Cameroon’s Union under Threats, Anglophone Lawyers Give Ultimatum

Benjamin Ngah

The thousands of Anglophone lawyers under the banner of common law lawyers that converged here in Bamenda at the St Joseph Metropolitan Cathedral Mankon was extraordinary and could only be compared to the All Anglophone Conference AAC I that held some years back at St Mary, Buea, South West Region. The attendance was huge with a sea of close to two thousand Anglophone lawyers drawn in from all the crannies of the republic especially from the two Anglophones regions of the North West and South West. Like AAC I, II the cause was similar, to chart a better future that would ensure the existence and unity of the two Cameroons whereby none of the entities is under suppression and threat of extinction.

Meeting under the theme, “The Security and Future of the Common Law in Cameroon,” on Saturday, May 9^th 2015, the declaration of the lawyers were unambiguous and called for the restoration of a federal system of government in Cameroon.   According to some of them, the federal system of government is the only way through which the bicultural systems Cameroon inherited from its colonial masters could be ensured and the minority rights of the Anglophones Cameroonians guaranteed.  

Most of them who climbed the rostrum were unanimous in decrying what they described as a long, steady and systematic erosion of the Anglophone ways of doing things including the legal system. Most of them cited court proceedings, submissions and the appointment of francophone magistrate and other court officials to lord it over them. In most cases, they decried, these appointees have little or no knowledge of the English language talk less of the common law.

The demands of the learned men of the law were compiled in a two page document (resolutions) which basically questioned the legality of the union, called for reforms in the education and legal   system of the country to make sure the Anglophone system as inherited from the colonial masters is respected, that they should be a cultural and not regional balance and most of all that the country should go back to the federal system of government. They said, they cannot accept to suffer from a history of which most of them were not part of. They therefore gave the powers that be to six months to look into the issues and provide acceptable solutions else they will take adequate actions to force it the throat of the powers that be through local and international legal actions.

Reactions

Barrister Bobga Harmony Mbuton

(North West)

The constitutional foundation of this country must be revisited. The long stay of President Paul Biya in power is ample prove of a bad constitution. The union between La Republique and Southern Cameroon is a false union. It was not annexation that we are witnessing now. The restoration of the government of Southern Cameroon is a must; it not session but a mere restoration because we had existed before.

Barrister Etta Bessong Junior

(South West)

We came to reflect on what is happening with the law in Cameroon. I do not understand why we should think that others should cry more than those who are bereaved. The common law lawyers deals with people in the South West and North West who speak principally English. These people have not complained about the common law which they inherited by colonial domination. Why other should people cry and are trying to harmonize it. Why should somebody else who is not part of the dispensation of the area cry. These are vexing issues which has necessitated the calling of this conference. The echoes which will leave here should ring a bell in the minds of those who make laws in this country. They are many other issues or stake but I do not want to be political but the constitution of this country protects the minority. The Anglophones are a minority in this country. What is the state doing to protect the heritage of the Anglophones?