in Ambazonia. Here's how these groups and others like them can contribute to positive change: 1. **Raising Awareness**: Advocacy groups utilize social media, campaigns, and events to ensure the crisis remains in the public eye. 2. **Building International Pressure**: They should consistently lobby governments and international organizations to take action and put diplomatic pressure on those involved in the conflict. 3. **Humanitarian Aid**: Many groups provide much-needed relief to affected communities, including food, medical care, and shelter. These effort only contributea to prolong the war. The Cameroon should be call up to leave Ambazonia. 4. **Supporting Refugees**: Advocacy groups often extend their efforts to assist Ambazonian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. Again, these people's livihood must return to normal 5. **Peacebuilding**: Some organizations focus on dialogue and reconciliation efforts, promoting understanding and peaceful solutions on the crisis, such efforts must be intensified. The international community must also be heels accountable for the many lives lost due to their silence and no media coverage. **What You Can Do** Now that you're aware of the crisis in Ambazonia and the advocacy groups dedicated to addressing it, here are some ways you can make a difference as African citizens : 1. **Support Advocacy Groups**: Follow, engage with, and support these advocacy groups on Facebook and other social media platforms. Your support helps amplify their message. Share their efforts wide and direct. 2. **Educate Others**: Share articles, news, and information about Ambazonia to increase awareness among your friends and family. Their voice together with yours can save a child, the future bright minds of our beautiful continent Africa. Who knowa if that child can be your heart transplant surgeons in the near future? Don't allow Cameroon dictator #PaulBiya to wipe out talent in Africa to please France. 3. **Donate**: Contribute to humanitarian organizations working in the region. Your donations can help provide much-needed relief. Also assist the freedom fighters by donating to https://ambaland.com/posts/1 4. **Advocate**: Write to your government representatives and urge them to take a stand on the Ambazonia crisis. Your voice matters. 5. **Stay Informed**: Continue to stay informed about the situation in Ambazonia through reputable news sources and advocacy organizations. In conclusion, the crisis in Ambazonia demands our attention and action. Through the efforts of advocacy groups and the support of concerned individuals, we can work toward a brighter, more peaceful future for the people of Ambazonia and lasting peace in Africa and world atlarge. So All Hands On Deck, Also To our: Amnesty International - @amnesty Focus: Human rights worldwide Human Rights Watch - @humanrightswatch Focus: Human rights and justice Oxfam International - @oxfaminternational Focus: Poverty and inequality Greenpeace International - @greenpeace.international Focus: Environmental protection and climate change Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) - @doctorswithoutborders Focus: Medical humanitarian assistance Transparency International - @transparencyinternational Focus: Anti-corruption and transparency World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - @worldwildlifefund Focus: Conservation and wildlife protection International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - @ICRC Focus: Humanitarian assistance and protection Save the Children - @SavetheChildren Focus: Child rights and well-being CARE International - @CARE Reporters Without Borders (RSF) - @RSFinternational Focus: Press freedom and journalist protection International Rescue Committee (IRC) - @InternationalRescueCommittee Focus: Humanitarian aid and refugee support Human Rights Campaign - @humanrightscampaign Focus: LGBTQ+ rights and equality Refugees International - @RefugeesInternational Focus: Refugee rights and humanitarian crises International Labor Organization (ILO) - @ilo.org Focus: Labor rights and workers' protection World Food Programme (WFP) - @worldfoodprogramme Focus: Food security and hunger relief International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - @Federation Focus: Humanitarian assistance and disaster response Amnesty International USA - @amnestyusa Focus: Human rights advocacy in the United States World Health Organization (WHO) - @WHO Focus: Global health and pandemic response United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - @UNICEF International Amnesty - @InternationaAmnesty Focus: Human rights and social justice CARE International USA - @CAREInternationalUSA Focus: Poverty alleviation and women's empowerment International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) - @RefugeeAssistanceProject Focus: Legal aid for refugees and displaced persons Survival International - @Survival Focus: Indigenous peoples' rights and tribal communities Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) - @MdM Focus: Medical humanitarian assistance International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) - @MineBanTreaty Focus: Landmine eradication and disarmament World Vision International - @WorldVisionInternational Focus: Child well-being and community development Refugee Council USA - @RefugeeCouncilUSA Focus: Refugee advocacy and support International Organization for Migration (IOM) - @UNmigration Focus: Migration and humanitarian response International Alert - @InternationalAlert Focus: Peacebuilding and conflict resolution

