CAMEROON: HOW LONG CAN THE CALM BE MAINTAINED?
Cameroon is a relatively calm and peaceful nation, located in a sub-region of turbulence. It is surrounded by countries that have witnessed military coup d’etats and/or serious civil unrests. However, Cameroon has luckily sailed through out independence relatively untarnished by such events. The calm that reigns in Cameroon can be largely credited to the peace loving and enduring attitudes of ordinary Cameroonians. In spite of the economic encumbrances such as salary cuts, devaluation, inflation, high level government corruption etc. that have plagued the country for years, majority of Cameroonians have nurtured and upheld a culture of peace, tolerance and national unity.

The issue at stake is the future and sustainability of the calm that currently reigns in our country Cameroon. It’s an issue that ought to be freely debated on, since it is only in this way that a viable and enduring solution can be arrived at, that will place our beloved country on the path to sustainable peace and good governance. Like the legendary Patrick Henry of Virginia, I strongly believe that should I hold back my opinion on this pertinent issue at this time, for fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country and an act of dishonesty towards my creator, which I revere above all earthly beings.

Over the past years, some issues have gradually been cropping that have the propensity of shattering the current calm that reigns in the country if not cautiously and astutely addressed. The question many people are asking is: how soon will Cameroon descend into the type of chaos characteristic of other countries in the sub-region? How soon will the government realize the precarious state in which the country is and act quickly to address the main hurdles to national peace and unity?

The objective of this write up is to draw to the attention of the government of the day and other interested actors the delicate point at which the country currently finds itself with respect to national unity and durable peace. It is the wish of the author that the write-up will invoke a constructive and open minded debate that generates ideas that will place the country on the right path to true and lasting peace. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to describe Cameroon as a ticking time bomb that if not swiftly disconnected from its main power source, will detonate and obliterate lives and properties. Cameroon is currently plagued by a number of latent and incubating problems that if not promptly attended to, could threaten the current calm and unity that reign in the country. I will dwell just on three issues that I consider the most threatening to sustainable peace and national unity in Cameroon.

(A)THE “ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM”
Nowadays, it is no secret among patriotic and open minded Cameroonians that the greatest problem that threatens the national integrity and peace that reign in Cameroon is the “anglophone problem”. This is an assemblage of political, cultural, economic and social grievances expressed by the English-speaking minority in the predominantly French-speaking Republic of Cameroon. The “anglophone problem” has subsequently given birth to the Southern Cameroon’s National Council (SCNC), a group of English-speaking Cameroonians who advocate for full autonomy for Cameroon’s English-speaking minority and supports their independence. The government has refused to dialogue with the SCNC, brandishing them as terrorists. Some elements of the government even deny the existence of the “anglophone problem”. The “anglophone problem” fully came to the limelight on the 20th of May 1972 referendum during which many anglophones believed that the majority population of “La Republique du Cameroun” imposed a unitary state on anglophone Cameroon, in violation of article 47 of the constitution and of the plebiscite accord; that neither states shall be allowed to impose its will or its interest on the other. As such, many anglophones adjudicate that the referendum was unconstitutional and illegal. On the 4th of February 1984, the government of the day changed the nomenclature of the country from “The United Republic of Cameroon” to “The Republic of Cameroon (La Republique du Cameroun)”, which to the SCNC refers to the former francophone state prior to the unification in 1961. The SCNC therefore considered these changes of nomenclature of the state as a concerted attempt to assimilate the anglophones into the French-dominated system.

The SCNC carries out commemorative activities on the 1st of October every year as their independence day, an event severely suppressed by the government. On October 1, 1961, the Southern Cameroons attained independence from the British colonial administration and joined “La Republique du Cameroon” as equal states. The current acrimony between the government and the SCNC has led to confrontations resulting in death, torture and imprisonment of some SCNC activists.

The consequences of the current caustic relationship between the SCNC and the government of Cameroon are enormous. The continuous tough-fisted tactics and blind-eyed attitude employed by the current government on the grievances of anglophones can only but harden the hearts of the current moderate voices in the SCNC, forcing them to adopt the extremist’s position in the problem; out-right independence of Southern Cameroons as opposed to greater autonomy for the English-speaking provinces of Cameroon as is the position of the majority moderate voices of the SCNC. Most Cameroonians learned with consternation the emergence of the military wing of the SCNC, the Southern Cameroons Defence Force in 2003. Although Cameroonians know very little about the above defence force, it will be unwise not to take them seriously.
Furthermore, the continuous sweeping of the Anglophone problem under the carpet by the current government threatens to destroy the very democratic advancements that the government of the day has achieved. The rebirth of multipartism in Cameroon in 1990 has steadily changed the democratic credentials of the country in a positive and constructive way. Another key actor in this democratic growth of Cameroon is the frontline opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF). The persistence of the “anglophone problem” threatens to split the SDF and hence weakening the Cameroonian opposition and Cameroon’s fledgling democracy.

