Ambazonia, Biya’s intolerance as well as mesh democracy

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A Biafra-like agitation for independence has been unfolding inward neighbouring Republic of Republic of Cameroon since Nov 2016. The people of Northern as well as Southern Cameroons nether the umbrella of the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF) finally decided to affirm the independence of the English-speaking sections of Republic of Cameroon from the Republic.

Like the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Ambazonians every bit they receive got called themselves since 1984, are protesting against their alleged marginalization past times the dominant Francophone Republic of Cameroon as well as the Paul Biya regime inward Yaounde.

They insist that whereas crude is establish inward the English-speaking South Western purpose of Cameroon, the fundamental regime has practically neglected the region, as well as the people receive got been turned into “slaves” on their ain soil. Like the Biafran motion inward Nigeria, they receive got their ain flag (white as well as blue) as well as a national anthem. The Cameroonian Anglophones claim that their struggle is non-violent as well as peaceful but they volition insist on their independence, as well as the announcement of their ain Republic. They farther debate that whereas French as well as English linguistic communication are the official languages of Cameroon, the fundamental regime has imposed French every bit the linguistic communication to live spoken inward Anglophone Cameroon. They insist on their correct to beak English.

After World War 1, the League of Nations shared the geographical territory known every bit Republic of Cameroon betwixt the French as well as the British. The latter administered its ain part from Nigeria. On Oct 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence from Britain. British Republic of Cameroon had a alternative betwixt joining Nigeria or Cameroon. In a plebiscite conducted inward 1961, the people of British Republic of Cameroon chose to bring together French-speaking Republic of Cameroon to cast a Federation. But the planned federal organisation never genuinely worked. In 1972, Republic of Cameroon changed its squall to the United Republic of Cameroon. In 1984, the give-and-take “United” was removed from the country’s squall past times the Paul Biya administration, thus adopting the pre-unification squall of French Republic of Cameroon as well as effectively raising fears of alienation amidst English-speaking Cameroonians.

Colonialism as well as its legacy may receive got been the foundation of many of the crises inward post-colonial African states, but misfortunate governance, ethnicity, contest over ability as well as national resources, organized religious belief as well as sheer leadership incompetence receive got done worse damage. Post-colonial African leaders receive got failed to human activeness every bit statesmen but every bit novel colonialists adopting inward West Africa, the twin colonial policies of separate as well as dominion as well as assimilation. Republic of Cameroon has been a long-suffering country, showtime nether old President Ahmadu Ahidjo as well as especially nether 84-year old Paul Biya, who has been President for 35 years. It is ironic that 56 years after the province became a Republic, English-speaking Cameroonians are fighting against the seeming endeavour past times their French-speaking compatriots to “assimilate” as well as “marginalize” them. The 2 Cameroons are fighting over the linguistic communication of the colonialists, national resources, as well as power-relations.

On Sunday, Oct 1, 2017, Sisiku AyukTabe, Chairman of the Southern Cameroons Governing Council, formally declared the independence of Southern Cameroons or the Federal Republic of Ambazonia: “We, the people of Southern Cameroons are slaves to no one”, he said, “Not now, non ever again! Today nosotros reaffirm autonomy over our heritage as well as over our territory…It is fourth dimension to tell Yaounde that plenty is enough!” The answer from Yaounde has been characteristic. Weeks earlier the protests as well as the announcement of independence inward Southern Cameroons, soldiers were sent to the part to shoot inward the air, preclude rallies, as well as intimidate the people. About fifteen persons receive got as well as so far been killed. “This sectionalization volition never happen”, says Cameroon’s Communications minister, Issa Tchiooma Bakary, speaking for the fundamental government. Just similar IPOB as well as NIgeria? Yes.

Since the goal of the Cold War, at that spot has been a moving ridge of nationalist agitations across the basis resulting inward self-determination, secession as well as partitions, as well as the emergence of novel countries. But self-determination or secession is non an automatic process, as well as it is non inward every instance that the protests outcome inward the Nirvana that the separatists seek. In Cameroon, the Biya direction must larn off its high Equus caballus as well as engage the leaders of the separatist motion inward dialogue. The international community must prevail on him to seat an goal to the abuse of human rights as well as the killings inward Southern Cameroon. It is the refusal of the fundamental regime to address the grievances of the people of Southern Republic of Cameroon that has brought Republic of Cameroon to this moment. To quote AyukTabe, again: “The spousal human relationship was ever intended to live a spousal human relationship of 2 equals. Unfortunately what our peace-loving people receive got experienced ever since is oppression, subterfuge, discrimination, violence, intimidation, imprisonment, forced occupation, cultural genocide, as well as misappropriation of our natural resources past times the leaders of the Republic of Cameroun.”

It is instructive to banker's complaint the similarity betwixt the expressed concerns of the Ambazonian motion as well as similar movements inward recent times inward other parts of the world, as well as the mental attitude of the governments inward power. In Espana (the Catalan secessionist move), Nigeria (the Biafra movement) as well as Republic of Iraq (the Iraqi Kurdistan) – the Catalans receive got held a plebiscite to larn out Spain, but the Castilian regime says this is “unconstitutional.” Biafrans desire a plebiscite inward Nigeria – the regime says this is unconstitutional because Nigeria’s unity is non negotiable. The Kurds also desire out of Iraq, but the fundamental regime is opposed to it on the grounds that the September 25 plebiscite is unilateral as well as unconstitutional! It is non but rhetoric that is involved, the military machine is deployed, violence is unleashed on separatists or critics of the extant spousal human relationship as well as the government. While these may appear to live traditional responses, the laid upward on on the human rights of protesters right away includes an increasingly of import territory: the internet.