After the Back to the Future Retreat of the CDN, What Next? By Ntumfoyn Boh Herbert (Yindo Toh) Representatives of some of the organizations that have, in the words of the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN), hampered “joint engagement toward mediated negotiations”, rose from a retreat in Toronto (Canada) Sunday night by embracing the only internationally-supported negotiation process now available to Ambazonia and La Republique du Cameroun: the Swiss-led Process. This outcome - delayed more than two years since the Swiss-led Process was first announced – came as no surprise to members of the Ambazonia Coalition Team (ACT aka Team Ambazonia). In meetings between ACT and some of the representatives of countries and stakeholders to the Swiss-led Process as they prepared to attend, speak and/or observe the Toronto retreat, there was agreement that one message needed to be delivered. Neither the Canadians, nor the Americans, nor the Germans, nor the Norwegians, nor the Finish, nor the United Nations, nor the African Union are itching to start a parallel mediation process. That message was not only delivered at the Toronto retreat. It was well received by several movements and, strangely, given more credibility notwithstanding that it came partly from the same Swiss these movements have not stopped accusing of working for the colonizers in Yaounde. Notwithstanding public claims to the contrary, the leadership of the two most important movements at the retreat privately support the Swiss-led Process. One of the movements in Canada was fresh out of two rounds of meetings with the Swiss during which it offered assurances it will be at the table whenever Cameroun comes to the table. Such nice words are not new in this struggle. Without concrete action, even the nicest of words amount to naught. So, here are five areas action is urgently needed by Ambazonians. First, the time has come to invest in organizing all genuine Ambazonian liberation movements into one, solid, truly collaborative Team Ambazonia. This, in my opinion, calls on ACT to invite, anew, fully vetted restoration movements in existence prior to the birth of the Swiss-led Process to join Team Ambazonia. Coming together, and working together, under this and any other process that may become available in the future, would deny Cameroun the possibility to write additional falsehoods in “notes verbales”. To date, Yaounde has evoked the lack of unity among Ambazonians around the Swiss-led Process to “justify” their foot-dragging to come to the table. A united Team Ambazonia would mount pressure on the world to convene the negotiations, thereby denying Cameroun the advantage it has so far taken because of the delay to ramp up its genocidal violence in the vain hope of scoring a decisive military victory. Second, when – not if - Ambazonians achieve the above, they will finally be able to focus on the prize: independence. They will, hopefully, find a way of ending partisan funding of certain armed groups on Ground Zero in favor of a more holistic approach that empowers all self-defense volunteers. They will sharpen transparency and accountability in the management of funds and eliminate the antagonism that has led to Amba-on-Amba killings. Working together as a team should hasten the day when our joint self-defense actions will oblige Cameroun – every day, twice on Sunday - to fight this war on a thousand fronts and on our terms, not theirs. Third, constituting Team Ambazonia will cancel out the issuance of contradictory messages for ghost towns and lockdowns. It should facilitate the mass mobilization of our civilian population for Ambazonia-wide civil disobedience campaigns and rallies in support of independence. It will demonstrate, anew, that an overwhelming majority of our people – not just armed self-defense volunteers - demand an immediate end to colonial occupation by Cameroun. Further delay in implementing such a strategy will improve the chances that the colonizers could successfully isolate the majority of Ambazonians from those Yaounde misrepresents to the world as armed rebels, terrorists, secessionists and bandits. Working together, we can send the clearest message to the world: even if Cameroun were to kill every armed self-defense volunteer, the Ambazonian Problem will never go quietly into the night. Fourth, the time has come, too, for Ambazonians to shun partisan conclaves. As the fog from the Toronto retreat clears, every analyst can see distinctly that retreat attendees were, mostly, diehard supporters of the Sisiku AyukTabe faction of the IG group (IG Care). Boycotters were supporters of the Sako faction of the IG group and movements in alliance with the Sako faction under the Swiss-led Process. The “do me, I do you” laws under which these partisan political fights have found fertile soil, thrive on the blind surrogacy and sycophancy which has divided Ambazonians into political tribes, each supporting their favorite movements or their most preferred self-proclaimed