Cameroon President Paul Biya To Conduct ‘National Dialogue’ On Separatist Crisis

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya on Tuesday announced the government is going to conduct a national dialogue starting from the end of this month to solve a separatist crisis in the country’s English-speaking regions, reported Reuters. The national dialogue will be presided over by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.

In a rare public address, Biya said the talks would bring together a wide range of people to seek ways to end the violence that has plagued the region in the last few months. He also called on all separatists in the English-speaking regions to surrender and be forgiven. He warned that their alternative will be to face military action.

“The dialogue will rally all the sons and daughters of our beloved and beautiful country, Cameroon, to reflect on values that are dear to us, namely: peace, security, national unity and progress,” the president said in a speech on state television.

However, Biya did not specify if representatives for the separatists would be invited to participate in the talks. He said it was difficult to know who to talk to, as individuals claiming to be separatist leaders were only visible on social media platforms, where they preach violence.

The Cameroon president added that the national dialogue would address more than just the separatist crisis.

“The dialogue to be presided over by the prime minister will bring together all Cameroonians, especially traditional rulers, lawmakers, the clergy and all elected officials,” Biya said.

Violence erupted in Cameroon back in 2016 when teachers and lawyers protested against alleged discrimination at the hands of Cameroon’s French-speaking majority. The government responded with a crackdown that resulted in an armed movement for an independent, English-speaking state, which was declared by a militant secessionist group in October 2017. The militant group soon started attacking Cameroon officials, the military and police working in the region.

In November 2017, Biya declared war against the separatists and said he would crush them if refused to surrender. According to the United Nations, the conflict has since killed more than 2,000 people, internally displaced more than 500,000 and caused more than 50,000 Cameroonians to seek refuge in Nigeria.