February 24, 2020-(London | Berlin | Washington D.C)–The Coalition today announces the Co-Chairs of various Working Groups to guide deliberations during the critically important international conference on the escalating armed conflict in the Southern Cameroons scheduled for March 19-21, 2020 in Washington D.C. These individuals are renowned Southern Cameroonian professionals with recognized expertise in their respective fields. The seven (7) Working Group Co-Chairs include:
Working Group on Mediation and Negotiations
Margaret H. Kilo, Ph.D.
Dr. Margaret Kilo is Former Resident Representative to Liberia/Sierra Leone at the African Development Bank. Between 2006 and 2008 she moved to the field as the Bank’s Resident Representative in Sierra Leone and was later appointed to head the Fragile States Unit which oversaw stabilization efforts for 16 fragile and post-conflict African countries. In August 2011, she was transferred from the Temporary Relocation Agency (TRA) of the African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia to Monrovia, Liberia.
Dr. Kilo holds an MA in Sociology of Education from the London University Institute of Education, and a PhD in International Development Education from Stanford University School of Education. She was an educator and a researcher for many years prior to joining the international development community.
Hyacinth Nwana, Ph.D, MBA
Dr. Hyacinth Sama Nwana is a Partner Consultant, Trusted Advisor and Opinion Leader in Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT). As a Senior Executive Board member, ex-Regulator and multiple award winning technologist and thought leader, he advises business corporations such as Microsoft, Facebook, MTN, USAID, DSA, Venture Capital firms, Governments and Regulators in TMT. He is also a Senior Adviser on TMT to KPMG.
Dr. Hyacinth holds a Ph.D. and MBA (London) and an MA (Cambridge). In 2014, he published what is considered an authoritative book on Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) for Developing Economies.
Working Group on Judiciary and Constitutional Affairs
Rt. Hon Justice Ayah Paul Abine
Justice Ayah Paul Abine is the former Advocate General of the Cameroon Supreme Court. Prior to his confirmation Justice Ayah Abine was a Member of Parliament for Akwaya constituency in Manyu Division of the South West Region of Cameroon. He was the founder and president of the Popular Action Party (PAP).
In 2017 Justice Ayah was abducted and detained by the Cameroon security services. He was kept in detention for many months but never being officially charged of a crime. His arrest was part of a crackdown by the government of Cameroon as the Anglophone conflict escalated. Justice Ayah is a well-respected Anglophone voice with an impeccable understanding of common and civil law as practiced in Cameroon.
Professor John Mukum Mbaku
John Mukum Mbaku is a Brady Presidential Distinguished professor of economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow at Weber State University, Utah. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and an attorney and counselor at law, licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of the State of Utah and the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
He received his PhD in economics from the University of Georgia and his JD in law as well as a graduate certificate in natural resources and environmental law from the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. He is a resource person for several think-tanks, including the Kenya-based African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).
Working Group on Economic Reconstruction
Vivian A. Atud, Ph.D.,
Dr. Vivian Atud is an economist and the Managing Director of Sunburst Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was previously consultant with Nova Capital Global Markets.
She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Witwatersrand. She is a regular contributor on CNBC Africa, ETV, SAFM, SABC news, Classic FM, and other media houses in South Africa on economic and business issues as well as on women economic empowerment.
Nfor Susungi, Ph.D.,
Dr. Nfor Susungi is Director General of Capital Finance d’Atlantique, an investment holding firm based in Abidjan – Cote D’Ivoire. Previously, the Resident Director, London European Office of the African Development Bank for over 18 years, Dr. Susungi has tremendous experience in diverse sectors, such as banking, finance, oil, gas and telecoms.
He obtained an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston and a visiting research fellowship at Oxford University (UK).
Working Group on Peacebuilding and Public Security
Professor Joyce Ashuntantang, Ph.D.
Dr. Joyce Ashuntantang is an associate professor of English at the University of Hartford, City University of New York (CUNY). Joyce teaches many of the department’s classes, including Literature Across Cultures, African American Literature and Survey of Minority Writers. Her research interests include: African Literature and film, Oral African Literature, African American Literature and African Textual/Bibliographic Studies.
