Cameroon: Separate Govt, Separatist Bans Frustrate Life, Business

Bamenda now has a double identity standard. Streets void of people who seem to be loyal to the calls for ghost towns by Ambazonian Separatist Leaders and administrative ban on night life.

A Bamenda man has in the past twelve months learnt many things among which is the word curfew. Since the 10th of February 2018, people have been completely restricted from night movements in the Northwest Region. In the month of August, the time of the restriction was added. It was a taboo for a human to be out between 6pm to 6am.

NW Governor's release extending curfew

This was the most traumatized period until November 24th when the time was modified for the restriction to start at 9pm.
In all of these alternations, the effects are enormous to the common population.

Doh Christel is the Deputy Manager of one of the most popular Snack Bars in Bamenda known as Dreamland found in Bamenda III subdivisin. In an interview with this reporter, she explains that:

 "The curfew has almost rendered me

Doh Christel Deputy manager Dreamland Snack. 

jobless. People use to effectively come here as from 11pm and only go back at 5am but it is a different story now. Even when the curfew is announced for 9pm, it takes effect just immediately. How do you expect someone to cope with such? The governor said 9 but before 8pm the police are chasing people out of my place, so people are even scared and afraid. See how emty my place is. Our salaries since May 2018 was reduced by 15%. Some workers paid off. It's a sad situation."

In the past, buses used to live town at 10pm for night journeys but this time, they kick off as early as 5pm at least and 7pm at most.

Abimnui Franca (Trader) 

Abimnui Franca is a trader "Buyam Seller" who frequently travels to Bamenda.  She makes her living by buying vegetable in Bamenda and distributing in Yaoundé, as she narrates, "my main town is Yaounde and I usually travel to Bamenda through night journeys but now, traveling to Bamenda by  night is difficult because at  the checkpoint at Santa, we are always stopped to wait for about 2hours or more until it is 6o'clock before we enter. It makes it difficult for me since i usually buy my market items as early as 6am fresh from the farms. Same night I'm off back to Yaounde"

To make a bad situation worst,  an administrator in Ndop restricts inhabitants with a prefectoral order

Release from SDO Ngoketunjia

from farming in some major areas in his area of command. This decision will go a long way to starve citizens who may only have farms at the restricted areas.

Talking to a senior administrator of the region who wished to remain anonymous and inline with what the governor of the region will always say,  all these efforts are to protect citizens and their properties.

No one knows when all these will end but it is the wish of many to get back to a normal life less of restrictions.

Ambe Macmillian Awa.
PJ Advocate.

Unemployment, Bedrock of Social Violence in Cameroon.

Major cities in the Northwest, Southwest and the Far North regions of Cameroon are gradually becoming empty of youth as a result of the rising insecurity in these areas.

No one knows their whereabouts, but many think they have joined the trending forces popularly referred to as Boko Haram and the "Amba Boys".

Finance Junction (main entrance into Bamenda) 

 However, that seem not to be the major preoccupation in this writers mind. It becomes baffling how youths will mortgage their futures by joining such groups where the line between life and death is very thin. However, a greater reflection pushes this writer to assert unemployment is a greater factor that pushes most of these youths to join the armed groups.

Regular bans on commercial motorbikes in major cities of the North West and South West regions as means to counter armed groups in these regions have left many young people who depend on the activity gnashing their teeth. The bans are still in full force in localities like Widikum, Bafut and Batibo, thus the lure to join armed groups in hope for a better future becomes tempting.

I talked to this gentleman who at the time of one of these administrative bans of bikes in Bafut, was the President of the bike riders in his neighbourhood but has since relocated to Bamenda.

Former president of a bike union in Bafut

"I waited for 5months thinking that the ban will be lifted,  but because of hardship, I had to transport my bike to town. I'm the successor to my father. For this reason, I stayed in our family compound and took care of the 3 wives and 18 brothers and sisters my father left behind. Since I moved to town it has not been easy. Numerous ghost towns, curfew, house rents and the difficulties to send food or money to the village is a serious challenge."

Consider students who have spent over 15 years in school, obtaining one certificate to the other, but no jobs for them. Nothing else looms in their minds but frustration. Thousands of unemployed youths are stocked with many certificates but nowhere to go.

