Cameroon: Joint Statement of The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Abduction of Education Personnel and attacks against Schools in the South-West Region of Cameroon (05.06.2018)

Several schools did not function during the past two successive school years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018).

KAMPALA, Uganda, June 5, 2018 -The Representative of UNICEF in Cameroon, Mr. Jacques Boyer, and the Director of the Regional Office of UNESCO for Central Africa and Representative for Cameroon, Mr. Salah Khaled, urge the kidnappers to release immediately ALL Education personnel who have been abducted in the South-West and North-West Regions of Cameroon.

UNICEF and UNESCO in Cameroon are therefore asking all stakeholders and leaders to immediately stop attacking schools, teachers and education officials and allow safe and unfettered return of all students to the classroom to continue with their studies and examinations.

From the start of the conflict in November 2016, schools in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon have been targeted. The prevailing security situation is deteriorating with a profound impact on academic activities. To date, 40 schools have been burned down. Approximately 33,000 students are not attending school for reasons of fear of security, attacks and abductions. Several schools did not function during the past two successive school years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018). Those that are functioning lack the required supplies and materials and have also experienced looting and destruction of the few items that are available. As a result, girls and boys are vulnerable to sexual and economic exploitation and domestic violence.

“I strongly condemn all killings and abductions of education workers and all acts of destruction of school infrastructure and violence perpetrated against students, schools and their staff”, said Mr. Salah Khaled.

“No intimidation whatsoever should be tolerated by all well-meaning partners that seek to promote the rights of children to quality education in a safe, protective and secure environment. No reason can be advanced to justify the un-warranted attacks on children in general and pupils who are seeking to acquire knowledge and skills to become useful citizens in the future in order to be able to contribute to the economic and social advancement of their country” declared Mr. Jacques Boyer.

We are calling on the Government of Cameroon and all stakeholders to endorse and adhere to the principles of the Safe Schools Declaration and ensure that they protect schools-facilities, teachers, children and other personnel who are exercising their right to education.

We come together to reaffirm that civilians (children, men and women), caught in the conflict and those who care for them are #NotATarget. We appeal to all stakeholders involved in this conflict to take action to protect them.

Cameroon: CHRDA Statement Following the Decision of the Yaounde Military Tribunal to Sentence Mancho Bibiqy, Tsi Conrad, Tamngwa Malvin, Aselecha Martin, Guingah Valentine and Awah Thomas (01.06.2018)

President Macky Sall is a bit to friendly to the Colonial French!

“With the French colonization, we had positive things” – President Macky Sall

The Senegalese President Macky Sall is out again, being super-friendly to the French. Even saying again that the Colonizer did lots of good to Senegal. The Republic and the people should be ashamed by the man. That he is so little sovereign and with pride over his own republic. If he was Paul Biya, I would understand, he should praise Switzerland and the mountain resorts he resides at. But I will not digress more. President Sall has again praised France. It is like you wonder how much money they are doling him and what sort of business-deals he has done with French Companies. Since he is a bit to friendly with them. Especially knowing the history of France in Senegal. You should figure out, that you can be cordial with them, but not so lovable.

First show some older clips, to show that this isn’t new from the President. So the ones that is shocked about recent statements as of this week. This is his M.O. and what he does. He has been like this before and said similar things, even if the French was imperialistic and still is, with their reach and demeaning control of the currency market in West Africa. Which the Republic of Senegal is under and their monetary policies are controlled by, therefore, I would expect more reluctant view of France, but Sall is different. He prefers and just see goodness from the French.

BWOG Staff reported in 2013:

President Sall painted his vision for African Economic growth, insisting that philosophers like Fukuyama and Hobbes paint a picture of man “as a wolf to other men.” He insisted that predatory economic practices be reined in and saw little merit in criticism of African debt by countries “that are in huge debt themselves!” “We cannot validate the voice of the future with tools from the past,” he went on, claiming that innovative investment, not empty charity, was the real path to growth. He claimed that 4/5ths of African countries were experiencing growth above the world average and insisted that a common currency for eight West African is the right move. The one positive aspect of colonialism is that it united those countries oppressed by the same power” (BWOG Staff – ‘LectureHop: Macky Sall, the President of Senegal’ 28.09.2013 link: http://bwog.com/2013/09/28/lecturehop-macky-sall-the-president-of-senegal/).

An interview with Sall in 2013:

What role should countries such as Senegal play in regional security compared with outside actors such as the United States and France? We cooperate with France, which is an ally and a friend. It is of course a former colonial power. But France understands the stakes in and the sociology of our countries. The United States also has a security policy in the region, and it is our partner through africom [the U.S. Africa Command] and everything that it does in terms of military cooperation with various countries” (…) “So can Africa take care of its own problems now? No. Africa cannot handle its own problems, because we are not yet at the point where we have the logistical capabilities to deploy troops in case of emergency. It’s simply a matter of means, not a matter of men” (Mercredi – ‘A Conversation With Macky Sall’ 28.08.2013 link: https://www.ndarinfo.com/A-Conversation-With-Macky-Sall_a6291.html)

Northern Senegal farmers:

Under French rule, the poor farmers of Northern Senegal were forced by oppressive economic policies to resort to the monoculture of peanuts and rice. The legacy of colonialism on traditional farming practices was the desertification of the delicate Sahel soil and a devastating famine in the late twentieth century (Kloby 103). In what was once a civilization of communal living and bartering, the French instituted elements of capitalism that would best serve the European metropole. Instead of nurturing a complete capitalist system and educating the local populous about the newly developed concepts of industrialization and economic theory, the Europeans exploited the rich resources of both land and people to further advance their own development (Rodney 112)” (Emma Anderson – ‘COLONIZATION AND SENEGAL’ 10.07.2013 link: https://www.globalcitizenyear.org/updates/colonization-and-senegal/) .

