The civil disobedience campaign launched by The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium was widely followed this Monday by the populations of the Northwest and Southwest regions. The Consortium had called for a ghost town operation and a pacific resistance without a protest march or street demonstration for Monday, January 9, 2017

The Francophone Yaounde regime had hope for an effective back to school in the Anglophone section of the country. The authorities went further and launched a dubious offensive to sensitize Southern Cameroons parents to send their children to school.  However, the streets remained deserted. No public transport, buses or motorcycle taxis were seen in the streets of Bamenda, Bali, Batibo, Kumbo, Mamfe, Kumba, Menji, Akawaya, Tiko, Mutengene, Muea, Muyuka and Buea, for fear of reprisals.

The shops and markets remained closed and some barricades were erected on the public road by some individuals in Buea. The Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime that recently announced the recruitment of 1000 new teachers is now considering suspending the salaries of the striking teachers.

The authorities have been consistently inconsistent in their handling of the situation. Yaounde opened a dialogue on the main demands of the striking teachers and lawyers and later on denounced the protesters as “extremist”. The CPDM government further suggested that the Anglophone leaders were being manipulated by individuals with a hidden agenda from abroad.

President Biya (83) reaffirmed that Cameroon remains “ONE” and “Indivisible”. Today’s event will surely give the Cameroonian dictator a rare opportunity to think and rethink things. The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has announced a suspension of the ghost town operation. But maintained that all strike actions by the teachers and lawyers will continue under the Francophone government provides acceptable solutions to the Anglophone demands. Correspondingly, all schools and law firms will remain close indefinitely.

By Rita Akana for Cameroon Concord News