Skip to main content




ODDS & EMPITESS OF PEACE CARAVAN RUMINATE: STAKEHOLDERS BACKOUT, TAKE ILL, FEARS, PROXIMITY OF FEB ELECTIONS

 BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM

caravan members chew cud at planning meeting

The initiative dubbed “peace caravan of the major national dialogue” aims to promote peace and present final proposals of the Grand National Dialogue to the layman. This is however the latest of Biya’s programmes facing wide criticisms. Following launching of the peace caravan of the major national dialogue in both English speaking regions of Cameroon on 16th November, the weight of opposition is domineering. It appears even activists craving for peace understand the lacklustre of the programme, given the absence of concrete and fathomable moves accompanying it.

 Resistance on the caravan is not soothing  though trusted religious clerics are at the helm. Antagonism has been rife before, during and after launching on November 16th in the Northwest by His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi and in the Southwest by His Lordship Andrew Fuanya Nkea. What perspirations?


CARAVAN PROVOKES QUERIES

A catalogue of why and what evoked; why is the caravan coming before results of the major national dialogue? Why put the cart before the horse? What is the urgency of the caravan when little or no preparation for this has been done? Why not release all prisoners arrested in connection with the crisis before the peace caravan?.

Just at the launching in Bamenda; when the list of those to lead the caravan in various divisions of the North West region was presented, the caravan leader for Momo division Honourable Enkwe Francis said six out of ten people to carry the caravan to Momo have indicated ill health against the move. The First Deputy Mayor of Nwa Council Jinkwen Martha Fonwi complained of road blocks by secessionists against the caravan.  The leader of the UDP Party El Hadj Lawan Bako was disgruntled because the proposal that the country be renamed, United republic of Cameroon, so as to suit "our two cultural heritage and stamp out marginalisation" did not feature in the final proposal that has already been handed to the head of states. Like him, the member of parliament for Menchum South Constituency Honourable Wallang Richard Ebua  is worried that the plea to revamp the slumping  Wum Area Development Authority WADA does not appear in the dialogue proposals even though it was part of the dialogue.

The mayor of Wum Council Dighambong Anthony said he is disappointed that the persons to carry out the peace caravan feature people who do not reside in the division and others who had fled the division on reasons of crises.

The archbishop of Bamenda His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua expressed worry on a peace caravan by the government of Biya in the face of continuous violence in the northwest region perpetrated by the same government.


 COMMOTION ENSUES AFTER LAUNCHING

In a planning meeting prior to the kick off of the caravan, most of those involved in the  caravan revealed that they have received threats from secessionists if they venture carrying out the programme.

Like many others who have resigned from the caravan, Senator Kemende Henry member of the caravan is known to have resigned from the national dialogue sensitization team. He is said to have faced death threats by ambazonia activists. The SDF law maker is known to also withdraw because he was not consulted before being added on the list of those to undertake the caravan and did not take part in the dialogue.

Public opininon has also cast aspersions, questioning why Bishop Andrew Fuania Nkea and Cardinal Tumi have accepted to engage in a post dialogue caravan when nothing concrete has yielded from a National Dialogue that took place in the country two months ago. They are accusing the clerics of having been coaxed to do a peace caravan.

PROXIMITY OF CARAVAN TO FEBRUARAY 9th ELECTIONS

The national dialogue sensitization caravan taking place in November is coming a couple of days after Cameroon president Paul Biya announced municipal and parliamentary elections for February 9th 2020. The proximity of the two events makes a suspicion of political gains given that politicians or aspirants involved in the caravan may steal the forum to secure reputation for the upcoming municipal and legislative elections in Cameroon scheduled for February 9 2020.

All eyes are fixed on the process and outcome of the widely criticised caravan.







   

Comments

Post a Comment

Editor's Picks

THE ROLE CATHOLIC CLERGY AND LAITY PLAYED IN ANNOUNCED NATIONAL DIALOGUE

Priests and Bishops pose for pictures at 67th BAPEC session Cameroon’s president Paul Biya announced a major national dialogue to commence as from the end of this month.  The announcement came in a speech which he addressed to the nation hinged on the throes of the socio political crisis that has gripped the North West and South West region. It is barely a week since the national dialogue was announced and the topic is animating public debates. It is however time to give credit to the clerics and the laity of the Holy Mother Church the for role played in paving the path of dialogue Since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis, the priests, the bishops, the religious and other leaders of the church have often echoed and re-echoed that only profound and meaningful dialogue can bring solution to the problems plaguing the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. In fact memories of 29-Dec-2016 are still fresh, the date when bishops of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conferen
5 comments
Read more
UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA: STRIKE BEGINS DEC 4 AGAINST ATTEMPTED MURDER OF DON AND KIDNAP OF ANOTHER ON HEELS OF GROWING SECURITY CONCERNS BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM A strike action by affiliates of the University of Bamenda agreed by an executive committee of the institution  shall run  Dec 4th -5th 2019. The information is  contained in a communique for a solidarity strike action. The strike is provoked by attempts to assasinate Professor Tata Simon Ngenge lecturer and Director of studies at the Higher Teacher Training College  and abduction of Dr Ami Nyoh Hycinth, lecturer and Head of Division of Administration and Finance at the Higher Teacher Training College. The incident happened Dec 3rd 2019 on the stretch of road known as Bambui Bambili C Bend.      According to the communique, the University Community was assured beefed up security during a high level meeting with the security situation of the institution on agenda. The meeting was chaired by the governnor of the Nort
1 comment
Read more
WOMEN'S DAY OF BOMBING AND RAVAGING FIRE IN BAMENDA  BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM Though hard to comprehend,  the malicious act was conspicuous. Women who turned out to observe the 35th international women's day edition at the Bamenda grandstand on March 8th came under attack. This happened with the explosion of an alleged locally made bomb some thirty metres away from the ceremonial  ground leaving eight people injured. The bomb would later  aggravate to consuming flames. Among victims were four military men, three policemen and one civilian. The injured were immediately rushed to a medical facility. Minutes after, the bombing casualty graduated to a fire outbreak just at the site of the explosion which caught a block of buildings along the Bamenda commercial avenue reducing about nine shops to rubbles. The door of the vehicle of the army rescue unit was also damaged. It took about three hours for elements of the army rescue unit to put out the fire that was spreading with th
Post a Comment
Read more