interim government or governing council. Fifth, every Ambazonian should do more to resist the “clever” games being played by so-called Anglophones. From Dion Ngute, who is on endless peace missions to Southern Cameroons; to Atanga Nji Paul and Felix Mbayu organizing renditions from Nigeria and singing for their breakfasts; to Ayah Paul Abine “catching grass” as he seeks to maintain his status of civil servant “hors categorie” within the colonial system; to Agbor Nkongho evoking his thesis of the year 2000 to defend slavery under federalism in a one and indivisible Kamerun – the result is the same. These so-called Anglophones or Anglophones of Southern Cameroons, as I heard one of them call themselves, are enabling the colonizers to pick whom to negotiate with, to delay or seek ways of avoiding to face the music under an internationally-mediated negotiations. Before a few concluding words, let me take a moment to applaud the CDN for its ambitious goal of resolving conflicts in the Gulf of Guinea. I am sure the CDN can achieve its goal without misrepresenting Cameroun’s illegal occupation and de facto recolonization of Southern Cameroons as being what CDN officials call the Anglophone Crisis. It would be a good point to start with conflict resolution for the CDN to resolve the internal conflict it has engineered by attempting to explain the genocide unfolding in Ambazonia by evoking some colonial language. Short of applauding, Ambazonians should, in my opinion, appreciate the wisdom of our ancestors that dictates that we treat the Swiss-led Process as “the bird in hand…” Until another and, hopefully, better process, including the multi-mediation the CDN wishes for, comes along, I salute Team Ambazonia for refusing to be cajoled into retreats with so-called Anglophones. The last thing we want for Ambazonia is to repeat the mistake of the Foumban Conference in 1961 when the Southern Cameroons’ strategy was infiltrated by One Kamerun UPC supporters. Team Ambazonia cannot allow our negotiation strategy to suffer from undue consideration of the views of federalists, unionists, so-called Anglophones and pro-One Kamerun campaigners. People who prioritize a return to normalcy and so-called peace in The Cameroons definitely do not seek justice the people of Ambazonia demand and deserve, and without which there can be no peace. #teamambazonia

After the Back to the Future Retreat of the CDN, What Next? By Ntumfoyn Boh Herbert (Yindo Toh) Representatives of some of the organizations that have, in the words of the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN), hampered “joint engagement toward mediated negotiations”, rose from a retreat in Toronto (Canada) Sunday night by embracing the only internationally-supported negotiation process now available to Ambazonia and La Republique du Cameroun: the Swiss-led Process. This outcome - delayed more than two years since the Swiss-led Process was first announced – came as no surprise to members of the Ambazonia Coalition Team (ACT aka Team Ambazonia). In meetings between ACT and some of the representatives of countries and stakeholders to the Swiss-led Process as they prepared to attend, speak and/or observe the Toronto retreat, there was agreement that one message needed to be delivered. Neither the Canadians, nor the Americans, nor the Germans, nor the Norwegians, nor the Finish, nor the United Nations, nor the African Union are itching to start a parallel mediation process. That message was not only delivered at the Toronto retreat. It was well received by several movements and, strangely, given more credibility notwithstanding that it came partly from the same Swiss these movements have not stopped accusing of working for the colonizers in Yaounde. Notwithstanding public claims to the contrary, the leadership of the two most important movements at the retreat privately support the Swiss-led Process. One of the movements in Canada was fresh out of two rounds of meetings with the Swiss during which it offered assurances it will be at the table whenever Cameroun comes to the table. Such nice words are not new in this struggle. Without concrete action, even the nicest of words amount to naught. So, here are five areas action is urgently needed by Ambazonians. First, the time has come to invest in organizing all genuine Ambazonian liberation movements into one, solid, truly collaborative Team Ambazonia. This, in my opinion, calls on ACT to invite, anew, fully vetted restoration movements in existence prior to the birth of the Swiss-led Process to join Team Ambazonia. Coming together, and working together, under this and any other process that may become available in the future, would deny Cameroun the possibility to write additional falsehoods in “notes verbales”. To date, Yaounde has evoked the lack of unity among Ambazonians around the Swiss-led Process to “justify” their foot-dragging to come to the table. A united Team Ambazonia would mount pressure on the world to convene the negotiations, thereby denying Cameroun the advantage it has so far taken because of the delay to ramp up its genocidal violence in the vain hope of scoring a decisive military victory. Second, when – not if - Ambazonians achieve the above, they will finally be able to focus on the prize: independence. They