U.S Fires Warning Shots on Southern Cameroons Struggle

-Top Diplomat says his country will not work with any group fueling conflict in NW & SW Regions

By Amos Fofung

The government of the United States of America has through its Bureau of African Affairs reiterated its stance on the Southern Cameroon question and clearly stating its support for a unified Cameroon.

In a press release dated November 6, 2020, and penned by Assistant Secretary Bureau of African Affairs Tibor Nagy , the US government has called for the promotion of peace and a return to normalcy in the conflict-torn Anglophone regions .

Without mincing word, Tibor Nagy who has been very vocal on the dilapidating humanitarian crisis spurred by the armed conflict between government forces and armed separatist rebels, said the United States will not associate itself, support or better still work with any group fueling conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.

“We will not work with groups – or attend diaspora-organized events – that include calls for violence or hate speech. The United States supports the territorial integrity of Cameroon and calls for all actors to peacefully address the long-term grievances driving the current conflict in the Northwest and Southwest Regions and to cease exacerbating the hardships experienced by civilians in these regions,” he said”

In what many have term a “warning signal” to those supporting armed conflict and right abuses in Cameroon, the US Assistant Secretary of State did not fail to remind them of their obligation to promote peace and bring an end to the violence brewing in Cameroon.

“The Cameroonian diaspora in the United States can and must play a critical key role to end the violence in Cameroon. As a community, your influence can be felt through public remarks, private conversations, remittances, international conferences, and social media posts. We encourage you to use the power of your voices in a constructive manner to promote peace as you engage with Cameroonians worldwide, the U.S. government, Congress, and on social media,” he added.

Adding his voice to those championing for the resumption of school in the troubled Anglophone region, Tibor Nagy noted that the conflict has brought untold suffering and hardship to the civilians and must be put to an end.

“The United States government considers the Cameroonian diaspora a critical community that can push for meaningful change in Cameroon to address long-term grievances, support the safety of humanitarian workers, get children back to school safely, and bring an end to the fighting that has led to untold suffering,” he said.

In an earlier exchange with this reporter, the Assistant Secretary of State had expressed his desire for peace to return to Cameroon insisting that the United States remained committed to proffering a long-lasting solution to the Anglophone crisis that has crippled the Central African economic power-house.