Ndonwi Derick Shu, Former SDF National Socialist Youths Coordinator is a Masters degree holder in Business and Management. Unemployment is the main reason he decided to gainfully employ himself and 47 others by cultivating ginger on this piece of land in Bafut.

Ndonwi Derick Shu (Farmer)

"All efforts of business are closed, farming activities are impossible with crops from the previous season already rotten in the farms since it's impossible to harvest. Consequently, processing of such crops too has been suspended thereby affecting the complete chain from the funders (MFI) who provide micro loans to us (farmers), to the farmers who supply the raw materials."

Inhabitants have been hurt in one way or the other. People have lost their lives, property, houses reduced to ashes, businesses paralyzed and many people internally displaced.

In anonymity, a local administrator on phone spoke to this reporter, "You know it all Ambe. That is exactly the reason. More than 30 bikes were burnt in Bafut and as if that was not enough, the Governor placed a permanent ban on the movement of bikes in Bafut. As such, almost all the young men who were engaged in this activity for a living, had no option than to enter the bush."

Accepted, the iron can be bent if it is still hot, but how will it be bent now when he to do so is afraid of the heat? A thousand dollars question.

Ambe Macmillian A.
PJ Advocate.

GOLDAS 2019 Confederacy Championship launched in the NW Region of Cameroon

GOLDAS uses soccer to promote peace and unity in the world.

Cross section of teams

Amidst rising tensions in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, Golden Age Soccer (GOLDAS) brings together over 500 youths and spectators  to foster peace through soccer. Mainly sponsored by CAL - RT, GOLDAS believes that the world can use soccer to ignite human consciousness that would ensure good governance, unity in diversity, peace and development.

Speaking at the launching of the first GOLDAS confederacy Championship launch, Dr Ngiejung nabil founder, reiterated that GOLDAS is the brainchild of Peace Ushers Foundation. "we hold strong that soccer has an irresistible gravitational power that affects people emotionally and psychologically. From this perspective,  we believe that if values are incarnated in this industry of talent and rationally used to uphold human values, we can use this industry to reconcile the world, integrate the world and pacify the world".

At the launching ceremony which took place this Saturday 16th February at the mile 3 field in Nkwen Bamenda, it was announced that a total of 8teams devided into different zones will take part in this maiden edition of the championship. 10million is the net amount for the entire competition for 2019 in the Northwest Region. 4million for the first position, 2million for the second and 1million for the third. The rest of the money shall be for individual trophies.

Trophies presented to the public. 

GOLDAS divides her management body into departments. One of them is the departments in charge of Education, according to the deputy vice president of this department, Gariba Abdulahi,

Gariba Abdulahi VP in charge of education  

 "The concept of GOLDAS is a new concept that people need to be aware of. We are looking at football from a different perspective. For instance, in traditional soccer, we refer to those playing as players but here,  we call them valiants. Cards are called tools because they are tools for discipline and peace. This is why there are counselors to talk to the valiant when the tool is used. In this 10million championship, we should be expecting something great because GOLDAS has a vision for Cameroon in particular and the world in general".

Elaborating on communication strategies to market this initiative. Mengnjo Idelle Limnyuy is the communication officer in the VP's office. "We are working closely with the media (radios, TVs and newspapers) in Cameroon. We even have partnerships with some radios eg (A moment with GOLDAS over Ndefcam Radio every Saturdays). We also acknowledge the strength of the social media, reason why we are using it. Above all,  our members in the different departments do a one on one sensitisation from time to time."

Mengnjo Odell Comm officer VP's office 

GOLDAS has introduced a jersey of letters not numbers and a spherical pitch for the players. It is expected that the various teams to participate in the first championship will register in due course to enable the competition commence in appropriate time.


Mangek Promise

The statesman blog gets new manager

Mangek Promise Ngum has been named the new manager of The Statesman blog. The information was made public after he stroke a deal with the chief executive officer (CEO) Ambe Macmillian Awa.

Mangek Promise Manager The Statesman 

The new manager has a degree in English language from the University of Bamenda and a diploma in performing and visual arts from the same institution. He has a strong passion in journalism. He is a member of the Cameroon community Media Network (CCMN) Northwest and West. The 25years old manager works with Rush FM radio Bamenda. He has as task to keep the flames of the blog burning and enhance peace through peace-oriented articles.