will, hopefully, find a way of ending partisan funding of certain armed groups on Ground Zero in favor of a more holistic approach that empowers all self-defense volunteers. They will sharpen transparency and accountability in the management of funds and eliminate the antagonism that has led to Amba-on-Amba killings. Working together as a team should hasten the day when our joint self-defense actions will oblige Cameroun – every day, twice on Sunday - to fight this war on a thousand fronts and on our terms, not theirs. Third, constituting Team Ambazonia will cancel out the issuance of contradictory messages for ghost towns and lockdowns. It should facilitate the mass mobilization of our civilian population for Ambazonia-wide civil disobedience campaigns and rallies in support of independence. It will demonstrate, anew, that an overwhelming majority of our people – not just armed self-defense volunteers - demand an immediate end to colonial occupation by Cameroun. Further delay in implementing such a strategy will improve the chances that the colonizers could successfully isolate the majority of Ambazonians from those Yaounde misrepresents to the world as armed rebels, terrorists, secessionists and bandits. Working together, we can send the clearest message to the world: even if Cameroun were to kill every armed self-defense volunteer, the Ambazonian Problem will never go quietly into the night. Fourth, the time has come, too, for Ambazonians to shun partisan conclaves. As the fog from the Toronto retreat clears, every analyst can see distinctly that retreat attendees were, mostly, diehard supporters of the Sisiku AyukTabe faction of the IG group (IG Care). Boycotters were supporters of the Sako faction of the IG group and movements in alliance with the Sako faction under the Swiss-led Process. The “do me, I do you” laws under which these partisan political fights have found fertile soil, thrive on the blind surrogacy and sycophancy which has divided Ambazonians into political tribes, each supporting their favorite movements or their most preferred self-proclaimed interim government or governing council. Fifth, every Ambazonian should do more to resist the “clever” games being played by so-called Anglophones. From Dion Ngute, who is on endless peace missions to Southern Cameroons; to Atanga Nji Paul and Felix Mbayu organizing renditions from Nigeria and singing for their breakfasts; to Ayah Paul Abine “catching grass” as he seeks to maintain his status of civil servant “hors categorie” within the colonial system; to Agbor Nkongho evoking his thesis of the year 2000 to defend slavery under federalism in a one and indivisible Kamerun – the result is the same. These so-called Anglophones or Anglophones of Southern Cameroons, as I heard one of them call themselves, are enabling the colonizers to pick whom to negotiate with, to delay or seek ways of avoiding to face the music under an internationally-mediated negotiations. Before a few concluding words, let me take a moment to applaud the CDN for its ambitious goal of resolving conflicts in the Gulf of Guinea. I am sure the CDN can achieve its goal without misrepresenting Cameroun’s illegal occupation and de facto recolonization of Southern Cameroons as being what CDN officials call the Anglophone Crisis. It would be a good point to start with conflict resolution for the CDN to resolve the internal conflict it has engineered by attempting to explain the genocide unfolding in Ambazonia by evoking some colonial language. Short of applauding, Ambazonians should, in my opinion, appreciate the wisdom of our ancestors that dictates that we treat the Swiss-led Process as “the bird in hand…” Until another and, hopefully, better process, including the multi-mediation the CDN wishes for, comes along, I salute Team Ambazonia for refusing to be cajoled into retreats with so-called Anglophones. The last thing we want for Ambazonia is to repeat the mistake of the Foumban Conference in 1961 when the Southern Cameroons’ strategy was infiltrated by One Kamerun UPC supporters. Team Ambazonia cannot allow our negotiation strategy to suffer from undue consideration of the views of federalists, unionists, so-called Anglophones and pro-One Kamerun campaigners. People who prioritize a return to normalcy and so-called peace in The Cameroons definitely do not seek justice the people of Ambazonia demand and deserve, and without which there can be no peace. #teamambazonia

Cameroon: Mediation, Confidence Building, Humanitarian Aid, Education…. in Focus At Southern Cameroons High Level Retreat By Boris Esono Nwenfor Barrister Agbor Balla , Prof Anyangwe,Yerima, Dr Nyih, in discussion with Coalition Members Atem Henry , and Dr Foretia on the sidelines of the Retreat With the huge international involvement in the Retreat by some G-7 countries and the participation of the Swiss Government, the Coalition for Dialogue and negotiation, CDN, hopes that this retreat would lead to a broader international mediation of the conflict (Swiss 2.0) – which ties with the aspirations of many Southern Cameroonians, as expressed in different surveys. A CDN 2020 survey showed that more than 80% of Southern Cameroonians are in support of a multi-country international mediation of the conflict. The retreat organized by