DATE: 01/10/2005 Through the office of the To Subject: PETITION PRESENTED BY THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS NATIONAL COUNCIL (SCNC), BELGIUM TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 44TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS ON 1ST OCTOBER 2005 IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION BY THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHERN CAMEROONS FOR THE FORMATION OF AN AD HOC UNITED NATIONS’ TRIBUNAL FOR THE TRIAL OF MR. PAUL BIYA, PRESIDENT OF LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND IN THE MATTER OF THE UNITED NATION MEDIATING AND SETTING UP PARAMETERS FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN AND THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE PEACEFUL RESTORATION OF THE STATEHOOD OF THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS
Dear Sir, We, the People of Southern Cameroons and Sympathizers of the Southern Cameroons Cause, hereby petition the United Nations Organization (UNO) through the SCNC-Belgium unit for the effective grant of a United Nations remedy and declaratory relief. We, the Petitioners, invoke the jurisdiction of the United Nations and its organs by virtue of the provisions of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace, the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. We, the Petitioners, representing ourselves and on behalf of the people of the former United Nations Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons and presently the annexed/colonized South West and North West Provinces of La Republique du Cameroun, and who meet the definition of a 'people' under Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and under Article 1 of the General Assembly Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and People; do here call attention to the fact that the People of Southern Cameroons are a peace-loving people. They are a dynamic, hardworking and pragmatic people; who have this far, resorted to a peaceful approach (“The Force of Argument and not the Argument of Force”) in the struggle to resolve the issues of their subjugation and the subversion of their sovereignty. This approach has been in keeping with the UN Secretary General’s call for dialogue between La Republique du Cameroun and the people of the Southern Cameroons. As observed by Ebenezer Akwanger, one of those in the heart of this struggle, “the intransigence of the annexationist La Republique du Cameroun” is pushing the people of the Southern Cameroons to limits as may eventually result otherwise. The Southern Cameroons, a former United Nations Trust territory under the United Kingdom’s Administration, gained independence on 1st October 1961. On attaining her independence she also went into a UN sponsored federal union of two states of EQUAL STATUS with the former French Trust territory that had attained independence as “La Republique du Cameroun” on 1st January 1960. The union became known as the Federal Republic of Cameroon, comprising the Federated State of East Cameroon and the Federated State of West Cameroon. The Federation which was yet to meet all of the basic recommendations of the United Nations for the union, lasted only until May 1972 when President Ahmadou Ahidjo without recourse to constitutional norms, abolished the Federal union and replaced it with a unitary state called the United Republic of Cameroon. In 1984, Mr. Paul Biya, the hand-picked successor to Ahmadou Ahidjo restored to existence La Republique du Cameroun (Republic of Cameroon) without due consultation with the people of the Southern Cameroons. In restoring to existence “La Republique du Cameroun” Mr. Biya did not only violate the terms of the union between the erstwhile “La Republique du Cameroun” and the Southern Cameroons; he has since exercised in annexationist and hegemonic fashion, authority over the people of the Southern Cameroons whose territory has been carved into two provinces and appended to La Republique du Cameroun in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Southern Cameroons. Every effort has since been made to completely erase the Anglo-Saxon heritage of the people of the Southern Cameroons in the political, administrative, judicial, educational and socio-cultural spheres. The people of the Southern Cameroons in this arrangement are treated as a conquered people with more than 70% of the administrators and civil servants, and 80% of military and security personnel in their territory being persons of “La Republique du Cameroun” origin. The report of the Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodly, submitted pursuant to the UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1998/38 captures some of the human indignities suffered by the people of the Southern Cameroons under these circumstances. Faced with the provocative challenge to their inalienable rights, their freedom and their dignity, the people of the Southern Cameroonians have from AAC1 in Buea to AAC2 in Bamenda, and through the SCNC and other Southern Cameroons movements, resorted to a peaceful approach to the problem including the use of legal and negotiation forums