27 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Global Campaign for Peace and Justice in Cameroon has asked the government of the African country to accept the offer of mediation made last week by the Canadian authorities with a view to a possible agreement with the Anglophone separatists to put an end to a conflict that has left more than 6,000 dead since 2017.
The current situation of the process is confusing, because the Canadian government presented itself as a mediator last Friday but days later the Cameroonian authorities rejected any involvement of Ottawa in the negotiations with the separatists.
In this scenario, the NGO calls on the Government of Cameroon “to renew its commitment to the Canadian process” given that “the murders, lawlessness, destruction and impunity that prevail in conflict zones have only generated more violence and insecurity.
“In this regard, the Cameroonian government’s solidarity with the Canadian process is vital,” the group added in a statement posted on its website.
The Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, has not exactly ruled on the refusal of the Cameroonian government but has assured that the opposing parties have already held three meetings in Ontario and Quebec. “The Cameroonian government approached us and we also invited a UN representative present during the mediation,” the minister said on Tuesday.
The English-speaking regions of Cameroon — Northwest and Southwest — have been rocked by conflict following the repression of separatist movements after Ambazonia’s self-proclamation of independence on October 1, 2017.
The previous year, this area -once part of the British colonies in Africa but which decided to join French Cameroon- was the scene of peaceful protests to demand greater autonomy or independence arguing discrimination by the central authorities, also in language issues.
Since then, armed groups have proliferated and support for the separatists, until then quite marginal, has grown. The Government has responded with a harsh repression, during which Human Rights organizations have accused the security forces of committing atrocities.