As you see, President Sall has a favorable view, maybe he is caught up in the view of French Embassy of Senegal in Dakar, which writes on their page about their relationship:

After more than three centuries of uninterrupted relations, France and Senegal have remained since the independence of very close nations. A shared history, a tradition of cooperation in all fields, a constant flow of human and material exchanges in both directions, confirm this proximity. The strong bond that President Léopold Sédar Senghor had with our country has been perpetuated by his successors, President Abdou Diouf, President Abdoulaye Wade, and President Macky Sall since April 2012. France intends to remain alongside Senegal, which is the largest recipient of French aid in sub-Saharan Africa. It is in all these areas, but also in that of our cultural and human exchanges, woven through three hundred and fifty years of history, that the exceptional relations of friendship between France and Senegal are manifested” (La France au Senegal – ‘Relations politiques’ 21.06.2017).

Therefore, you can see that the exceptional relationship is evident in the way Sall is defending the colonial works that French did in Senegal, as they didn’t do it to control and get their imperial control of Senegal. That should be insulting to Sall, but you can wonder why he see it so favorable. Because he shows such defense and defense of the assimilation and the policies done by French Colonial Administrations, which was done for the betterment of Paris and not for the betterment of Dakar. That was just dumb-luck if the policies created something good for Dakar, because the end-game in the colonial enterprises are for the betterment of the empire, not for the colonies. They are the means to an end.

That is why Sall is so French friendly and defending the demeaning and insulting policies of the Colonial French. Which the Senegal republic has inherited and is still under supervision of the French. As their monetary policies and other government framework are still monitored by the French and the French Treasury in Paris. Therefore, the Senegal Government have less control and have less powers of their own, as long as they are following guidelines from the French on how the Central African Franc (CAF) is.

The Senegalese are the ones that following similar steps as in France, but have politicians that are blindly also following the French. This is all in deliberate way of still having not only influence, but actual control of the territories they used reign supreme over. That is what the French is doing. Therefore, President Sall is a bit to friendly and defending the French. I just don’t get it. I don’t. But that is just me though. Peace.

President Biya bashes himself in glory: While his horrors are haunting the Anglophone Cameroon!

Today the 20th May 2018, was the National Day of Cameroon. While the elites and the military was parading together with one of the longest serving President’s in the world, Mr. Dictator-often-on-Vacation in Switzerland Paul Biya. In Southern Cameroons in two separate villages, the army and police killed villagers, and also villagers living in the forest after they got burned.

So it hard to know what to celebrate, when the Republic, where the President plans to be running again. The man whose been president since a coup in 1982. Biya used all tricks to get rid of predecessor president Ahmadou Ahidjo. That got totally away since 1983. It is easy to forget that, but he used all tricks to get rid of the one before him.

Therefore, today the celebration is a downer as the continued oppression in the Southern Provinces continues. The pressure of the state is there, and the determination to get people to cheer in the streets. Everything closed and telling people to show-up in the streets. That is what is insane, that the President is driving in a Range Rover Limousine that cost 358.296.00 CFA. In a Republic where the schools are lacking, the roads are filled with potholes and the state is not delivering. But, then again the President is more away, than home. That is why the demise of so many of his citizens doesn’t matter.

We know that the state is really all in control from his office, as the Council of Ministers meet recently for the fist time since 2015. Biya is really relaying in the army and the donors to keep him afloat, while him and his wife is on shopping sprees in Europe.

The Trump Administration really shown love with their statement on the 18th May 2018, as they don’t care about the internal conflict, as they stated: “The United States values the ties that bind the American and Cameroonian people. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Cameroon as we strengthen regional security, fight violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin region, and collaborate to improve health outcomes. Our goal is to work together for a peaceful, democratic, and an abundant future” (Mike Pompeo – ‘Cameroon National Day’ 18.05.2018).

That peaceful and democratic future is currently not for the anglophone Cameroon, where the government is violently oppressing and also suppressing the voice of dissidents. Therefore, the President speaking of strength and unity on this day. When we know about the destruction and the violent oppression, that the state is sponsoring in Southern Cameroon. As long the army is killing civilians, decrees of control and the governors really stopping all movement of the public in these parts of Southern Cameroon.

This day should have been celebrated with flair and of liberation, it is the national day, instead people are ordered in the streets, villages left and army killing civilians. This is not the sort of news that should happen at the same time. While the President is driving in a luxury car and bash in glory, while so many are living in fear.

Biya, your been living large for 36 years and what your leaving behind is a mess. You haven’t built a republic, built a republic to be proud of delivering to the next generation. Your leaving behind a steaming kettle, that someone else got to handle. That will be your legacy, because you overstayed your welcome and you enriched yourself on the plate of all your citizens. Peace.

National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC): A Distress Cry from the Bishops of Cameroon (16.05.2018)

Cameroon: South West Region – Fako Division – “Subject: Radio Announcement” (11.05.2018)

Cameroon: The Governor of the North West Region – Regional Order no. 033 (11.05.2018)

Cameroon: South-West Region – “Subject: Radio Announcement” (07.05.2018)

Cameroon: The Governor of the North West Region – Regional Order no. 032 (04.05.2018)

Cameroon: RDPC/CPDM – Communique de Presse (03.05.2018)