without resorting to the use of arms in their struggle to restore their self identity, nationhood, sovereign independence and the practice of social justice. La Republique du Cameroun has responded to these peaceful approaches with fierce and brutal attacks characterized by arrests, incarcerations, torture and extra-judicial killings. La Republique du Cameroun even takes offense with the peaceful celebration of the anniversary when the UN declared the Southern Cameroons no longer a Trust Territory under British Administration as to make such celebration basis for the exercise of these human indignities. Mr. Kofi Annan, during a visit to Cameroon sometimes in 2001 as UN Secretary General, you prescribed dialogue between the government of La Republique du Cameroun and the leaders of the people of the Southern Cameroons. The Government of La Republique du Cameroun has to-date not been willing to dialogue. There has instead been an increase in the systematic marginalization and dehumanization of the people of the Southern Cameroons. Since the visit of the UN Secretary General to Cameroon and the call for dialogue, there has been a significant drop to only seven persons of Southern Cameroons’ origin in Mr Biya’s government even though the size of his cabinet has increased to about sixty. Ever since the UN sponsored union in 1961, no person of Southern Cameroons’ origin has ever headed the prestigious ministries of Territorial Administration, the Armed Forces, Education, Finance, Commercial and Industrial Development, Foreign Affairs, etc. Less than five (none of whom is in Abuja-Nigeria, Paris-France, Berlin-Germany, London-UK, Washington-USA, New York-UN, etc.) of the about seventy ambassadorial positions are occupied by persons of Southern Cameroons’ origin. Only one of the ten governors is of Southern Cameroons’ origin. The Southern Cameroons is blessed with abundant natural resources with oil as a major foreign exchange earner which La Republique du Cameroun colluding with the French Government have been exploiting at the expense of the people of the Southern Cameroons. This expense is suffered both in the use of the resulting earnings and the employment of the management officials. The budding economic infrastructure of the Southern Cameroons has since the UN sponsored union in 1961 been plundered or systematically been neglected. That La Republique du Cameroun pays attention to its linguistic heritage from the French at the expense of the Southern Cameroons linguistic heritage from the English is better illustrated by each website here presented entirely in French: Presidency of the
Republic http://www.prc.cm/ presidency Examples abound on how the lives of persons whose origin is the Southern Cameroons are treated as being of little or no value by the government of La Republique du Cameroun. In May 2004, Police Inspector, Stephen Ngu, of La Republique du Cameroun set ablaze an innocent Southern Cameroonian, Bernard Afuh Weriwo at the Mile Seven checkpoint in Ikiliwindi, Meme division on suspicion of having stolen a bicycle. The victim died of the resulting third degree burns and lack of proper medical attention (see photos here attached as exhibit 01). On the 27th of April this year, students of the University of Buea in the Southern Cameroons went on strike demanding better educational conditions just like their counterparts in the universities of Yaounde, Douala and Dschang in La Republique du Cameroun. The striking students in La Republique du Cameroun were humanely treated and given their demands while those in the University of Buea were given their demands only after having been brutalized and a number of students killed as a result of this brutality (see pictures as exhibit 02.We are also in keeping of videos that were taken by our special paparazzi agents during the strike action in Buea. We shall be forwarding copies of the video to you as soon as we can develop them). The government of La Republique du Cameroun has stepped up the number of persons of Southern Cameroons’ origin and their leaders detained or incarcerated under inhumane conditions without charge or on trumped-up charges. On Friday, 3 June 2005, Mr. Taku Sylvester, the coordinator of the Southern Zone, was arrested at the instructions of the Senior Divisional Officer of Meme. Fon Ibrahim Ndofoa Zofoa III of Babungo village in Ngoketunjia Division, on June 6, ordered the arrest and detention of four SCNC activists: Emmanuel Zofua Nsongwe, Nsofu Zofoa, Bah Dupe, Tanwah Zofoa and one Joseph, a painter. In Kumba, Southern Zone, on the 10th of July 2005, some 32 activists of the SCNC were arrested and victimized at the instruction of the Senior Divisional Officer of Meme. In Mbort, Nkambe, LGA, Donga Mantung County, a team led by Nfor Ngala Nfor, National Vice-Chairman and member of the Ten-Man Presidency of the UNPO, was on August 12, 2005 arrested and detained. The occupational forces so acting were led by La Republique du Cameroun’s proconsul for Nkambe, Mr. Kouam Woukam Paul. On Thursday August 18, 2005 Pastor King James, the SCNC Coordinator for Fundong Local Government Area (LGA), Boyo County, was arrested and detained