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Britain was once in the same situation like the Southern Cameroons as a colony of the Roman Empire; that the United States was once a colony of Great Britain and had to use the argument of force to have her independence; that the Queen of England peddled our territory to France as a “small gift from the Queen” – when in fact the Southern Cameroons was a Trust Territory of the United Nations, and Britain’s task was to prepare her for full independence and not to trade her with France; that Britain could grant independence to small Gambia with less than 5% the resources, size and population of the Southern Cameroons …

By Chief Fuatabong Achaleke Taku and Martin Fon Yembe

Your Excellency, our interests have been greatly aroused by your recent declarations in The Post newspaper especially as concerns the Southern Cameroons. In your posturing, you categorically declare that “Britain recognises the Government of the Republic of Cameroon as the sole authority in Cameroon. That hasn’t changed since 1972…”

Of course, Excellency, we, Southern Cameroonians have always known the position of Britain ever since she began playing games with an entire people from 1960 till date. May we remind your Excellency that Southern Cameroonians have never disputed the authority of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon as the sole authority in their Cameroun? Of course, that should not even arise for we have not raised any counter to that.

Southern Cameroonians, your Excellency, are also very aware of the fact that a reckless imperial power like Britain has never and will never support genuine freedom and the rule of law–reason why war is being fought and re-fought in many parts of the world today. The genesis of these conflicts and war has its root in injustices suffered under the British Imperial power. Many examples abound.

Mr. Ambassador, Sir, you contemptuously declare that “The SCNC often attempt to involve the British High Commission, Her Majesty The Queen, the British Prime Minister, the President of the United States, and other international figures in their argument with what they call ‘La Republique du Cameroun’. For the record, Excellency neither the UN nor UK attended the Foumban Conference in 1961 to implement the Post Plebiscite UN Resolution 1608(XV) which should have resulted in a Union Treaty. Did the UK and the United States not vote on April 21, 1961 at 10 a.m. at the U.N. General Assembly for the Independence of Southern Cameroons and her joining of La Republique du Cameroun (even as the latter voted against the union!)? Is history not about the past?

Your so-called international community led by the US and Britain considered the pre-1994 Rwandan situation in similar arrogant or should we say ignorant, dismissive terms until all hell broke loose. The US apologised several years later and Tony Blair shamelessly and hypocritically is a “special adviser” to Kagame ( of Rwanda) today! We will not be surprised, if in the very near future, your Excellency becomes one of the “special advisers” to the President of the Southern Cameroons!

Did Great Britain and the United States not say the same thing of East Timor? Eritrea? Kosovo? South Ositia etc. Your so-called “International Community” is poised on granting independence to Southern Sudan because it will hurt their Khartoum enemy! What is it that the Southern Cameroons is doing abnormally? Is it our eternal and sickening “Force of Argument”?

The reckless posturing by your Excellency is not new. It has a history of its own.

However, what we must learn from your declarations when you say “… in their argument with what they call ‘La Republique du Cameroun’ is to review the so-called “force of argument ” option which we must conclude from your statements has failed.

We are being called upon to consider the other option insinuated by your Excellency since it is obvious from your statements that your Government cannot and will never support a peaceful legal approach to the conflict. And if that is how diplomacy works the British style, so be it.

One thing we can decipher from your declarations is that Great Britain remains the same yesterday, today and forever. But what your Excellency forgot to tell the world is that Britain was once in the same situation like the Southern Cameroons as a colony of the Roman Empire; that the United States was once a colony of Great Britain and had to use the argument of force to have her independence; that the Queen of England peddled our territory to France as a “small gift from the Queen” – when in fact the Southern Cameroons was a Trust Territory of the United Nations, and Britain’s task was to prepare her for full independence and not to trade her with France; that Britain could grant independence to small Gambia with less than 5% the resources, size and population of the Southern Cameroons …

Your Excellency, you and your country can take any position on our issue; you can even dare tell us what is legal and what is not, when you know deep down you that Britain and the so called “international community” is fully on the side of illegality as far as the Southern Cameroons’ case is concerned.

We know where we are coming from. We know where we are going to. Britain or no Britain, Southern Cameroonians will assert their rights and responsibilities.

Thanks Mr. Ambassador for refocusing us on the appropriate way of attaining freedom from annexation. Will we therefore be right Mr. Ambassador, in understanding you to mean that your government will never support a peaceful means of settling this conflict?

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