The Major National Dialogue Caravan has been launched yesterday in Bamenda at the MINEPAT Hall in the presence of the different delegates from the 7 divisions, involved with municipal and legislative elections 2020
Chaired by His Eminence Christain Cardinal Tumi, closely assidted by Professor Cosmas Cheka, English Law Department head of Yaounde 2 who read out the resolutions arrived at the Major National Dialogue and gave room for inputs from those who were part of the delegation that represented the Northwest Region.
The Governor of the Northwest Region Adolphe Lele LAfrique received the special envoy sent to the Northwest to deliver the resolutions of the major national Dialogue and during the meeting, he makes it clear that the solutions to the ongoing armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest Regions wouldn’t come from Yaounde but from the efforts of everyone who wanted to see Peace realized. He beckoned on everyone to make efforts, especially the Traditional rulers and elites to work In synergy with their people to realize this.
Lawan Bako makes comments about what is read out by the Professor and says some resolutions twere left out and that it was necessary to include them if truly the Government was working towards achieving Peace.
“we said that the country must be renamed, United republic of Cameroon, so as to suit our two cultural heritage. N other to stamp out the feelings of Marginalization , the quarter system should be put in law for the Anglophones of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, so that our children should not continue to cry foul about Marginalization in writing concurs. It was heavily applauded and I was there, and The Prime Minister said adopted. I don’t see where you are coming with the points on Bilingualism and so on, because that is already in the constitution. These children did not go to the bushes because of Bilingualism. No Francophone should be appointed for the Anglophones in Northwest and Southwest regions and this was adopted. What was done in the technical commission was wrong producing such reports on recommendations. After the adoption of those points were adopted in the preliminary, we expected the Head of State to come out with something specific to calm down the tempers of our children in the bush, before this meeting. Now you read out something inconsequential,i was expecting you to highlight what people applauded as the mindset of the people.” Lawan Bako
“The Cardinals have talked about Peace and I believe in Peace not in acts of war, but take not there cannot be Peace without Justice. If there is Peace without Justice, know that the Peace is Temporal. I end by congratulating the head of State who went to France an Came back to realize that the Minority were being cheated, and tried to assimilate them and it did not work.” He added.
Honorable Wallang Richard from Menchum Division brings out the realities faced on the field, makes comments on the reports read out by the professor on resolutions from the Dialogue .
“ I don’t think I can go down to Wum, to Menchum and talk anything without talking about WADA, we still have documents on WADA building which is former MIDENO structure, we still have the documents but we don’t want to explode and I heard him talk about revamping, in the Major National Dialogue we brought up the issue on WADA. Going to Furawa, there are still heavy gunshots being heard. If you talk about WADA, a lot of things will be stopped. If I enter Wum like the Delegation that I happen to be there, anything that I preach, no one will hear me if WADA is not mentioned. MIDENO cannot be in Bamenda controlling WADA in Wum, please if you don’t mention this, I going to Menchum will return with Zero, Nothing.” Honorable Wallang Richard.
Archbishop of Bamenda Cornelius Fontem Esua, is frank about Peace talks and says pretense willnot sort the way forward expected.
” There can be no Peace if there is no truth, if people do not accept the truth and do what is right, I think that we cannot fool all the people, all the time.For me the National Dialogue was the moment of truth or should have been the moment of truth, if we wanted to solve the problem and solve it inn a definitive way and one expression that came up 3 times in the President’s message convoking the national Dialogue was that the national Dialogue was being called to answer the highest or deepest aspirations of the people of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, if those aspirations are not answered in a very realistic way, I am afraid Peace will not come and we stand a difficult task in order to solve the problems that we have in our hands. If we wanted to get peace.” Archbishop of Bamenda.
“If we need peace we will have to start where we will need to understand the true definition of peace, loving your neighbor and visiting your neighbor taking the reactions or case of the internally displaced persons, who cannot visit where they come from. we have to create those conditions that will favour the meeting or having the opportunity to talk to People, the installations of administrators within Northwest took place in emty environments; the Government talking to itself. We need to start by the seizure of violence, violence from all directions. We are victims of violence from both directions and we need to create an environment that we can meet we need to encounter and talk to people, reasoning with them. The Government has tough job here to be the first to make the bold step to our belligerent youths and to act consistently accordingly and that we really need peace up to the point of sacrificing ourselves.” He added.
