The Cameroon Renaissance Movement-CRM- is about to take part, as since its creation, in the day of unity which is celebrated on May 20th. This 45th celebration, more than the previous ones, intervenes in a context where, because of the posture of defiance and even provocative of the Government faced with the deep political crisis born of the legitimate frustrations of our compatriots of the Northwest and Southwest, the unity of our nation is in danger.
CRM DID NOT WAIT FOR THE CURRENT CRISIS TO COME TO THAT CONCLUSION.
Indeed, since its creation in 2012, our party has inscribed the resolution of the anglophone political problem in the search for the living-together in our country. On 25th June 2016, on the occasion of its rally in Bamenda, the party stressed the urgency of taking the anglophone problem into account in the political construction of the country. Then, on 10th December 2016, in N’Gaoundéré, we proposed to the Government peaceful ways to manage in a responsible manner and in the best interests of the Unity of our country and of our People, the current crisis in the two anglophone Regions of the country.
Since then, by excluding the unacceptable thesis of secessionism and all contact with the advocates of this thesis, we unambiguously rejected the idea of a return to federalism with two states, one francophone and another anglophone, but did not cease to urge the Government to open a genuine political dialogue on the thorny issue called the anglophone question. CRM reiterates that it stands with the populations and legitimate leaders of the Northwest and Southwest Regions.
If CRM readily acknowledges that the Government has shown goodwill by taking some measures even after denying the very existence of the anglophone political problem in our country, it remains that, as we have already written, only the release of all anglophone leaders currently held in prison and the opening-up of a genuine political dialogue can alleviate the situation which has stalled because of an irresponsible and anachronistic approach to the crisis by the Government.
CRM’s leaders, militants and sympathizers deeply believe in the unity of our country and of our people, in spite of the up and downs maintained for low political reasons by the hawks in the heart of the regime; This is why CRM will take part in the parade of 20th May, the National Day of Cameroon and symbol of the most emblematic of the unity of our dear fatherland.
Entrepreneurs in chaos, at the heart of power, clearly seek the destabilization of the country in order to continue singing the need for stability, synonymous with the preservation of power by all means. That is why they erect obstacles to the return of peace based on social and political justice and the security of citizens in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. Also, CRM will not take the risk of exposing the lives of its militants who all claim their unwavering attachment to national unity.
CRM WILL TAKE PART TO THE PARADE IN THE TWO REGIONS IN QUESTION ONLY IF SECURITY CONDITIONS ARE MET.
It is not, therefore, a boycott of the parade in these Regions, because to do so would mean to validate the end of the unity of our nation, an idea that CRM would never foresee and which no patriot could dream of. It is only a matter of preserving the security of our militants, sympathizers and populations of these regions, taking care not to add to tensions that have prevailed there for more than six months.
CRM regrets that this day of unity of the nation has been emptied of its substance over the years, in favour of the quasi-religious celebration of the cult of the personality of a man, the President of the Republic. In so doing, celebrants and exalted choirs of this great mass patiently destroyed dreams and hopes conveyed by the symbolism of the commemoration of the new unity of our nation, built together by Anglophones and Francophones. All patriots must demand, in unison, that the national day should cease to be the paroxysm of the cult of a man celebrated in the folklore of endless parades, to become the national moment when all of us question and question the Government on their efforts to give substance to our unity and our living-together, as well as on the scientific and technological progress of the country.
CRM calls on Cameroonians to turn the national day, 20th May 2017, into a collective call to the Government for the release of the new legitimate leaders of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, the opening of a Political dialogue on the anglophone question, it is true that the policy of resorting to armed forces against populations has shown its limits. In the name of the unity of our nation, which would be mutilated to death without its anglophone part, we will march on 20th May, while remaining alert for the judicious resolution of the anglophone problem, which is a national problem.
Maurice KAMTO
CRM National President
Yaounde, 11th May 2017.