The statesman blog is a non profitable media outlet created on June 17th 2018 with mission to work for the country. It has as description  "True statesmanship, a character for everyone who loves and works for country. We stand for anything that represents true statesmanship".

Takeover greetings CEO and Manager 

  Mangek Promise takes over from Ambe Macmillian the CEO of the blog, journalist at WAKA Africa television. He doubles as the president of Cameroon English speaking journalists Association (CAMASEJ)NW Chapter and Secretary General of the Cameroon Journalists Trade Union (SNJC/CJTU)NW. He remains the CEO and Editor-in-chief of the statesman blog.

 Mangek Promise takes over office poised for proper action in due course.

Sama Christel.

Jean Nkuete accuses opposition parties for instigating and abandoning the NW to safer regions for campaign. .

"The people of Northwest deserve peace like Cameroonians in other regions." Jean Nkuete.

NW Governor, SG Jean Nkuete and Yang Philemon 

In a campaign speech presented to militants of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) last Tuesday 02/10/18 at the Bamenda Congress Hall, the Secretary General (SG) of the CPDM Central committee Jean Kuete, lashed out at opposition parties for instigating the present Anglophone crisis that at last has made them unable to carry out campaigns in the troubled regions. "Apart from the CPDM,  the other parties are only seen on television campaigning in peaceful regions " he mused.

For the past twelve days the 9 candidates for the 2018 presidential elections have been conducting campaigns across the country.  With a few days to the electoral polling (07/10/18) only the CPDM has been seen campaigning in the troubled NW region.

Mr. Nkuete emphasized "Cameroonians are rightfully entitled to peace", making it apparent who is responsible for the current stalemate in the country.

The CPDM is the party in power and true enough should guarantee peace in the entire nation like the SG made it clear. His reckon for peace is shared nationally.

NW CPDM members, supporters and sympathisers. 

For the past two years now peace has been on the lips of every Cameroonian. The churches, opposition parties, civil society  and even the party in power talks about peace.

What is this prestigious jewel that a nation and her people can not afford? Who is not doing what for us to achieve it? How did we get here?

Johan Galtung,  the father of peace in his distinction, defines the situation that got us here as the result of Negative Peace being "absence of violence in all forms and the unfolding of conflict in a constructive way". It was easier and better for the party in power to have managed the situation at the level stated above.

However, the importance of peace to a nation can not be over emphasized. This is the reason why all Cameroonians must get onboard to network towards its realization. Peace will exist when we interact nonviolently with respect for the legitimate needs and interests of all concerned.

Several elements account for peace,  but the most important thing is one's inward state of mind. Inner peace eventually leads to external peace. The agitations of the mind, caused by various factors,  produce repressions in the external atmosphere that lead to social conflicts.

Peace remains a well managed social conflict. Dr King,  reminds us that peace is not only the absence of tension,  but the presence of justice.

If both camps should cease fire,  then the red carpet for peace and negotiations would then in effect be rolled.


Ambe Macmillian Awa

Peace Journalist, a Community Media role model to a better society.

Community Media (CM) are any form of media that function in service of or by a community. A community in this sense can refer to a geographical area, a cultural identity or another concept linking people together. Community media represent a separate entity and are fundamentally different from public media.

Participants at workshop

The CM can take all the forms of other conventional media, such as print, radio, television, blog, Web-based and mixed media.
Community radios are particularly widespread around the world with radio stations being funded to inform their listeners on issues important to the community.

 Their services are very important in giving communities a platform to express their concerns for local issues, engage in social democratic debates and deliver a reliable access to information. This explains why the people identify more with it.

Majority of the Cameroonian population is yet to embrace the social media. Having in mind that the social media propagates mostly unverified information, the importance of the community media can not be over emphasized.

CM better known as grassroots media is focused more specifically on media making by and for the local community that it serves. It makes the discussion more narrow and precise to the understanding of the common man. It is essentially a subset focusing on small scale media projects which aim to bring different visions and perspectives to the "codes" that are so easily embedded in the social psyche.

Group picture participants NW/West.

The above explains why the Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN), an initiative of the Communication Department of the P.C.C, brought together some 50 practitioners from the communities of the NW and West regions of Cameroon. The media men and women were schooled on Peace Journalism, social media, crisis, refugees, IDPs and Elections reporting.

