Our objective is two-fold:
1) To stop the armed conflict and genocide in our country. For this purpose we will work with all friendly countries and organizations that protect and promote human rights and through the United Nations to end the invasion.
2) To work for our right of self-determination. For 60 years the independence granted to the British Southern Cameroons by the UN General Assembly’s overwhelming vote of 64 votes FOR, 24 votes AGAINST WITH 10 ABSTENTIONS (UN GA Resolution 1608 XV) has remained suppressed. This General Assembly Resolution was adopted but has never been implemented.
ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO CAMEROONS
Minimum Conditions for a Nonviolent Solution
The proposal on dialogue and negotiation has been on the table for too long and has simply been ignored by President Biya. He has been advised over and over throughout his long rule to dialogue and negotiate with British Southern Cameroons and he has simply refused to do so. Proposals to President Paul Biya to dialogue with the Southern Cameroons have come from high-profile personalities and international organizations including:
- Salim Ahmed Salim Secretary General of the OAU (1989 – 2001)
- Mr. Kofi Anan Secretary General of the United Nations (1997 – 2006)
- The African Commission for Human and People’s Rights, Banjul
Mr Biya has remained adamant and determined to settle the political problem between the two Cameroons by the use of arms. The war between the two States is the outcome of the non- decolonization of British Southern Cameroons and the illegal transfer of the territory of British Southern Cameroons to the President of the Republic of Cameroons on terms that have remained completely unknown.
SCAPO believes that the declaration of war against British Southern Cameroons can be resolved peacefully. Minimum conditions:
THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
As a Member State of the UN and signatory to the AU Constitutive Act, Cameroon must (be required to) withdraw from the territory of the British Southern Cameroons to the East of the international boundary separating the British Southern Cameroons from the Republic of Cameroon (the Anglo-French boundary Treaty of 1931 between the British Cameroons and French Cameroon) and make public the Treaty of Union or any international instrument registered at the United Nations that confers on her jurisdiction over British Southern Cameroons or which adjusted her boundary after she attained independence in 1960.
THE UNITED NATIONS
1. Needs to uphold the principles and declarations in a) The UN Charter on the International Trusteeship Agreement, b) The Trusteeship Agreement of 13th December 1946 on the Territory of The Cameroons Under United Kingdom Administration and c) UNGA Resolution 1514 XV of 14th December 1960.
i) UN Decolonization effort was not intended to obliterate (or extinguish) self- governing trust territories as happened with the Trust Territory of the British Southern Cameroons.
ii) In the Charter, the Trusteeship Agreement and UNGA Resolution 1514 XV there is no conditional independence such as was imposed on the Trust Territory of the British Southern Cameroons with the obligation of “Independence by joining.”
2. Needs to implement UNGA Resolution 1608 XV of April 21 1961 which was formally adopted by a UN General Assembly vote of 64 FOR, 23 AGAINST and 10 ABSTENTIONS.
i) This means upholding the independence that was formally approved for the Trust Territory of the British Southern Cameroons to commence on October 1, 1961 by a General Assembly vote of 64 FOR, 23 AGAINST and 10 ABSTENTIONS.
ii) This means validating* the “NO” vote of the Republic of Cameroon in UNGA resolution 1608 XV against the independence of the British Southern Cameroons and against UN proposal for union of the British Southern Cameroons and Rep. of Cameroon.
3. Grant Southern Cameroons full membership of the United Nations:
a) in consideration and in upholding of the UN General Assembly vote of 64 FOR 23 AGAINST in Resolution 1608 XV granting independence to British Southern Cameroons effective from 1 October 1961;
b) in consideration and in validation* of Republic of Cameroon’s “No” vote on UNGA Resolution 1608 XV which explicitly declared her objection to UN proposal for BSC to join her;
c) in consideration and in nullification of the transfer of the territory and people of the British Southern Cameroons on the 27 of September 1961 to the Republic of Cameroon after the Republic of Cameroon’s negative vote on Resolution 1608 XV: a transfer which was not only a violation of Resolution 1514 XV but also a non observance of Article 2 (7) of the Charter since in effect the UN was asking the Rep. of Cameroon with a Unitary form of State to change and establish a federal system with the British Southern Cameroons.
*Validate (v) : Declare as valid and binding
REFERENDUM AS
1. The Peaceful Solution to the Armed Conflict between Southern Cameroons and Republic of Cameroun
2. Common ground for negotiation between Southern Cameroons and Republic of Cameroun
3. Subject of joint recommendation by Southern Cameroons and Republic of Cameroun to the United Nations
We will present the summary in the form of short questions and answers.
1. What is the Ambazonian conflict about?
It is about French Cameroon’s attempts to illegally annex and colonise the people of Ambazonia and the Ambazonian people’s struggle to freely determine their own fate. In other words, we can say that Ambazonians are resisting and fighting the government of Cameroon so that they can speak for themselves, determine their fate as a people and freely choose what kind of relationship they want to have with French Cameroon or any other country.
2. Can the conflict with Cameroon be resolved through dialogue?
No. The conflict is a legal conflict; it is an issue of justice; it is about self-determination, ending annexation, ending the colonization of Ambazonia by French Cameroon. It is not about give and take! Dialogue does not have the tools to deal with these kinds of conflicts which require adjudication based on material and legal evidence. Above all, the two parties have not yet agreed on the exact matters to be determined or resolved in any dialogue. Consequently, until both sides agree that the conflict is about self-determination, ending annexation or colonialism, they would not also agree in case of any dialogue. It is only a competent court that can declare that status.
3. How then can the conflict be resolved?
a) By reference to the ICJ either for adjudication or an advisory opinion on the status of Ambazonia. This would be an excellent solution because as long as there is no competent court to rule on French Cameroon’s illegalities, it will continue to make unsubstantiated claims, supported by those Western powers which have refused to refer to any UN principle, international instrument or any conflict resolution principle in this conflict. They have never referred to justice or any known principle of law in their interventions. Compare their behaviour in this conflict to their behaviour in the Ukrainian conflict and you will understand. Double standards and confusion!
b) By the two parties agreeing to refer the matter to a panel of international judges competent to hear and determine the matter. This is what is called arbitration.
c) By an internationally supervised referendum exclusively for the people of the Southern Cameroons to tell the world where they stand in this conflict. The solution of a referendum is the best, given that it is firmly rooted in international practice and will settle all factions, both within French Cameroon and Ambazonia.
4. If French Cameroon has no legal right over Ambazonia, why accept a referendum?
Because:
(1) It enables all the people of Ambazonia to freely express their wishes, thus determining their own fate;
(2) It resolves even the legal issues, given that the voice of the people is above all domestic and international laws.
(3) It is an honourable solution for French Cameroon since it also gives it an opportunity to prove that the people of Ambazonia, whom it claims to be fighting for, legitimize its rule.
(4) It allows non-independentist groups in Ambazonia to also freely express themselves. It must be said that independentists do not represent the entire population of Ambazonia. All Ambazonians have a right to freely express themselves.
(5) It is a solution that most or all international actors are most likely to support.
(6) It is a solution around which all Ambazonian groups can rally.
5. Will Republic of Cameroon lose territory and will its boundary change if Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) Separated?
No absolutely since British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon were separate League of Nations’ mandated territories and subsequently separate United Nations’ trust territories each with its own complete international boundaries. They each gained independence on separate dates: Rep. of Cameroon on 1 st January 1960 inheriting the territory of French Cameroon while British Cameroons was still a UN trust territory and was granted independence on 1 October 1961. The international boundary separating the two was established on January 9 1931. It is known as the Anglo – French Boundary Treaty between British Cameroon and French Cameroon.