CDN ran from Thursday, Oct 28, 2021, through Monday, November 1, 2002, in Toronto, Canada. The high-level leadership retreat brought together a very diverse group of Southern Cameroonian leaders across religious, traditional authorities, civil society, Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), women’s and youths’ groups. High profile attendees among Cameroonian civil society included: Prof Carlson Anyangwe who been one of the most articulate voices of the Southern Cameroons case across generations, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon Rt Rev Fonki Samuel, the Arch Bishop Emeritus Esua, Barrister Agbor Balla of CHRDA, the US-based US Institute of Peace (USIP) Award-winning Peace Crusader, Esther Omam, former SDF MP for Boyo Paulinus Jua amongst others. The Ambazonian NSAGs attendees included: AGOVC Vice-chair, Dr Julius Nyih; IG-Care (of Sisiku AyukTabe) by its Vice President, Yerima Yapney; Consortium leader, John Mbah Akuroh; amongst others, while representatives from three G-7 Countries, including Switzerland and officials involved in the Swiss-led-Mediation- Process participated from the international community. Panelists on the retreat include leading peace and conflict resolution practitioners from renowned institutions in Ireland (they prefer not to be named), Canadian and U.S. Universities. According to sources, the Retreat followed Chatham house rules, with participants able to freely express themselves without fear or intimidation. “The starting building block of the retreat was building trust amongst Southern Cameroonians and it started by asking the question: what is the problem that is dividing us? Among the range of answers proposed is the necessity of having more of these face-to-face encounters among Southern Cameroonian leaders so they can better understand each other even in their differences; unity in diversity,” a source told PAV. Participants at the retreat enthused on the need to cultivate and begin nurturing trust among the Southern Cameroonian leaders across religious, traditional, civil society and NSAGs lines. Also in focus were animated discussions on a framework to enhance access to education, humanitarian aid and to uphold human rights and key principles and fundamentals to guide mediation and negotiations Speaking about the expectations of the Retreat Dr Denis Foretia, Co-Chair of the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN) noted that “Everyone knows that there is no military solution to this war. The government cannot win militarily. We must find all ways to bring peace and that is only possible when there is a broad consensus on the process to achieve a mediated settlement. This retreat will help Southern Cameroonian leaders and other key stakeholders define that pathway.” The Ambazonian Coalition Team (ACT) which has been claiming a monopoly of access to the Swiss mediation process was amongst the high profile absentee at the Southern Cameroons Leadership Retreat. It is, however, unclear how the post-retreat environment would work for ACT considering that the Swiss Government and officials of the Swiss mediation process were in attendance in Toronto but ACT was absent. The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiation is, however, determined to ensure an inclusive Southern Cameroonian side for negotiations and is scheduled to pursue conversations with the ACT team post-retreat to get them to work together with the other NSAGs. Since 2017, a war of secession has seen deadly fighting between government forces and separatists. Both sides have committed widespread atrocities, leading to thousands of deaths and the displacement of approximately half a million people, either internally or as refugees in neighbouring countries. The necessity of having more of these face-to-face encounters among Southern Cameroonian leaders so they can better understand each other even in their differences was strongly expressed at the Retreat Despite the holding of the Major National Dialogue by the government, a dialogue that many found wanting, the fighting ongoing in the North West and South West Regions of the country has not slowed down but instead intensified in recent months and this has hampered joint engagement toward dialogue to end the civil war. In its latest report, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, highlighted the impact the violence has had on education: “Since the beginning of the crisis in 2016, education has been highly affected. Many schools have closed to avoid frequent attacks against education facilities. Teachers and students have been attacked, kidnapped, threatened and killed. In 2021, more than 700, 000 children are deprived of education in the South West and North West Regions.” About the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations, CDN is an international non-governmental organization with the specific goal of facilitating dialogue and negotiation towards ending the war in Anglophone Southern Cameroons. CDN is made of professionals from all works of life and over 20 partner organizations worldwide advocating for an end to the war. CDN members work with its partners to strengthen international involvement in resolving the conflict and building durable peace in the conflict-affected territories.