President of CAMASEJ “All Elites have answered present to this initiative because it only adds value to the Peace that should reign in our region. As Journalists we already have the doubts we no longer raise questions but seek for solutions. I am pleading with the committee in charge to sit with us before going to the field. If we had the opportunity to sit with you and get veritable answers, we will at the same time be orientating the masses that should be waiting for this information, there are a good number of you delegates here, who will have to go to the field, but will not go but will want to use Journalists to do reports on whatever you want that be reported on your behalf. The journalists will need to accompany you, but before we do, let us sit and design a message that will suit the people. Permit me to say that, in some cases where the delegates will be able to access their terrain, it will be difficult for the masses to follow up and it is only the media that can inform the population why their delegates showed up. Please let us make good use of the media in the region who have been very collaborating this far.” President of CAMASEJ, Northwest Region
The CAMASEJ President also noted with disdain that the Governor of the Northwest Region though very collaborative with the Press, had visited some persons or elites in the region who had been victims of kidnap by the secessionist and yet didn’t receive a phone call from Administration as a sign of concern, despite the fact that the Journalists in the Northwest Region had contributed their quota to the Peace Process.
“if u see us standing with our cameras, books n pens filming and recording you, that all you can do is sit in the evening back at home and watch, we just want to plead that you give us that respect that which we deserve.”
Mayor Dighambomg makes a comment on the list constituted for the Legislative and Municipal elections and proposes that administrators or elites who frequent the field or are resident there should be included.
“ when I look at the way the list has been constituted, I want to think that it should be revised because there are some persons here who have never visited their people or gone to the field since the crisis escalated, yet their names are on the list. What are these people going to be saying when the time comes when they don’t know the minds of the people. As servants, we should not only appear at the time when we need the population, we should appear at the time when the population needs us. We have different conflicts aside the ongoing armed conflict and as a way forward, we convened a meeting to people deliberate and look for solutions to enjoy long lasting peace. With such situations, it is easy to pass a message across to the people, but abstaining from them one will not have understood or be part of their problems. For the Elites, we hardly stay out for close to 2months without visiting the people back home, Yes the challenges are there, Yes the threats are there, Yes the rejection is there but when the people realize you have been there for them to a certain extent, they will be able to accept you.” Mayor Wum Council.
Professor Paul Nkwi talks about the White Flag that stands as a sign of Peace and emphasized that what matters is the take home message.
“ The special status which is a fundamental issue, people will be asking what is it all about because we need this Peace we are seeking to be real.Every divisional commission should carry a White Flag with nothing written on it as a sign of Peace during the caravan”. Professor Paul Nkwi.
The 1st Deputy Mayor of Nwa, Jinkwen Martha Fonwi tells the audience how she will disguise to move in the streets back at home in other to be free from the threats of secessionists and will only dress well and answer her name when she is in the city, all of these for security Reasons. A similar case with those residing in conflict hit zones and she also mentions that there is a major challenge for her to reach her people and talk with them. Delegates involved in the campaign process have the latitude to co opt persons with whom they think it will be easy to work with on the ground.
The Chairman of the Launching ceremony His Eminence Christain Cardinal Tumi, laid emphasis on Peace and said it was a necessary tool for everyone In the Northwest Region because Jesus Christ Himself is the Prince of Peace. He explained and interpreted what Peace is all about.
“Peace Means Seurity, Peace is not just the absence of war. Peace is not acquired once and for all ,it is a life time event. Another name for Peace Is security, To respect the right of every citizen is to promote peace. Mutual Confidence promotes Peace. We are bound to promote peace in all its forms and tenets. Peace is the fruit of love and where there is love, there is peace, where there is no love there is hatred and so War. Let all those who educate the youths and form public opinion, like the Journalists, who have a major role to play in the Peace Process, should avoid insultive Language, promoting PEACE. To build Peace, we must eliminate all forms of discord, the light principle of Peace is love.” Eminence Christain Cardinal Tumi.
The different leaders of all 7 Divisions after the Launching are holding meetings to better plan on the ground work that needs to be done before campaign proper, but the question of what message will be given to the people in the crisis hit zone, remain a challenged faced by all the delegates involved in the Municaipal and Legislative Elections.
Ndefru Melanie