The peace journalism Professor and Director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism and Crisis Reporting (Steven Youngblood), expanded on the technics and language journalist could/should use in their reports on their mediums to report during crisis and elections.

The expectations of this Bafoussam workshop which lasted for 3 days  are that, media persons put to adequate use the principles of peace journalism (good journalism) to adequately inform their masses so that they make informed choices.

                                           Ambe Macmillian A.

Sexual Violence, Sympathizers more of perpetrators.

Rape is a form of sexual assault, but not all sexual assaults is rape. The term rape is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent.

Sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:
- Attempted rape
- Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
- Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
- Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape.

Sexual assault/rape can take many different forms, but one thing remains the same: it’s never the victim’s fault.

Most often we hear of sexual violence,  the term "sexual violence" is an all-encompassing, non-legal term that refers to crimes like sexual assault, rape and sexual abuse. A person raped like the case reported in Bamenda recently suffers the following
√. Blitz assault: this is  when a perpetrator quickly and brutally assaults the victim with no prior contact, usually at night or in a quiet place.
√. Psychological abuse (also referred to as psychological violence, emotional abuse, or mental abuse) is a form of abuse, characterized by a person subjecting, or exposing, another person to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

The above explains why we should protect the image of victims and rather expose perpetrators of such acts. Please desist from sharing the videos/images of the abused. Let us respect their dignity.

What to do when faced with a person who has been abused.
√. After a sexual assault,  you should help the person seek medical attention as fast as possible. This will help in checking and treating any possible injuries, STIs and pregnancy.

√. Report to Law Enforcement officers. Note that to fight it, we must speak out. But the manner or medium of speaking out matters.

√. Self-Care after trauma.
Whether it happened recently or years ago, self-care can help the abused cope with the short and long-term effects of a trauma like sexual assault.


We should join our voices to denounce all perpetrators of sexual violence.

                                       Ambe Macmillian A.

What a francophone whispered to us (Journalist) at the Bafoussam police station.

Across the globe, journalism has become very dangerous and it is time for us to use our audiences and platforms to get the world to listen and change the already bad situation.

Journalist sitting on tarmac at the police station

Nine English speaking journalists had their rights violated by the forces of law and order in Bafoussam West region of Cameroon over the weekend 12/07/18.

When faced by the security officers at about 11pm that fateful day, we presented our identification papers and our mission in the region, but we were given deaf ears.

We experienced gross human rights violations during our detention at the Bafoussam police station post 1 beside (palais de justice) central town. We were forced to sit outside in the cold on tarmac all through the night. A majority of us had just T shirts on.

As we sad in the cold wondering why we were arrested, it only donned on us that the language (English) we were  speaking could be the only call for concern in the snack we were at to have dinner and a few drinks.

To buttress this point, I remember a francophone cautioned us to stop speaking English at the police station. He insisted that the language was going to put us into more trouble.

With this in mind, one begins to wonder what crime it is to speak one of the two official languages of Cameroon in any part of the country. And if this could happen to journalists, what more of other citizens of English expression living in French speaking parts of the country?

Journalists are continuously facing challenges in the exercise of their duties and profession in Cameroon. In spite all these, some journalists still exercise professionalism in the face of such intimidation and undue torture.

According to World News Publishing Focus, they advice journalists to commit  to:

#Speaking out on the importance of the protection of our profession
#Tell the stories of the violence experienced by our colleagues across the globe
#Point out how attacks against journalists affect society at large in our coverage.
#Sighlight  governments’ obligation to ensure journalists are able to work freely and without fear of repercussion,
and continue to do so when the institutions fail to prosecute the perpetrators of the violence against our colleagues.
#Cover the causal links between violence against journalists and the impunity behind the great majority of the attacks.
#Hold governments and institutions accountable, when they fail to prosecute the perpetrators of the violence against our colleagues.
                                         
                                           Ambe Macmillian A.

*Anglophone crisis! Persons with disabilities caught in between Bullets, Hunger and Neglect.*

People with disabilities are facing added risks of abandonment, neglect, displacement, loss of property, death and unequal access to food, health care, and other assistance or reconstruction in the current conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

Cross section of persons with disabilities in the region. 

