OUR EXCELLENCY, Sitting in a Southern Cameroons National Council meeting on 10th and 11th of August 2013 in Bamenda, the members critically examined recent developments in British Southern Cameroons, the legitimate struggle of the people to end the annexation and colonial occupation of their homeland by la Republique du Cameroun and in particular the Bakassi Peninsular and note with dismay the provocative radio, TV announcements and statements by la Republique du Cameroun government officials that Bakassi Peninsular will as from August 14th 2013 be handed over to la Republique du Cameroun in pursuance of the ICJ Ruling and the Green Tree Accord. From the Preamble and Art. 1 of the UN Charter we note that the defined mission of the UN is to end “the scourge of war” defend human dignity “in the equal rights of men and women and nations large and small” and, “To maintain international peace and security and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression…or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;”(emphasis, mine). Cognisant of the inherited colonial treaties that constitute the foundation of modern African States and the inherent and inalienable right of the people of the former UN Trust territory of British Southern Cameroons to self- determination and to a sovereign homeland, the SCNC wishes to inform the United Nations and the international community that the transfer of Bakassi Peninsular to expansionist la Republique du Cameroun in gross violation of the UN Charter and the fundamental rights of the British Southern Cameroonian people will totally be unacceptable and will not deter the SCNC struggle anchored on legality, history and culture. We therefore call on the UN to honour and respect the following treaties in order to avoid bloodshed. 1) The Anglo- German treaty of 1913 and Anglo-French treaty of 1931 delimiting the boundaries between French Cameroun and British Cameroons. 2) The international principle of jurisprudence commonly known as UTI POSSEDETIS JURIS and THE CRITCAL DATE whereby the boundary a dependent nation acquires upon attaining independence remains immutable and inviolable. 3) The African Union Constitutive Act Art. 4(b) which forbids expansionism and aggression and any member nation from changing its boundaries acquired upon attainment of independence. 4) UN Charter Art. 102 which require any UN member nation deposit any treaty entered into with another nation or entity at the UN Secretariat General for necessary publication. 5) Article 179 of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Ruling on Communication 266/2003 of May 2009 which recognizes Southern Cameroonians as a distinct people from citizens of la Republique du Cameroun with a right to self-determination and recommends Constructive Dialogue between the government of la Republique du Cameroun and the people of British Southern Cameroonsunder the good offices of the African Commission. It should be noted that though the said ruling was ratified by the African Union Heads of State Summit in Sirte, Libya of July 2-3 2009, la Republique du Cameroun has with impunity snubbed it and continues to abusively treat Southern Cameroonians as a conquered and annexed people. Should this not call for the UN to step in? 6) The Abuja Federal High Court Ruling of 5th March 2002 restraining the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whether by herself, her servants, agents and/or representatives or otherwise howsoever from treating or continuing to treat or regard the Southern Cameroons and the peoples of the territory as an integral part of la Republique du Cameroun. 7) The undertaking by H.E. Paul Biya during the June 2006 Tripartite meeting of Obasanjo, Biya, Annan, which states, “I, President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroun, do hereby commit myself and my Government to, in a bid to bringing a lasting solution to the Bakassi conflict, fully respect the territorial boundaries as obtained at independence of my country”. It is an irrefutable fact that, when la Republique du Cameroun had independence on 1st January 1960 and gained UN Membership in September 1960, British Southern Cameroons was not part of her territory and President Ahidjo never complained to the UN that part of their territory had been left out. Judicious note should be taken of the fact that the records and instruments of sovereignty by which la Republique du Cameroun was recognized on January 1, 1960 and admitted into UN Membership in September 1960 have never changed in view of the fact that UN Resolution 1608 of April 21, 1961 which la Republique du Cameroun supported by France and other French speaking Africa except Mali voted against was never and could never have been implemented consonant on her rejection of federal union with British Southern Cameroons as recommended by the UN. La Republique du Cameroun in 1960 had no maritime boundary with Nigeria and today in law has none. As nothing changed in 1961, nothing in law, history, culture and territory defined by treaties will change on August 14, 2013 and after. As per inherited colonial treaties there are two distinct Cameroons, British Southern Cameroons- Anglo-Saxon, and la Republique du Cameroun- Francophone. British Southern Cameroons attained self- government in 1954 as a UN Trust under UK administration. Most painfully currently under la Republique du Cameroun colonial occupation, it is a non-self-governing territory subjected to brutal rule of impunities and the gun. By international law and UN resolutions the “territory of a colony or other non-self-governing territory has under the Charter a status separate and distinct from that of the administering state.” The right to self-determination is a permanent right of any people and the urge to exercise it becomes ever more urgent and demanding with a people subjugated to colonial occupation, foreign domination and alien rule. The British Southern Cameroonian people seek no inch of la Republique du Cameroun territory and will surrender no inch of theirs to any power. The defined mission of the UN is not to serve as an agent for the annexation of smaller states by powerful expansionist states. The UN did not partner with Iraq against Kuwait. On the contrary the UN worked hard for the restoration of the sovereign statehood of Kuwait. We seek just this as of right under international law. British Southern Cameroons should not be an exception because it is African. We pray the UN Secretary General to use his good offices to urgently redress this situation in order to avoid a bloodbath. We have exhausted all the peaceful means at our disposal in order to seek a peaceful solution to our plight. One more apology for Rwandan genocide in Africa will be apology too many for the UN culture of silence and inaction when positive action and preventive diplomacy would have saved humanity from such human calamity. Done in Bamenda this August 11, 2013. For the SCNC on behalf of the British Southern Cameroonian People, NFOR NGALA NFOR National Chairman, (SCNC)
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 14:01:19 +0000
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