Récapinfos

CAMEROON - HONOR AND LOYALTY : SURRENDER OF SECESSIONIST SEPARATISTS: HARMFUL SILENCE OF LOCAL MEDIA

It is an understatement to say that the outbreak of armed violence in our North-West and South-West administrative regions made the news. It was in the news, and talking about it was news. Newspaper columns, radio stations and television channels teemed with articles, debates and other reports all focusing on the issue.

These were opportunities for ordinary citizens to share their concerns, for the authorities to give their assessment of the situation, and above all for all sorts of experts, both established and spontaneous, to develop theories of predictive analysis on the evolution of the unprecedented tragedy that was plaguing our people.

Every town and village in the affected area had its own experts, local or foreign, who were able to say how many mentally disabled people had been massacred by the Law Enforcement Forces, while at the same time, in abject cynicism, raving about the glorious feats of arms of the hordes of cutthroat looters.

As for the ways and means to promote the restoration of a climate of security, all were unanimous in advocating a peaceful way out of the crisis, through dialogue and consultation with all the protagonists. They couldn’t have been more right.


The response of the authorities took place in two stages. On 30 November 2018, one year after the start of the violence, a national committee was set up with the mandate to organise, supervise and manage the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former Boko Haram fighters and armed groups from the North-West and South-West Regions, who wanted to respond positively to the Head of State’s peace offer by laying down their arms.

In short, there was no place for forced surrender or legal proceedings, only a conscious desire to make peace with oneself and the national community. And the icing on the cake is the opportunity offered to repentant combatants to resume their studies or learn a trade.



In this quest for peace of mind, the Major National Dialogue, held at the Yaoundé Conference Centre, brought together representatives from virtually every facet of Cameroonian society to examine the issues causing tension and then propose the most realistic solutions possible. Many of these have already been implemented.



Meanwhile, hundreds of terrorists, now called ex-fighters, continue to leave the ranks of the insurgents, thus bringing us closer to the end of the turmoil that has consumed enough of our lives and resources, which rekindles hopes of an imminent return to calm and development.

 

However, there seems to be a real slowdown in the local media, a situation that is detrimental to the sustainability and effectiveness of initiatives to resolve the social and security crises facing our country. Not only is public opinion losing touch with the course of events, but those most affected by these conflict resolution measures are beginning to doubt their validity.

Worse still, the information space left vacant by our media is a boon to foreign press organs, which are quick to saturate our understanding with narratives that are sometimes dark, sometimes suffocating, with the sole aim of making Cameroonians, as we are, despair of an end to armed violence. It is a soft power of demoralisation that, more than any other constraint, will orchestrate our defeat.

Who can accept that???

Navy Captain

ATONFACK GUEMO

Head of Communication - MINDEF

Derniers commentaires

06.12 | 17:52

Initiative à encourager. Merci et bravo aux promoteurs du mouvement 👏👏

03.12 | 09:31

Buenas tardes, encantado de saludarte. Soy Jose
Quería escribirte porque me ha parecido interesante comentar contigo la posibilidad de que tu negocio aparezca cada mes en periódicos digitales como not

30.11 | 11:53

Bonjour Mme et toutes mes félicitations,
Je suis à Douala, je suis à la recherche de votre tisane. Avez-vous une représentation à Douala. Sinon comment faire pour avoir régulièrement votre produit.

28.11 | 21:45

Vive la folie de la littérature

Partagez cette page