under gross inhuman conditions. Crime: he is not only an SCNC activist but he wore his SCNC T-shirt to the market. Sunday 21st August 2005 the stationed crackdown forces carried out arrests in Bafut and Tuba LGAs of Mezam County. In Bafut, under the direct command of the colonial administrator for Bafut, ten men and two women, among whom were Michael Ntumngia (aged 60), Pa Paul Tumasang, aged over 65, George Muma, Cletus Fendo, Lucas Che, Muma, Joseph Ngwa, Mme Perpetua Sirri, Mme Scholastica Nchang, among others, were arrested and detained for wearing SCNC T-shirts and Mufflers. Still on Sunday 21st August 2005, the colonial administrator for Tubah also led gendarmes and police to invade private premises where the SCNC was holding democratic elections to renew the mandate of the Tubah LGA Executive. The team conducting the elections, made up of Mme Genevieve Ndagha, Mr. Simon Kumka, Mr Stephen Ndifon and Mr. Julius Ndi were arrested and charged for organizing an illegal meeting. They have now been sent to the notorious Awaiting Trial (AT) at the Bamenda Central Prison. The Secretary of the Local Government Area of the SCNC in Bamenda, Augustine Akuma Tangie, was on August 29 at around 5 pm arrested, tortured and detained by gendarmes of the Brigade Ter in Ntarinkon. His 4000 Francs (CFA), SCNC membership cards and anthem booklets were seized. He was released the next day without charge. On the 16th September 2005, the following SCNC activists were arrested by 10 armed Gendarmes on the instructions of the Sub-Divisional Officer, a certain Mr. A wa Michael, for the simple reason that they were in possession of SCNC membership cards. Mr. Elangwa David, 50 years old, Mr. Peter Achamba - 45 years, Mr. Motuba John - 40years and Mr. Bah Francis Chick - 30years, were all arrested in Konye in Meme County in the Southern Zone On 19th September 2005, the county Chairman for Menchum in the Northern Zone, Mr. Mughem Elias was arrested and detained incommunicado. Most recently as Southern Cameroonians prepare to celebrate 1st October 2005, gendarmes in Belo Subdivision, Boyo Division, working on the instruction of the Divisional Officer, Mr Chili Abdou, on Wednesday, September 21, arrested the Communication Officer of the SCNC, Ngiewih Asunkwain, alongside Japheth Wainkem, 85, Nelson Nteff, Tim Fongwe, Caroline Chi Neh, Julius Ndi, Gabriel Mutan and Simon Kumka. Most recently, reports reaching us from Lagos Nigeria talk of an assassination attempt by an agent of La Republique du Cameroun on the life of Southern Cameroons Youth League Leader, Ebenezer Akwanger. Our sources in Cameroon tell us of a plan underway to have SCNC leaders and activist secretly killed or imprisoned. Recognizing the urgent and imperative need to prevent the continued suffering of the people of Southern Cameroons, we state that the UN that brought these two nations together in 1961 in an illegal ‘marriage’ must be present to see a divorce. In fact, because the UN was part of the problem, the UN must be part of the solution. In this light, we, the Petitioners, request as follows: That the UN form an ad hoc Tribunal to try Mr. Paul Biya and the Government of La Republique du Cameroun for crimes against humanity that of course fall under international law; That the United Nation should put in place a working machinery for mediation and meaningful dialogue as advocated by the UN secretary General when he visited La Republique du Cameroun That the UN should mount pressure on the government of La Republique to stop arrests, threats, acts of brutality and elimination of Southern Cameroons’ activists; That the UN should also mount pressure on Mr. Paul Biya and the Government of La Republique du Cameroun to release all SCNC prisoners languishing in prison centres all over La Republique du Cameroun; That pressure be mounted on La Republique to Cameroun to recognize the rights of the Southern Cameroons to self determination; That given the recent admission of the SCNC to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), the United Nations should recognize the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) as a liberation movement with the rank and status accorded the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) at the UN. We end this petition by underscoring our unflinching support for the Southern Cameroons struggle in the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy ‘Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty’ (the liberty here of the people of the Southern Cameroons). We here request the UN to give this matter the serious attention it deserves and act without delay towards a speedy, comprehensive and final resolution of the Southern Cameroons Questions to avert the blood-bath La Republique du Cameroun has been cultivating with the indignities imposed on the people of the Southern Cameroons.
Done in Belgium on 1st October, 2005
Signed:
___________________________________ RENE MORFAW (President, SCNC- Belgium) Cc, -Amnesty International -European Union -Common Wealth of Nations -African Union -UNPO-Human Rights Watch -Press and Information centers
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