Cameroon: Anglophone Crisis under a Designated Presidency

 Until one understands the root cause of a problem, getting a solution could become a lifetime struggle. The struggle in the southern region of Cameroon has a root cause and key actors that would not back down.

Since 1994, the southern Cameroons inhabitants have wanted the re-establishment of a federal government, as they are plaque by marginalization and domination by the French region of Cameroon. This struggle yielded little or no result as the government of Cameroon is not willing to move from a centralized governing to a federal state. Motions related to federalism has been fruitless. 

Considering this scenario, an adopted child was deprived of his basic rights. He requested peaceably for his rights as a child to be restated but his legal parents decline and this child is being dominated by his co-brother. It is only obvious for this child to request for separation or independence. Southern Cameroon is likened to this child, deprived of its basic educational, legal rights, ... it was evident for them to secede from French Cameroon. A struggle that has led to many casualties and thousands of persons displaced.

The big question is, can this be obtained during the regime of the current president of Cameroon? It wouldn't surprise you to know that the answer is NO. This regime is prepared to maintain a unitary state with a centralized government at any cost.

In 1972, a constitutional referendum was held to make Cameroon a unitary state, opposing the previous federal system. Before the referendum, the current president of Cameroon was the Secretary-General of the Presidency of Cameroon and after the referendum, he became the Prime Minister of Cameroon on June 30, 1975. Later in 1979, the law designated the Prime Minister as the President's constitutional successor. In 1982, he succeeded the position of the head of state two days after his predecessor announced his resignation - which he later regrets. Since 1982, Cameroon has had no other president other than the "designated president".

He was there when Cameroon moved from a federal system to a unitary state. He was designated to be president in order to maintain this course. |A course he is prepared to maintain at whatever cost - human casualties and families being displaced.