The mesh is maybe the most striking phenomenon of the century, inward the mode inward which it has extended the frontiers of human liberty as well as expression. It is the most modernist icon of globalization as well as the borderlessness of infinite as well as time. The mesh does non know fear. It is an irreverent tool of political mobilization, commerce as well as social networking. It is the populace take heed inward motion, as well as the anonymity that it offers inward for certain forms makes it a potent musical instrument of revolt. Elections tin live won or lost, governments tin live pulled downwards or popularized, through the take heed of the internet. Given its power, reach, as well as impact, dictators are uncomfortable amongst the republic of the mesh which has proven to live much stronger than dictatorships, tyrants as well as intolerant governments. The human relationship betwixt the mesh as well as potency has hence been 1 of unease as well as distrust.

The outcome has been the endeavour past times intolerant governments as well as political figures to command the internet, close it downwards or violate the rights of its users. Communist People's Republic of China has an mesh constabulary that filters mesh traffic. In 2011, Arab Republic of Egypt tried to halt the people’s revolution past times shutting downwards the internet. Tunisia, Italy, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Libya, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Maldives, Republic of Iraq are other countries where the mesh has been censored inward 1 cast or the other or completely close down. The score of civil guild repression varies from 1 province to the other, but the excuse for abridging mesh republic could live every bit ridiculous every bit maxim that the mesh had to live close downwards inward monastic enjoin to preclude cheating inward students’ examinations every bit has been the instance inward Republic of Iraq as well as Ethiopia.

Generally, shutting downwards the mesh has move the novel mode of repression as well as a measure answer to dissent. African states as well as governments receive got joined the trend. In the lastly twelvemonth alone, eleven African governments receive got close downwards the mesh inward 1 cast or the other. These include the Democratic Republic of Congo (ostensibly to cut the capacity to transmit “abusive messages,” but genuinely to halt the people from opposing President Joseph Kabila’s endeavour to prolong his tenure); The Gambia (a few days to the 2016 elections), Togo (to cheque protests against President Faure Gnassingbe, as well as the people’s asking for multi-party elections as well as Presidential term-limits), Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Egypt, Uganda, Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe as well as Morocco.

In Nigeria, at that spot has also been as well as so much official discomfort amongst what is termed “hate speech” on social media platforms especially whatsapp, instagram, blogs, as well as twitter. One lawmaker fifty-fifty proposed a Social Media Bill which criminalises mesh democracy. The worst anti-internet culprit as well as so far inward Africa would live inward my view, non Arab Republic of Egypt (where the revolution succeeded inward spite of the repression) but Paul Biya’s Republic of Cameroon where intolerance as well as unpleasantness receive got been elevated to the bird of province policy. In January, the regime of Republic of Cameroon close downwards the mesh inward English-speaking parts of the country. This lasted for to a greater extent than than 3 months. This has 1 time to a greater extent than been repeated. It is unacceptable.

The toll of mesh shutdowns is enormous as well as disruptive, as well as the gain for governments is as well as so small. The gratuitous menses of information is breached, the targeting of specific regions every bit inward Cameroun is discriminatory; the correct to gratuitous vocalization communication is violated, along amongst other rights: association, choice, as well as liberty of thought. The United Nations Human Rights Council inward 2012, 2014 as well as 1 time to a greater extent than inward July 2016, resolved that “the same rights that people receive got offline must also live protected online”, as well as all states must refrain from taking such measures that tin violate mesh freedom. The African Union Declaration on Internet Governance (Algiers, Feb 13, 2017) is on all fours amongst this United Nations Resolution. The United Nations should move farther as well as impose sanctions on countries that violate mesh freedom.

Worse, businesses endure inward the lawsuit of an mesh shutdown. Internet services are accessed through broadbands provided past times mobile telecom companies. When such companies are asked to close downwards their services, they easily comply out of fearfulness of existence blackmailed past times the government. They tin live defendant of supporting terrorism for example! By co-operating, they incur losses, purpose of which they may eventually move past times to their subscribers. Similarly, amongst growing mesh penetration inward Africa, as well as so many other businesses are subject on the internet. Indeed, the mesh is increasingly a shopping mall – for bloggers, advertisers, consultants as well as the average consumer of services, an mesh shutdown inward the lite of this, undermines economical increment as well as development. Human dignity as well as relationships are also affected. The mesh is a networking tool, as well as so much as well as so that many families depend on it for contact as well as interaction, as well as many individuals on it for survival.

Shutting downwards the mesh rolls dorsum the gains of the democratization procedure inward Africa. African countries seeking increment as well as investment inward the telecommunications sector, as well as inside the economic scheme to a greater extent than oftentimes than non shoot themselves inward the human foot when they seek to destroy such a pregnant tool. Internet registries worldwide should sanction errant governments which deny their citizens access to the internet. Men of conscience as well as idea leaders should beak out against the growing tendency of mesh shutdown or violation past times African governments. In Nigeria, nosotros must hold to discourage the regime from ever contemplating whatever such misadventure. I am non inward whatever agency recommending, past times this article a “sovereignty of the internet” inward the feel inward which John Perry Barlow, an mesh activist spoke, when he issued “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace” (1996), rather I urge the protection of the republic of the mesh as well as this republic is nearly rights, obligations as well as the dominion of law.

To render to the politics of imperialism as well as dissidence inward Cameroon, Nigeria (for strategic reasons – the proposed Ambazonia existence a buffer zone betwixt Nigeria as well as Cameroon), ECOWAS as well as the African Union should intervene early on to preclude an outbreak of social as well as humanitarian crisis, if non chaos inward North West as well as South West Cameroon. The feuding parties should live encouraged to move to the negotiating table. What is going on inward that province is every bit much a Cameroonian employment every bit it is a Nigerian problem.

Written by Reuben Abati

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