The Popular Action Party, PAP has urge the President of the Republic, Paul Biya to down military option and to re-initiate genuine dialogue to solve the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
In a letter addressed to the Head of State on January 3, 2021, the party’s National Communication Secretary, Njine Elvis Baneh said the government’s efforts aimed at ending the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions have been “largely misplaced” and “window dressing.”
Questioning government choices of military option over genuine concerns raised, the party official said “…why in four years of blood bath, maiming, raping, kidnappings for ransoms and other very degrading inhumane and unjust treatment of the people of West Cameroon, you have opted to maintain the military option to this crisis as the only way forward, in spite of advice from those very people you call friendly and partner countries on the need for a more genuine and inclusive dialogue on a neutral ground?”
Urging the president to retract from the previous path taken that has done no good to the country or the suffering masses, he challenged him to “give dialogue, genuine dialogue a second chance.”
“In case you may not know with whom to dialogue as some of your defenders claim sir, at least you have Sisiku Ayuk Tabe in your keeping. Use him sir, to get to those with whom you can dialogue.” Njine said.
According to party led by Njang Denis, Biya should save time and spare the carnage which may last several years but end on a round table.
Such dialogue, the party said must include a third party. “Meet friendly countries like the USA, Canada, use the UNO and for sure, they will be able to help you locate the persons with whom to dialogue.” he underscored.
Calls for release of Anglophone prisoners
The opposition party created by former Advocate General at Supreme Court, Justice Ayah Paul Abine, reiterated its previous calls for the release of persons arrested in line with the crisis since the onset in 2016.
“How many more young Cameroonians will have to be jailed arbitrarily or die innocently before we sit up for meaningful and consequential actions for change?” he lamented, before adding that “release the arrested persons, create room for another dialogue for the first did not yield results.”
Says appeasement measures taken window dressing.
In his letter, the PAP’s Communication Secretary advanced that government’s measure taken towards solving the crisis have been misplaced priorities and window dressing.
“The measures taken so far by your government have been largely misplaced in terms of priorities and objectivity as far as containing the crisis is concerned. That like many have described them, they have been more of conspicuous measures and window dressings that did or do not in anyway answer to the concerns and aspirations of the of the people.” he believed.
Going by him, the much acclaimed first ever regional councils and the putting in place of its pioneer bureau, will still not help bring the crisis to an end.
“We must not fool ourselves sir, elections, decentralization or the regional presidents are not the solution to the current crisis we are facing.”
The government has been brandishing the coming into force of the Regional Councils as the last block on reinforcing and fast-tracking decentralisation and development at the grass roots.
It is also said to set the ball rolling for the implementation of the Special Status resolution at the Major National Dialogue.