She obtained her Ph.D. in English from the City University of New York, an M.A. in English (Hunter College), a Masters in Librarianship (University College of Wales, Aberystwyth) and a B.A. in Modern English Studies (University of Yaounde, Cameroon).
David Otto Endeley, MSc
David Otto is the CT Director of Global Risk International (GRI) Ltd and founder of the P/CVE Programme – Step In Step Out (SISO) Glocal. David’s Work focuses on consultation for the design, implementation, and evaluation of short, medium- and long-term AT/CT and Organised Crime programs for governments, NGOs and private organisations within a framework objective of prevent, manage and resolve. A specialised expertise on the dynamics between the West, Middle East and Africa in relation to CT vulnerabilities, political Instability, insurgencies and Organised Crime solutions.
Working Group on Education and Vocational Training
Patience Fielding, PhD
Dr. Patience Fielding is a Senior Educationist with over 20 years’ experience supporting teaching, learning, curriculum design, teacher training, and human capacity development in the United States, South East Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, and Africa.
She holds a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on International Development from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s in educational technology from San Jose State University California, and a Bachelors in English and French from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Dean Maurice Odine, PhD
Dr. Odine is a Professor and Dean of the School of Communications at Texas Southern University in Houston. Previously, an Assistant Dean at Gulf University for Science and Technology (Kuwait), Professor Odine is an experienced mass communications scholar.
He obtained his Ph.D. in Mass Communication / Media Studies from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; an M.A. in Radio – Television (Ball State University) and a B.A. in Mass Communication / Media Studies (State University of New York College of Geneseo).
Working Group on Governance
Professor Lilian Lem Atanga, PhD.,
Professor Lilian Atanga Lem is the Chair of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages at the University of Bamenda, Cameroon. She is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of Florida and has worked extensively in promoting local governance and women empowerment.
She holds a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University, UK and her broad research interests include gender and language, political and media discourse using a critical discourse studies approach.
Senior Barrister Emmanuel Ashu
Senior Barrister Ashu is the President of the REFORM Party in Cameroon and member of the Cameroon Bar Association. He is well known for his strong advocacy for a prompt resolution to the escalating armed conflict and is a passionate defender of human rights. Barrister Ashu obtained his A-Levels from the Bilingual Grammer School in Molyko – Buea, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Yaounde in 1982. He is a co-founder of the Social Democratic Front party and the Southen Cameroons National Council (SCNC).
Working Group on Healthcare and Humanitarian Relief
Sally Mboumien
Mrs. Sally Mboumien is the President of the Southwest Northwest Women Taskforce for Peace. Sally Mboumien is a secondary school teacher, peace activist, community development worker and women’s rights advocate. Sally together with other frontline leaders have led women from both regions in lamentation campaigns calling for a ceasefire and an end to hostilities, inclusive and sincere dialogue, back to school campaign as well as different advocacy campaigns targeting different stakeholders to engage in a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
She has received training in National Dialogue and Peace Mediation in the University of Basel, Switzerland. She also participated in the US Department of State flagship program International Visitor’s Leadership Program IVLP on Women Promoting Peace and Security in Africa in 2019
Fausta Ditah, MD
Dr. Ditah is the President of the Southern Cameroons Medical Society (SCMS) and a gastroenterologist at The Jackson Clinic, in Tennessee USA. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and a member of the American Gastroenterology Association. He studied at the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency at University of Michigan Hospitals. His undergraduate education was from the University of Buea (Cameroon) and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. To register as a delegate for this important conference kindly click here
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The Working Group Vice Chairs and Rapporteurs will be published subsequently
| About the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with the specific goal of facilitating dialogue and negotiations towards ending the war in Southern Cameroons. CDN is made of professionals from all works of life and over 20 partner organizations worldwide advocating for an end to the war. CDN members work with its partners to strengthen international involvement in resolving the conflict and building durable peace in the conflict affected territories. |
| Contact: Kindly send all inquiries to Rick Ferreira, Executive Director at Rick.Ferreira@coalitionfdn.org *Source Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations |
