Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) Press Statement
The futile efforts of expansionist la Republique du Cameroun to use a neo-imperial mask and conceal the truth on the ground boomeranged in the face of the Yaounde dictatorship in Addis Ababa as the African Union Summit opened yesterday February 1, 2009.
Its sponsored Agenda Item, "Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Africa: Model of the Bakassi Crisis." (EX CL/495 (XIV) Add6) was rejected and deleted from the Agenda for the AU Summit. Without doubt, this came to the junta as a shocking defeat. We salute the courage and vision of the New Age of the AU.
As stated in the SCNC Press Release of August 16, 2006, Yaounde in dancing lame before the main dance, is using its so called "victory" over Nigeria on the Bakassi conflict to divert both national and international attention from the real problem on the ground, namely, her annexation and colonial occupation of British Southern Cameroons. The Bakassi conflict created and magnified by Yaounde was a mere diversion to garner support against its so-called external enemy, namely, Nigeria.
But what is self-evident is that Southern Cameroons is a historical and legal reality within the international system. The second reality is that as per the Anglo-French boundary treaty of January 1931, French Cameroun has no maritime boundary with Nigeria. This explains why Yaounde itself in its Memoriam submitted to the ICJ admitted that Bakassi is Southern Cameroons territory. These are facts of history, territorial integrity of Southern Cameroons and international law (treaty) governing modern nation states of Africa which cannot be blotted out even by an earthquake.
It is of primary interest and curious to try to understand why la Republique du Cameroun proposed this agenda item and what it stood to gain by having it adopted.
Firstly, for self aggrandizement and international image making, President Paul Biya would have proclaimed himself a hero and messenger of peace in Africa. This would have qualified him to campaign for the Nobel Peace Award.
Secondly, had Bakassi been put on the AU agenda and admitted as a model of peaceful resolution of conflict, most especially with a resolution adopted, it would have become a political instrument in the hand of the annexationist to brandish even for the blind to see. We should note that the CRTV Choir Boys (journalists) in glorifying the Emperor, frequently project President Obama's victory side by side with the Greentree Accord and Yaounde's take over of Bakassi. Any reasonable mind will ask, what is the relationship? Dictators live on self-glorification, deceit of the masses and make-belief.
Thirdly, the African Union Summit would have been putting the cart before the horse. Indeed its deliberation would have been prejudicial for implicit in the Southern Cameroons versus la Republique du Cameroun matter before the ACHPR is the fact that the latter has no maritime boundary with Nigeria and that Southern Cameroons was never, is not and never will be an integral part of French Cameroun or le français Camerounais.
Fourthly, it would have amounted to a tacit recognition by the AU of an existing maritime boundary between la Republique du Cameroun and Nigeria whereas none such exists thanks to the Mandate Agreement, Anglo-French boundary treaty, and the Trusteeship Agreement. It is instructive we note that French Cameroun that became independent on January 1, 1960 inherited colonial boundaries as defined in these international legal instruments.
Under international obligations boundaries inherited on attainment of independence in conformity with the principle of international jurisprudence of uti possedetis juris and the critical date forever remain immutable and inviolable.
How Yaounde was going to equity claiming to be an angel of life and defending the sanctity of human life with its hands dripping with human blood and its underground cellars filled with skulls of innocent Southern Cameroonians and even Nigerians at Bakassi is evidence of insanity of imperialism.
But it had its Waterloo for Africa has come of age. For enduring peace that will guarantee the promotion of democracy in Africa to reign, such peace must be founded on the firm foundation of justice for all and uncompromising respect and defends of truth and legality.
As Southern Cameroonians unanimously salute the courage and vision of the New African Union in not allowing itself to be led astray to violate its own Charter and Constitutive Act.
We solemnly call on;
1. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) to honour its pledge and taking judicious cognizance of Yaounde's diabolic frantic efforts to manipulate and violate the African Charter and gain undue advantage, to make its final ruling on Communication 266/2003 public without further delay. It is becoming self evident that the long delay is giving room to expansionist la Republique du Cameroun to embark on these desperate dangerous moves.
2. The African Union Summit to act expeditiously and in conformity with AU Charter and the Constitutive Act and for the sake of peace, stability and democracy in Africa admit Southern Cameroons into the AU just like Western Sahara when it was declared a non-integral part of Morocco but a distinct territory entitled to self determination and independence under international law.
3. The AU as a regional body to learn from the European Union and its commitment to ending all forms of colonialism and foreign domination and conscious of the fact that neo-apartheid, (i.e. black colonialism) is worse than white colonialism, take immediate steps and sponsor the admission of the Federal Republic of Southern Cameroons whose independence was voted for by the 4th Committee of the UNGA on April 19, 1961 into membership of the Comity of sovereign nations of the UN.
4. The UN and its relevant organs to be mindful of the fact that its 2nd Decade for the Eradication of all forms of Colonialism 2001 – 2010 is soon ending it should thus take necessary disposition and apply preventive diplomacy and end the annexation and colonial occupation of Southern Cameroons and Western Sahara by la Republique du Cameroun and Morocco respectively. To prevent further wars, mass suffering and human degradation in Africa, the UN and international system should stop listening to expansionist powers that hide behind the cloak of respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity while oppressing annexed and occupied nations and peoples.
5. All Southern Cameroonians, at home and abroad, and friends of Southern Cameroons to, while rejoicing, praise God for leading us through this battle and to vigorously mobilise and rededicate themselves anew for greater battles and final victory. We must not be part of Emperor Paul Biya's 2011 agenda.
Done, in Bamenda, this 2nd Day of February 2009
NFOR N. NFOR National Vice Chairman, and Chair, Foreign Affairs Commission, (SCNC)
Cc: - H.E. Ban Ki Moon – UNSG New York - H.E. President Barack Obama, Washington - H.E. Rt. Hon Gorden Brown, London - H.E. Umaru Mussa Yar'Adua, Abuja - H.E. Kgalema Motlanthe, President of South Africa - H.E. John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana - H.E. Colonel M. Gaddafi, Chairman of AU - AU Commission Chairman - All Member Nations of the UN - All Member Nations of the AU - H.E. Kamalesh Sharma, S.G. Commonwealth, London - President of the European Union - President of the ICJ, The Hague - H.E. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa - S.G. of ACHPR, Banjul, the Gambia - High Commissioner of UN Human Rights Council, Geneva - Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa - Marino Budaschin, G.S. UNPO, The Hague - Special Rapp. on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Execution, UNHRC - Special Rapp. on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, UNHRC - Special Rapp. on Torture, UNHRC - Human Rights Organisations – national & international - The Press – national & international - Archives
