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ELOQUENCE FACES OFF GRUDGES: BAMENDA 1 PEACE RIDE A SUCCESS

BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM

The words of the Biblical proverbs
"a gentle tongue breaks a bone" Prov 25:15 was the sole principle in the Bamenda one peace ride.

A four man delegation for the peace caravan in that jurisdiction with Professor Fru Angwafo as regional team coordinator and Madam Caroline Bi Bongwa as coordinator for the Divisional team  used gentility to get across to the population.

They were on mission to restitute recommendations of the major national dialogue to locals.

Bitterness during the session was subdued with the cozy pidgin English Language, admittance of failure and a determination to do better.





Left -right: D.O Guliai, Mayor Caroline, Prof Angwafo, Mr Mbafor, behind them peoples representatives. Picture taken after successfule caravan at Bamenda 1 Council


In the Bamenda one Conference Hall were gathered representatives of the population including traditional heads, motor bike riders, teachers and counsellors.

The peace caravan was present with mission to enlighten people on proposals that emerged from a national dialogue held October 30th to September 4 in Cameroon's headquarters Yaounde as means to solve the now three years old Anglophone crisis.

The four man team were Caroline Bi Bongwa Head of Peace Caravan Bamenda one, Professor Angwafo head of Peace Caravan Northwest region,  Mr Mbafor Member of Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism  Gilbert Guilai -DO Bamenda one.

Meeting with representatives of the population in the hall, they said this is a time to build peace love and reconciliation, to forget the past and look ahead to the future, to voice disturbances and see how to repair.

A reading of the recommendation of the major national dialogue by Mayor Caroline Bi Bongwa was followed by reactions.

A post dialogue caravan with no measurable action on the ground, Killing people, burning houses and harrasment by military, no concrete measures by government in the crisis, sluggishness of the government to solve a problems...

These and many others were words of resentment after listening to reading of dialogue recommendations.

"Government has been slow, we must tell the truth,
We can't revenge against ourselves, people are dying and we can't stay back. Let's avoid the blame game because blaming won't move us forward. We should be active citizens, concerned by looking up to what government is doing and follow"
Prof Fru Angwafo told people in the hall after hearing them blast the peace caravan.
He spoke in Pidgin English.

A few others however applauded the move to present dialogue proposals. They were of the side that there have been no formal forum to enable them know the outcome of the dialogue until now.

The people appealed for a ceasefire, release of those arrested in connection with the crisis and a follow up for implementation of the dialogue proposals.

They took the commitment to take the message of peace to the subjects and to educate others on the dialogue recommendations.

"Instructions being given to us would be followed. We are going to photocopy and distribute the resolutions to various quater heads. I'm satisfied because everything has been explained It's left for us to go and sensitise the population. Twenty three of forty eight chiefs answered present and we are sure that the message of peace would be understood" said Fonche Joseph chairman of Quater heads.

According to Madam Caroline, not much can be done in an environment where there is no peace. "Peace is a valuable commodity. We have to be at peace with ourselves. True happiness cannot be attained where there is no peace".

The peace caravan in Bamenda one took place at the Bamenda one Council Hall, Thursday 21 November 2019. The session lasted three hours.

The message of peace in Bamenda one was coming after launching of the Peace Caravan both in  Mezam division and the Northwest region.

The intention is to insure a soft and receptive ground in case president Paul Biya  grants the demands tabled by  Anglophone Cameroonians after the Grand National Dialogue


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