Governments Emergency Humanitarian Assistance  Plan and  aid from other bodies are overwhelmed with many competing priorities during this crisis. But they need to ensure that the rights and concerns of people with disabilities are addressed in aid efforts. One aspect of which is to endorse the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which includes guidelines for inclusive humanitarian response.

While many people affected by the current impasse need assistance, those with disabilities need twice as much given their exposure risks. Physical, communication and other barriers complicate the challenges created by both the Military and the Separatists.

Challenges facing thousands of persons with disabilities in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon continue to go unnoticed. It should also be noted, that coupled with this, women and girls with disabilities face extra risk of sexual violence.

In a one on one interview with THE STATESMAN, the General Coordinator of the Coordinating Unit of Persons with Disabilities in the Northwest, Mr Nyingcho Samuel presents to us the reality of the challenges and threats faced by Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) during this crisis.

The General Coordinator of the Coordinating
Unit of persons with disabilities (CUAPWD)
in the Northwest, Mr Nyingcho Samuel.

"There's ignorance on the part of the Cameroon government on our issues. Our social system is broken with the disappearance of our Regional Delegate of Social Affairs some five months ago. We now are in lack of social facilities to accommodate us. We are the most affected and no one seems to notice us. If care is not taken for the population of persons with disabilities, the number of  those affected would increase.

"When people run to refugee camps without PWDs,  you can only imagine what has happened to them.
We as persons with disabilities have launched a campaign to go find dialogue.  Everybody is talking about dialogue, but no one seems to know where dialogue is."

When you listen to him carefully you will accept with me that, particularly for those with newly acquired disabilities, living in conflict means struggling to obtain not only necessary medical treatment, but also access to food and sanitation.

Even if they are able to escape the fighting, PWDs face barriers, stigma, and discrimination once they reach refugee and internally displaced persons camps.

The World Health Organization estimates that about 15.3 percent of the population in any given area are living with some form of disability.

Head office of PWDs in the Northwest 

In government’s Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan to victims of the armed conflict in the North West and South West region, launched in June, the document ignored specific measures for people living with disabilities.

I suggest that  it's imperative for Cameroon Government, civil society and humanitarian organizations to focus on an inclusive relief plan.

                                           Ambe Macmillian A.

For instituting violence, the untold fallouts of the Anglophone crisis.

Violence as defined by the World Health Organisation is "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation"

Violence in many forms is preventable. There is a strong relationship between levels of violence and modifiable factors such as concentrated poverty, income and gender inequality, the harmful use of alcohol and the absence of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships among people(s).

Risk Factors for the Perpetration of violence include,
history of violent victimization,
attention deficits, hyperactivity or learning disorders,
history of early aggressive behavior,
involvement with drugs, alcohol or tobacco,
low IQ,
poor behavioral control as well as
deficits in social cognitive or information-processing abilities.

A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, torture or rape as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end.

Quoting the Cameroon Government's Emergency Humanitarian Assistance document, the following are sited as violence observed during the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
-Violation of the right to education.
-Disruption of economic activities
-Attacks against members of the defence and security  forces
-Attacks against administrative and traditional authorities
-Conscription of children into militia groups
-Incitement to violence through social media
-Numerous terrorist abuses against the population.

On the other hand, the population continues to report untold abuses perpetrated by the Cameroon military which to them has caused the death of many citizens and the rising number of internally displaced persons and refugees.

Violence must be discouraged because it constitutes a violation of human rights and includes physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, financial and material abuse, abandonment, neglect and serious loss of dignity and respect.

Nine things we should do to Stop Violence are:
√Settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons. Don't stand around and form an audience.
√Learn safe routes for walking in the neighborhood and know good places to seek help.
√Trust your feelings and if there's a sense of danger, get away fast.
√Report any crimes or suspicious actions to the police and authorities. Be willing to testify if needed.
√If someone tries to abuse you, say no, get away, and tell a trusted adult.
√Don't use alcohol and other drugs and stay away from places and people associated with them.
√Stick with friends who are also against violence and drugs and stay away from known trouble spots.
√Get involved to make your quarter safer and better - having poster contests against violence, holding anti-drug rallies, counseling peers and settling disputes peacefully. If there's no program, help start one!
√Help younger  people to avoid being crime victims. Set a good example and volunteer to help with community efforts to stop violence.

                                          Ambe Macmillian A.