PRINCE EKOSSO WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE TRANSFERING OF CDC FROM BOTA TO YAOUNDE!! Why the sale of the CDC to Tylium of Egypt, Fertilore and Timac of France is Null and Void. An explanatory extract from Dr. Nfor N Susungi 1. It has come to our attention through the news media that the CDC, the largest employer after the Cameroon government has been handed over to foreign investors. A CDC protocol agreement signed on Wednesday 20th June, 2018 in Yaounde finally brought to reality the much rumoured speculation of privatisation. Three companies are involved: Tylium from Egypt, Fertilore and Timac Agro from France are the new owners of the multi agro industrial establishment in Southern Cameroons. 2. Cameroon Concord News sources revealed that Tylium is interested in the palm oil and rubber sectors, while the two French firms want to revamp production and fertilization of the CDC plantations. Present during the signing of the protocol agreement were the Minister of Agriculture and Rural development and the General Manager of Cameroon Development Corporation, Njie Franklin Ngoni. 3. It is my duty as a Southern Cameroonian, a bonafide Elite of BAKWERI COMMUNITY and Chairman of United Socialist Democratic Party (USDP) to join my voice with that of Dr. Nfor N Susungi in informing national and international public that this transaction is null and void for two basic reasons: (1) Because the government of LRC has no locus standi in such a transaction and; (2) Because the people of the Former British Southern Cameroons were not consulted in this transaction. 4. The validity of these two reasons for rendering null and void the transaction stems from the very origins of the CDC (Cameroon Development Corporation) itself. 5. The CDC was at its inception the brain child of a young German financier/tycoon Karl Ludwig (AKA Max Esser) who founded a company called Westafrikanische Pflanzungsgesellschaft Victoria (WAPV) and Westafrikanische Pflanzungsgesellschaft Bibundi (WAPB) Max Esser went to Bali to negotiate a labour supply agreement with Galega II, the Fon of Bali in 1894 by which Galega II would be empowered to recruit and send labourers to Karl Ludwig's plantations on the coast. 6. The availability of practicality free labour coming from Galega I the Chief labour contractor enabled Max Esser to expand his cocoa, banana and rubber plantations very quickly and before long his estates covered over 20,000 hectares stretching from Muyuka to Bibundi and with the steady export of produce to Germany, Karl Ludwig became one of the richest men in Germany and received a special medal from Emperor. 7. When Galega I died in 1904 he was succeeded by his son Tita Gwenjang Fonyonga II. In 1905 Fonyonga II was proclaimed paramount chief (Auberhauptlinge) by German Captain (Hauptman) Hans Glauning of the Bamenda station in front of the Chiefs of some 45 villages of the Menemo and Moghamo ethnic groups over whom the Germans gave him paramountcy. He was given the power and means to recruit plantation labour over all these ethnic groups. 8. However when the Germans were driven from their colony of Deutche Kamerun in 1916 by the an Anglo French allied force, the German colony was divided between France and the United Kingdom, with France keeping 2/3rds of the territory. However, the United Kingdom acquired the part the part that was thereafter known as the British Cameroons which included the territory on which the German plantations were located. 9. When this demarcation was confirmed in the treaty of Versailles in 1918, the British Government decided to place the German plantations under the "The Custodian of Enemy Properties". However the British Government later decided to offer the plantation owners the possibility of reacquiring their estates through an auction. The same German investors continued to operate the plantations till WWII. 10. When Germany again lost WWII the United Kingdom once again expropriated the the coastal German plantations and placed them under the Custodian of Enemy Properties. 11. In 1946, the United Kingdom signed the UN Trusteeship Treaty with the United Nations by which the territory of British Cameroons was entrusted by the United Nations to the United Kingdom as the Administering Authority. The British Government proceeded to split the territory into Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons with the latter being governed under the McPherson constitution of 1951 as part of the Eastern region of Nigeria. 12. In 1947, the Legislative Council in Lagos Nigeria decided to create a statutory corporation to collectively manage the German estates at the foot of Mount Cameroon in the British Southern Cameroons which had been seized from German plantation owners at the end of WWII and placed under the Custodian of Enemy Properties. The statutory corporation was named Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC). 