The way forward
How can the “anglophone problem” be resolved without undermining national unity or going to war? The government needs to rethink and reconsider her current policy vis-à-vis the “anglophone problem” and SCNC if she treasures the calm and unity that reigns now in Cameroon. The authorities have to engage the SCNC in an open and sincere dialogue without preconditions. The government cannot continue to allow the use of armed forces to become the weapon of choice in settling genuine political grievances with a segment of her citizens. For how long would this go on? Armed confrontation has never yielded any sustainable or durable peace in any country in the world in modern times but can only harm the peace and national unity that most of Cameroonians advocate for. The government, through the various media organs can entertain open and sincere debates on the merits and demerits of secession as a solution to the “anglophone problem”. The current “divide and rule” policy being perpetuated by the regime of the day, whereby more top government officers are appointed from one of the English-speaking provinces than the other in order to nurture some discord between them isn’t helping in any way to address the “anglophone problem”. Also, the appointment of top and influential government officials from particular ethnic groups or regions only further exacerbates the problem. It is however very imperative to state that the resolution of the “anglophone problem” isn’t as simplistic as appointing more anglophones to top government positions, tarring of more roads in the North- and South – West Provinces, provision of potable water, electricity, schools and other developmental projects to the two anglophone provinces. It is a constitutional conundrum; it’s a dilemma that touches on the distribution of political and economic supremacy, the institutional structures of the society, the educational system, and the relationship between the government and the governed. The current student strike at the University of Buea is clearly another manifestation of the “anglophone problem”; the anglo-saxon system of education strongly lays emphasis on the principles of meritocracy and transparency as integral parts of of working towards academic excellence. It is therefore critical for the government of the day to return to the original form of government of the then just reunified Cameroon following the 1961 plebiscite. That is a federal constitution and federal form of government which takes into consideration the bicultural and bilingual nature of Cameroon and under which the fundamental rights of both French- and English- speaking Cameroonians shall be protected.

(B) THE ATTAINMENT OF THE HIGHLY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRIES (HIPC) INITIATIVE COMPLETION POINT.
Friday, the 28th of April 2006 will always be a memorable day in the political and economic life of Cameroon and Cameroonians. This was the day that Cameroon was admitted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) into the HIPC initiative completion point, resulting in the cancellation of about 1150 milliards francs CFA of Cameroon’s external debts. The issue at stake here is: Would the memories of 28th April 2006 be joyful or sorrowful?” Ordinary Cameroonians have undergone enormous sacrifices and hardships for over a decade prior to the attainment of the completion point. They underwent those trying moments with the understanding that better days lay ahead, when the country is finally admitted into the HIPC initiative completion point. During those difficult times, the government consistently informed the public that the accomplishment of the HIPC initiative completion point will herald an end to the contemporary economic torments. This explains why Cameroonians were very eager to realize that goal even if it meant forgoing some of the privileges of the past. As such, when Cameroon was finally admitted into the completion point after two previous unsuccessful attempts, the expectations of Cameroonians were generally high-pitched; civil servants were expecting an increase in their salaries, contractors were expecting complete settlement of the debts, ordinary Cameroonians were expecting a reduction in the prices of basic commodities such as petroleum products and food items, unemployed youths were expecting a boom in employment opportunities, entrepreneurs were expecting a reduction on business taxes etc. In fact the lists of expectations are inexhaustible. The issues at stake are these rising expectations; the natural human tendency is that when rising expectations collide with entrenched systems, the result is frustration, confusion, conflict and often violence. In other words, when rising expectations become an illusion for those concerned, the normal feedback could pose a serious threat to the peace and security of the country.

The way forward
Ordinary Cameroonians have to significantly feel the impact of the realization of the completion point; Cameroonian households have to experience an appreciable improvement in their standards of living. In other words, all the “sweet stories” that were consistently told by the government prior to the attainment of the completion point must be translated to noticeable results on the ground. The government therefore has to cautiously and wisely manage the fallouts of the HIPC initiative completion point, in an honest and transparent manner. As such, the regime has to realize, advocate and endorse, through her actions, that corruption and mismanagement are enemies to economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development. The current government crackdown on corruption is a welcomed initiative but needs to be sustained and diversified to also include junior state civil servants.