Achievements of Nonviolence civil disobedience. Anglophone crisis Cameroon.

WORSENING ANGLOPHONE CRISIS IMPOSING UNTOLD SUFFERING ON LOCALS OF BOTH REGIONS
Very few were those who believed that what started late 2016 as lawyers and teachers’ strike would degenerate to this extent putting the two Anglophone regions on their knees like never before.

Following the peaceful marches carried out by lawyers and teachers trade unions as well as the local population to request for better treatment of Anglophones in the management of public affairs, government took steps to address the issues raised but for the form of the state. It goes without saying that the peaceful nonviolence civil disobedience demonstrated on the 22 of September 2017 paid off.
Among the gains gotten from the peaceful actions are the creation of the National commission for the promotion of bilingualism and multiculturalism, the common law department at ENAM, the Common law bench at the supreme court (headed by an Anglophone-Chief justice Epuli Mathias), the recruitment of 1000 bilingual teachers for government technical colleges, the creation of a school of engineering at the university of Bamenda in Bambili, the appointment of Anglophones to some key government ministries which was never the case before and availing the English version of the OHADA law to the public. Meanwhile government is gradually making an effort to ensure the fair use of both national languages since then. The Head of state’s decrees are now signed both in English and French.

Unfortunately, government’s stance not to negotiate on the form of the state radicalized separatists into picking up arms and wreak havoc on a peaceful people who wanted nothing but an amelioration of their living conditions, better life, social inclusion and not secession.

Separatists imposed what they called “ghost towns” which still continue till date especially on Mondays in the greater part of Anglophone Cameroon. At least 40 schools alongside other public structures and personal property were razed by the separatists in a move they described as civil disobedience. For two years, schools have been hibernating. Parents have been forced to send their kids to neighbouring regions like the West and the Littoral. Some go even as far as Yaoundé depending on where they have relatives ready to host them.

The North West region most especially does not have industries nor companies that provide jobs. The region’s economy hinges mostly on schools business and petit trade. The proliferation of schools here speaks volumes. But since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis, most of the schools have shut down. Others who have braved the threats from separatists to continue business say their enrollments have dropped to near zero.  The CEO of Saint Louis University institute of health and biomedical sciences, Dr Nick Ngwanyam said in L’Action that “our enrollment has dropped to barely 35%. We think we all have a responsibility to help bring things back to normal. If we continue to stay home in the name of observing ghost towns, then we are the problem.” Most private schools are just a shadow of themselves now in terms of enrollment. At the National Polytech in Bambui, one barely sees a few students. Some of the hostels around the campus which used to be filled with students are all empty now. Some schools proprietors who have been unable to cope with the chaotic situation simply folded up. While their teachers have resorted to bike riding in other to make ends meet.
In areas like Boyo division which is the epicenter of gun battle between armed separatists and the regular army, teachers of schools there have fled to Bamenda with some enrolling into the Bamenda university for further studies.

Deposits in local banks and microfinance institutions is said to have dropped drastically as a result of ghost towns and curfews which prohibit locals from doing business fulltime like before.

According to Dr Nick Ngwanyam “the crisis has dragged for this long because as a people we are not doing things according to principles. We did not tackle the problem on time and it escalated with the use of force on both sides which of course we condemn. The right medicine to a problem has never been force.” He goes further to call on us all to respect life because every life is important. No one should take away the life of another person.

What ever be the case,  I hold firm to the fact that all demands can be achieved without violence.  Many countries in Africa  succeeded witout violence or taking up arms.  It is necessary for us to rather multiply our numbers on the streets to ask for the reforms we desire. It is not too late for us to address the situation.  Ceasefire on both sides and open up for dialogue will bail us out.  The time is Now!
#PeaceIsPossible.

                                        Ambe Macmillian A.

One more step to the wrong direction, we will all be refugees. Do something Now!

Growing up in my Fatherland (Cameroon), the stories about refugees use to sound like something very far from reach.  Today, we are not only hosting refugees, but we also have brothers and sisters registered as refugees across the world.

 

The UNHCR’s records indicate that 20,000 Cameroonians and counting, have fled the country’s North West and South West Regions due to what has become known as the Anglophone crisis. Other figures put it at 43,000 since a good number of them are not registered.