13. Following the creation of the CDC as a statutory corporation, the United Nations Trusteeship Council which was the highest legislative organ over the UN trust territories (including the British Cameroons which was governed as part of the Nigerian Federation) adopted a resolution in 1948 stating that the mandate of the CDC was to manage the former German plantations for the benefit of the people of the British Southern Cameroons. 14. This is a very important historical detail because the implication of the resolution of resolution of the UN Trusteeship Council is that the CDC is effectively the collective inheritance of the people of the British Southern Cameroons. 15. The Bakweri Land Claims Committee (BLCC) was born in 1948 to lay claims to the lands that were expropriated from the Bakweri people by the German colonial administration following the defeat of the people of "Lower Buea" in 1895 in a battle against a German force led by Rittmeister Maximilian von Stetten and the death of Chief Kuva Likenye of Lower Buea. 16. For decades the CDC has been the largest agroindustrial complex that grows and processes (for export ) mainly banana, rubber, Palm oil, Palm kernel. It is the second largest employer with a workforce of around 22,000 employees. 17. During the 1990s the Cameroon government was required to privatise state owned enterprises as as part of the conditionality of the World Bank/IMF for receiving debt cancellation under HIPCs program. 18. Attempts by the Biya regime to privatise the.CDC failed because the attempt was opposed by the Bakweri Land Claims Committee which filed a case at the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights in the Gambia to reinforce its claims on the land. 19. But the other reason why the Biya Regime could not privatise the CDC is because the government cannot provide legal proof that the enterprise is owned by the government of LRC. Indeed it's origins in the Legislative Council in Lagos and the 1948 resolution of the UN Trusteeship Council shows that it is owned by the people of the British Southern Cameroons. 20. A presidential decree made public on 20 January 2016 states that the government of LRC became the sole share holder of the CDC. This decree is an act of expropriation under international law and the expropriation was carried out in violation of the UN statutory instrument which brought it into being in 1948 and without the consultation of the people of the Southern Cameroons. 21. From the foregoing backgrounds information it is clear that the Biya regime has no legitimacy to offer any part of the CDC to CDC to Tylium of Egypt, Fertilore and Timac of France becsuse the CDC remains the collective and historical inheritance of the people of the British Southern Cameroons by virtue of the UN Trusteeship Council Resolution of 1948. 22. The decision of the Biya Regime to transform the CDC into a joint stock company whose shares are100% owned by LRC is an illegal act of expropriation which shall be challenged eventually in the appropriate courts by the Bakweri Land Claims Community (BLCC), SWELA and Southern Cameroonian population in general. 23. The acquisition of the CDC by the Egyptian and the French company should never be accepted by the Bakweri people, SWELA, and by Southern Cameroons in general for the following reasons: (I) the Bakweri people, and SWELA who are the beneficial owners of the CDC were not consulted; (ii) the matter of the Bakweri Land Claims Committee which went to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights was not addressed (iii) at a moment in history when the people of the Southern Cameroons are in a State of war which was declared on them on December 2, 2017, the Biya Regime cannot sell the assets that are part of their collective inheritance in order to raise the money to wage a war against the beneficial owners of the assets. 24. For these reasons it is our duty to inform the general public that the privatisation protocol by which the CDC was said to have been acquired by Tylium of Egypt and Fertilore and Timac of France is null and void. 25. The BAKWERI People in particular and the SWELA deserve due respect for what rightly belongs to them. In the meantime, the representatives of the respective companies shall not be allowed access to any part of the CDC plantations until the process and necessary consultation with the appropriate legitimate owners of CDC is done. May God saves the BAKWERI people, the Sons and Daughters of SW, and the entire Southern Cameroonian Community.