Furthermore, government subsidies (via tax reduction/exemption) on some basic commodities will be a laudable step in restoring the standard of living of Cameroonian households. If there is one class of basic commodities whose subsidization will positively affect all segments of Cameroonian society, it will be petroleum products. A major reduction in the prices of petroleum products will not only ease the means of transportation but will automatically reduce the prices of the basic food items that are being transported to the markets by ‘petroleum product’ driven cars. A government-commissioned survey on the general expectations of Cameroonians vis-à-vis the attainment of the HIPC initiative completion point will undoubtedly give a better and clearer picture of these expectations. However, if the expectations are unrealistic vis-à-vis the fallouts of the completion point, the government via the various press organs can educate and sensitize the public in order to dampen these rising expectations.

(C)CORRUPTION AND INDISCIPLINE AMONG THE SECURITY FORCES AND SENIOR STATE CIVIL SERVANTS
It’s common knowledge in Cameroon that the level of corruption and indiscipline among the security forces and senior state civil servants is endemic. This is noticeable from the assets and influences that most of the members of these groups of people have when compared to their official salaries. This widespread corruption (especially among the security forces) has persisted unchecked for decades, forcing many Cameroonians to believe that the government has tacitly approved the practice in return for loyalty and protection of the regime in place. Serious judicial sanctions against senior security officers are rare. Furthermore, it’s not uncommon to find senior government officials occupying more than one key government post. Practices of this nature are undoubtedly helping to fuel the level of corruption and misappropriation of state funds.
The issue at stake here isn’t only the plunging and transformation of the country’s wealth into personal ownership and control, as it further exacerbates the level of poverty among ordinary Cameroonians and hinders economic advancement but what this wealth is used for. Sociologists and anthropologists have brought to our understanding the fact that when a man is drenched in extreme affluence, the next thing high on his agenda to achieve is power. In other words, excessive riches by politically ambitious persons potentially pose a significant threat to the constitutionality of the government, hence adulterating the democratic advancements of the state concerned.

The way forward
The current endemic corruption, indiscipline and excessive undue influence among elements of the security forces and senior state civil servants have to be promptly redressed through the appropriate state structures. As mentioned above, government’s fight against corruption and abuse of power especially amongst these two classes of state personnel should be dealt with in an unbiased and transparent approach. Alleged corrupt persons should speedily have their day in a court of law and those convicted shouldn’t only serve their sentences but as a matter of priority obliged to restitute the stolen wealth into the state coffers. The courts of law should be allowed to perform their functions without any interference. More so, the practice of accumulation of one than one government post by some members of parliament and senior government officials has to promptly redress.

Cameroonians learned with great relief the enactment of the bill on the declaration of assets and property into law on April 5, 2006 but were however taken aback by some controversial elements of the law. The question on the lips of many Cameroonians at the moment is how effectively can the declaration of assets and property be done in absolute secrecy? Also, some portions of the law relating to the appointment of some members of the commission in charge of the declaration of assets seriously taint the credibility and independence of the commission. For instance, the appointment of some of the personalities of the commission by the presidents of the National Assembly and Senate rather than the bureaus in such houses fails to guarantee transparency, objectivity to the commission. Therefore, for effective implementation of the law on the declaration of assets, the above portions of the law need to be urgently amended.

The new criminal procedure code that goes operational in Cameroon as from the 1st of January 2007 is a laudable step towards instilling some degree of discipline among the security forces. It is therefore very vital for the government to continue her current drive of vulgarizing this new criminal code. Non-governmental and civil society organizations would also be invaluable actors in this vulgarization process.

CONCLUSION
Peace-building and national unity are delicate issues that have to be nurtured and upheld by any responsible state. In addition to the probable ways of managing the current dilemmas that threaten the calm that reigns in Cameroon, the civil society in Cameroon needs to be empowered. The civil society in Cameroon isn’t only weak but deeply fragmented; hence assumption of a common position vis-à-vis the situation of governance in Cameroon by the civil society is non-existent. The civil society therefore needs to reaffirm their critical role in nation building and good governance by pulling their strengths and resources together when it comes to issues of governance. The established religions and churches form an integral part of the civil society and accordingly, have to resume and assume their role in not only advocating for the spiritual needs of their followers (members) but also their social and economic desires. For centuries, the established churches and religions have acted as the moral conscience of many societies. However, during the past decades in Cameroon, the churches are gradually losing grip of this crucial role. This isn’t the time for them to quit because ordinary Cameroonians need them most at this point in time. The church isn’t an institution of diplomacy, hence should not be involved in the “beating around the bush syndrome” exhibited by diplomats. Although the churches do not directly make political and economic decisions in a country, they have the unique ability to awaken the government from slumber.

Cameroon may be calm and apparently peaceful, but the “anglophone problem”, the attainment of the HIPC initiative completion point and the high level of corruption and indiscipline amongst the security forces and senior state civil servants threaten to destroy this calm. A stitch in time saves nine. The time to act is now!!!! Chi Primus