Cameroon and the Philippines are two countries located in different continents respectively in West Africa and South East Asia. Despite this, both countries share a common challenge that threatens their unity: separatist movements.
Although, the Philippines and Cameroon share a common threat, however, their leaders have antagonists views in what should be the solution.
” We cannot have a peaceful country, if you do not agree to a federal setup”, said Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines.
In the eyes of Duterte, federalism is the system of governance adequate to maintain peace in a diverse society. Hence, PDP-Laban, the party of president Duterte, has presented to congress a draft constitution that will govern the Philippines under a federal system of governance.
On the other hand, the president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, does not share the view of Duterte when it comes to federalism as the solution to separatist wars. Biya ruled out federalism even though it is regarded by many as the solution to the Anglophone crisis.
Biya’s government maintains that, federalism will modify the form of the state which violates the constitution of the country. Article 1 of the constitution states that : “The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary and decentralized state, it is one and indivisible”.
Biya’s government also argues that federalism is a prelude to cessation. However, this is not true; Cameroon was a peaceful federation from 1961 to 1972. Moreover, Duterte asserts that ‘‘Regions can be autonomous, without however having their own armed forces and police.”
The idea that federalism is a prelude to cessation is a false claim. Neither federalism makes the government vulnerable to coups d’états nor threaten the territorial unity of the state.
Federalism will remove in the hands of the criminal minority, the Biya’s clan, the exclusive control of the wealth of the State and this is the real reason behind the adversity against federalism in Cameroon.
Unlike the Philippines, so far, the two Presidents in the history of Cameroon since its nominal independence in 1960 hold their legitimacy from criminal and terrorist neo-colonial networks, which have enabled the current Cameroonian dictator Paul Biya, to remain in power since 1982, despite, the indescribable misery in which Cameroonians live.
In the lens of Duterte, politics is the struggle for collective wellbeing. In Biya’s lens, politics is the maintenance of criminal and terrorist neocolonial networks in the detriment of the people.
BACKGROUND
CAMEROON
The marginalization of the 20 percent English speaking minority in Cameroon led to what has been known as the Anglophone crisis which began on November 26, 2016 when the majority French speaking government of Cameroon violently responded to peaceful protests of Anglophones lawyers and teachers followed by the dissolution of the Consortium (Anglophone civil society organization), which escalated into an arm insurrection. On October 1, 2017, Anglophone Cameroon self-proclaimed its independence in a blood bath and named their fictional country Ambazonia . Since then, Anglophone Cameroon is at war. The conflict has killed at least 1,850, with 530,000 internally displaced and 40,000 refugees in neighboring Nigeria.
PHILIPPINES
Likewise, in the Philippines, the MNLF (the Moros National Liberation Front) and its breakaway fractions MILF (Moros Islamic Liberation Front), Abu Sayyaf (ISIL affiliated and recognized terrorist by the USA) all based in southern Philippines, threaten the integrity and territorial unity of the country. Muslims in the south or Moros as they were called by Spaniards colonizers fight for an independent Islamic state.
PHILIPPINES – JANUARY 01: Muslim rebels in Jolo and Zamboanga In Philippines-Abu Sayyaf, muslim guerilla fighter praying, near Zamboanga. (Photo by Christophe LOVINY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Repeated attacks of the Moros whose last one is called the Marawi’s attack, an armed conflict between the Philippines army and Abu Sayyaf Salafi Jihadist and other Moro groups affiliates to ISIL, began on 23 May 2017 and lasted for five months.
MASSOCKI MA MASSOCKI