Anglophone Cameroonians began fleeing violence in October 2017 and continue to pour into Nigeria’s Cross River, Taraba, Benue and Akwa-Ibom States.

In total, over 20,000 refugees have been registered in the area. Women and children account for four-fifths of the population.

More than 8,000 refugees have been registered in the southeastern State of Cross River alone, said Antonio Jose Canhandula, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) representative in Nigeria, at a briefing in Abuja.

Aikaterini Kitidi, UNHCR spokesperson, said during a press briefing on 20 March 2018 at Palais Des Nations in Geneva, and I quote, "Most asylum seekers say they are having to drink water from streams, ponds and other unsafe sources, because of inadequate or dysfunctional drinking water facilities.

Essential relief items, such as clothing, blankets and plastic sheeting, are available to fewer than 25 per cent of them.
Only five in every 100 Cameroonians have proper or independent shelter. The rest have little or no privacy, squatting in rooms hosting on average 10 to 15 people. Protection from the cold is lacking, increasing health concerns due to the imminent start of the rainy season."

Going by Cameroon's Minister of Communication, the State of Cameroon is yet to give any assistance to the refugees. So far, we have had some political parties (SDF and CPP) and civil society organizations (Mothers of the Nation,   Stand Up For Cameroon and Ayah foundation) canvassing for support for these refugees and other internally displaced persons.

This increasing number of refugees in the world is as a result of persons who are forced to leave their countries in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

In 2017, Cameroon hosted a total population of refugees and asylum seekers of approximately 97,400. Of these, 49,300 were from the Central African Republic (many driven west by war), 41,600 from Chad, and 2,900 from Nigeria. Kidnappings of Cameroonian citizens by Central African bandits have increased since 2005.

Between 2004 and 2013, 92,000 refugees from the Central African Republic fled to Cameroon "to escape rebel groups and bandits in the north of their country."

In 2014, Cameroon had an estimated 44,000 refugees from Nigeria. Internal Cameroonian refugees also began to leave areas bordering Nigeria to escape Boko Haram violence, especially following the December 2014 clashes.

As we commemorate this day (20 June),  ask yourself what you have/can contribute to better their situation.

                                          Ambe Macmillian A.

The role of reporters in mitigating and transforming conflicts.

Conflict is not Negative (The way we handle it can either be positive or negative)

Journalists of the Northwest and West regions of Cameroon under the umbrella of Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN) in partnership with the PCC Peace Office have undergone a 4 day training on "Conflict sensitive reporting" at the Church Center in Bamenda.

The over 50 men and women of the press were and are being drilled on how to report during conflict  periods. The facilitator, Wolfram Metzig-Eisner coordinator of the PCC Peace Office and Ntui Oben, drilled the journalists on
√ Conflict and Violence
√ Conflict Analysis
√ Peace and reporting in times of conflict.
√ Hate speech
√ Communication and mediation.

At the end of this workshop,  journalists are expected to better understand the things to consider when covering conflicts which include
1.  Understanding of a conflict before reporting
2. Understand its underlying causes
3. Understanding the full effects on the people.
4. Consider where you get your "facts".
5. Consider whether your stories are contributing to escalate the conflict.
6. Question self on how to report so as to de-escalate a conflict.

With the above in mind, we will accept the fact that media reports/coverages often contribute in escalating  conflicts.  Sometimes this is desirable, constructive escalation is sometimes the best way for lower-power groups to gain power to effectively advocate for themselves.  But it's proven that often,  escalation gets out of control, and leads to increasing polarization, violence and cost to all the sides.
With such trainings,  journalists are empowered on ways to use their reports to de-escalate conflicts and make them more constructive.

If editors and reporters make choices of what stories to report and how to report them,  that will create opportunities for the society at large to consider and value non-violence responses to conflict.

The first part of this training was from the 11 to the 14 of June. The last part which started on the 18 will be rounding up on the 21st of June 2018.

If the practice of this profession should be Peace/conflict oriented,  then we must use the insights of conflict analysis and transformation to update the concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting.  Provide a new road map tracing the connections between journalists,  our sources, the stories we cover and take into account the consequences of journalistic intervention.  Build an awareness of non-violence into the practical job of everyday editing and reporting.
#PeaceIsPossible
#NoToViolence

                                           Ambe Macmillian A.