The CEMAC statement on the genocide in the Southern Cameroons in its just concluded summit in Ndjamena, Chad is worthy of note. French Cameroun’s President Paul Biya was elected President of the sub-regional organisation in his absence. He was therefore not present to officially take over the mantle of leadership of that sub-regional organisation.  His absence made it impossible for him to personally contribute to the decisions and resolutions on matters of importance impacting on the life of the organisation. No publicly stated reasons were provided explaining his absence.

It was obvious that sub-regional and international economic and security matters would be discussed at the summit. It was also obvious that the incoming President would be given the mandate to execute the decisions that were going to be taken at the summit.   Some CEMAC countries fall within the international security and economic powder keg in the Sahel, the Congo basin and the Gulf of Guinea. Cameroon Concord News Group is concerned that conferring the Presidency of CEMAC to Paul Biya who is a sub-regional Angel of death and General Overseer of a Crime Syndicate is potentially risky.  He is genocidal, aged, sick, senile and potentially in the evening of his life.

The security and economic challenges confronting CEMAC required a vibrant, visionary and strong leader. Paul is not. He is a demented neo-colonial stooge.  Some of challenges confronting France-Afrique of which CEMAC is the heart-beat, include the growing debate on colonial security, economic and cultural pacts, the CFA Franc, the Multinational war against Boko Haram, Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea, the instability in CAR and the DRC Congo etc.  A sick despot with a failing memory cannot withstand these challenges.  Cameroon Concord News Group can therefore only conclude that CEMAC has given Paul Biya a crown of thorns. This crown of thorns adds to the several attributes on Paul Biya’s despotic page in France-Afrique’s neo-colonial book of incredulity.

This crown of thorns came with an important statement from Paul Biya’s CEMAC peers which must have shaken the Angel of Death to the marrows of his evil bones. Fearing probably that he may abuse his mandate and the crown of thorns to legitimize the genocide in the Southern Cameroons, CEMAC leaders in a resolution warned about the consequences of continuing the war Paul Biya declared against the Southern Cameroons in the Gulf of Guinea. The CEMAC leaders resolved and urged him to find a negotiated solution as soon as possible. Coming from a sub-regional organisation whose presidency he was assuming, the resolution on the Southern Cameroons must have come through as a poisonous pill to criminal instincts of this notorious genocide mastermind.  The clear message is that if he persists on his genocidal misadventure against the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, then he will be doing that at his risk.   CEMAC took a clear stand before handing over the presidency of the organisation to him.  It behoves him as the president of French Cameroun and as the President of CEMAC to embrace the path of international legality and not criminality and genocide.

What if he does not stop the genocide and engage in negotiations? Will there be consequences from CEMAC?  Cameroon Concord News Group does not believe CEMAC will sanction him for non-compliance of its resolution on the Southern Cameroons.  However, the CEMAC resolution deprives him of an instrument or toll with which he intended to legitimize impunity, geocide and other crimes against the Southern Cameroons.  CEMAC were careful to point out to him that countries in the Gulf of Guinea would be negatively impacted by the war against the Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia.  The CEMAC resolution on the Southern Cameroons clears the way for Intervention by the International Community to protect and prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.  Without this clear statement from CEMAC, intervention by the AU, UN, and the International Community at large would have been diplomatically hampered or slowed down.  International Organisations, the United Sates of America, the European Union and International Human Rights Organisations have found strong evidence that Cameroun civilian and military commanders planned and are executing despicable crimes against Southern Cameroons civilians within the territory of the Southern Cameroons and the neighbouring country of Nigeria.  There must be consequences for these acts of impunity.

The CEMAC resolution implicitly serves notice to the Buhari government in Nigeria and other countries that may be aiding the genocide.  CEMAC whose presidency the genocide mastermind Paul Biya has assumed, has taken a stand in favour of negotiation and peace. The Federal Government of Nigeria which is a party to the multinational force arrangement fighting against Boko Haram with some CEMAC countries is on notice to readjust its position and weigh its diplomatic options in the light of this reality.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on the International Community to urgently deploy a peace keeping force to the Southern Cameroons- Ambazonia to protect and prevent against the ongoing genocide. The international Community should facilitate negotiations that must lead the way to the free exercise of the right of self-determination by the people of the Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia under the UN Charter, UN Resolutions and International Law.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on all Ambazonians and freedom loving people world wide to redouble all efforts to contribute towards ground zero operations, the protection and sustenance of Ambazonia civilians and refugees, the legal defence fund of Ambazonians and Ambazonian leaders in captivity, Ambazonia IG institutional governance and diplomatic actions which must intensify now when the world is paying attention.

Cameroon Concord News Group calls on the IG and Ambazonians capable of carrying out diplomatic initiatives to know that international diplomacy warrants knowledge of diplomatic practice.  Effective diplomatic engagement is never conducted on social media.   Giving notice of attacks on supposed targets in the territory of French Cameroun at a time when International diplomatic actions are being triggered may constitute an act of sabotage to the Ambazonia self-defence efforts. The Federal Republic of Ambazonia are not the aggressors in this war. Ambazonia took up arms in response to this war of genocide in which French Cameroun is the identified aggressor.

Publicly announcing so-called diplomatic engagement with the Basque country in the heart of Europe by Cho Ayaba shortly after announcing that he will carryout attacks in the territory of French Cameroon is not in the interest of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. The Basque country is in Spain with its own specific historical peculiarity within Spain and the contagious areas of France.  It is in the heart of Europe. The announced social media diplomatic engagement at a time the EU has commence to trigger its sanction regime against French Cameroun for the crimes, including genocide committed in the Southern Cameroons may not be in the interest of the Southern Cameroons.  The Southern Cameroons problem has discrete international character which must not be complicated.  Cameroon Concord News Group has consistently warned that social media activism, grandstanding and ignorance by some who want to personalise the struggle for their selfish interests, may compromise genuine diplomatic efforts which the IG and concerned Ambazonians have been making and which may already be yielding fruits.

The complexity of international diplomacy within which many Ambazonia professionals are operating as key actors may be too sophisticated for social media activists who are in search of relevance.   Cameroon Concord News Group strongly encourages the Interim Government and Ambazonians of good faith to redouble the ongoing efforts with diplomatic discretion in other to achieve positive outcomes.  Diplomatic procedural pitfalls must be avoided as much as possible.  Sound diplomatic engagement must be discreet and must not be conducted in the social media. Cameroon Concord News Group calls on Ambazonians to strongly discourage or denounce the ongoing social media diplomatic circus.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-in-Chief