The Major National Dialogue () is the official name of a dialogue between the Government of Cameroon and various opposition parties, aimed at resolving the Anglophone Crisis. The event took place between September 30 and October 4, 2019.Cameroon: Gov't creates website for reception of contributions ahead of National dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 19, 2019. Accessed Sep 23 ,2019.
Background
For decades, Anglophone Cameroonians in the area formerly known as Southern Cameroons had resented the central government for marginalizing them.Anyangwe, Carlson. Betrayal of Too Trusting a People. The UN, the UK and the Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons: The UN, the UK and the Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons, pp. 108–111. African Books Collective, 2009. In October 2016, major protests broke out in cities in the Anglophone regions. The Cameroonian government responded by deploying soldiers to quell the protests. Six weeks into the demonstrations, six demonstrators had been killed and more than 100 had been arrested. In September 2017, Anglophone separatists began to take up arms against the Cameroonian government, and on October 1, the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front declared the independence of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. The situation evolved into a military conflict including human rights violations called the Anglophone Crisis.CHRDA publishes shocking list of military atrocities in Cameroon’s NW, SW regions , Journal du Cameroun, Aug 22, 2018. Accessed Aug 22, 2018.
Negotiations
On September 10, 2019, President of Cameroon Paul Biya announced in a televised speech that a "grand national dialogue" would take place before the end of the month. The dialogue would take place "within the context of the constitution", hence ruling out Ambazonian independence, and would include the Anglophone Cameroonian diaspora.Cameroon: Paul Biya convenes national dialogue to solve Anglophone crisis, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 10, 2019. Accessed Sep 12, 2019. A government website was subsequently launched, where people could submit proposals ahead of the dialogue.
Course of the dialogue
September 30
The dialogue started with an opening ceremony, where former separatist fighters sang the Cameroonian national anthem.Cameroon: Ex Ambazonia fighters sing National Anthem at Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 30, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019. Afterwards, Prime Minister Joseph Ngute challenged the attendants to "make history" and find solutions to "the problems that have separated us physically and intellectually in recent years".PM Dion Ngute urges Cameroonians to make history with Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 30, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
October 1
Debates started fully on the second day of the dialogue. Eight commissions had been named, each focusing on a particular issue; one for multiculturalism and bilingualism, one for the educational system, one for the judicial system, one for the question of refugees, one for reconstruction, one for disarmament, one for the diaspora and one for decentralization.Cameroon: Major National Dialogue enter day two, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 1, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
At the end of the second day, Barrister Akere Muna of the "Now Movement" declared that he would withdraw from the dialogue unless the form of state would be discussed.Cameroon: Akere Muna storms out of Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 1, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
October 2
The third day had the same focus as the second day. Barrister Felix Agbor Balla declared that the dialogue would be pointless unless the form of state was discussed, insisting that decentralization would be insufficient.Cameroon: Agbor Balla insists form of State should be discussed at Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 2, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
October 3
On the fourth day, the commissions submitted their recommendations to the Prime Minister.Cameroon: Committees of Major National Dialogue submit reports today, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 3, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019. As the Major National Dialogue neared its conclusion, President Paul Biya issued a decree that discontinued the court cases against 333 Anglophone activists.Cameroon: Paul Biya orders discontinuance of case against 333 detainees of Anglophone crisis, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 3, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
Responding to the presence of separatist generals as the dialogue, the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council issued a statement claiming that these separatists were fake.Cameroon: Ambazonia Forces say Generals Presented in Yaounde are fake, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 3, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019.
October 4
On the fifth day, final resolutions were read.Cameroon: Final resolutions expected as Major National Dialogue wraps up today, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 4, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019. The decentralization commission proposed a special status for the Anglophone regions, as well as more local autonomy.Cameroon: Delegates propose special status Anglophone regions at Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 4, 2019. Accessed Oct 4, 2019. Other recommendations included the construction of an airport and a seaport in the Anglophone regions, the renaming of the country to the "United Republic of Cameroon", measures against corruption, and an intensified effort to rehabilitate former separatist fighters.Cameroon's Anglophone conflict: Will the National Dialogue make any difference?, BBC, Oct 5, 2019. Accessed Oct 5, 2019.
Outcome: Special status for Anglophone regions In December 2019, the National Assembly of Cameroon passed legislation, granting "special status" to the Northwest and Southwest regions giving them additional rights and responsibilities in relation to economic, health, social, educational, sports and cultural development. Under the special status the regions would each have a bicameral Regional Assembly, made up of a 20-member House of Chiefs composed of traditional leaders and a 70-member House of Regional Representatives nominated by municipal councils. The Regional Assembly would appoint a Regional Executive Council which is led by the President of the Regional Assembly and includes a vice president, three commissioners, two secretaries and a questor. Additional powers over health and education were also granted to municipalities in both regions.
Reactions
Reactions to the announcement
Within Cameroon
Support
The United People for Social Renovation supported the initiative. Its leader Serge Espoir Matomba met with the Prime Minister ahead of the dialogue to submit his proposals.Cameroon: Matomba submits pre-dialogue proposals to PM Dion Ngute, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 20, 2019. Accessed Sep 23, 2019. The Cameroon People's Party submitted its own proposals and views to the Prime Minister ahead of the dialogue.CPP Says National Dialogue Must-Have Content of Calibre, Cameroon News Agency, Sep 24, 2019. Accessed Sep 24, 2019. Felix Agbor Balla, President of the Centre for Human Right and Democracy, supported the initiative, but stressed that separatists should be given a guarantee that they would not be arrested if they showed up.All those concerned by Anglophone crisis should be represented at national dialogue- Agbor Balla, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 25, 2019. Accessed Sep 25, 2019.
Conditional support
The Social Democratic Front offered conditional support of the initiative, demanding a ceasefire and amnesty to all separatists who had been jailed.Cameroon: What is SDF proposing for National Dialogue?, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 13, 2019. Accessed Sep 23, 2019. The party also declared that the dialogue should be chaired by a neutral third party, suggesting the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany.National inclusive dialogue should be chaired by neutral personality- SDF, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 13, 2019. Accessed Sep 23, 2019. Later, the SDF accused the ruling CPDM party of sending a disproportionate number of representatives to the dialogue.Cameroon: SDF denounces partiality shown by governor of Centre region in drafting out list of delegations to meet PM, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 23, 2019. Accessed Sep 23, 2019. Cardinal Christian Tumi, Archbishop Emeritus of Douala, stated that Ambazonian independence should not be ruled out from the onset.Cameroon’s cardinal: Anglophone independence must be on agenda, Crux Now, Sep 25, 2019. Accessed Sep 25, 2019.
Opposition
The Cameroon Renaissance Movement declared that it would not participate unless its leader Maurice Kamto was released from jail. Kamto had been in jail since the immediate aftermath of the 2018 Cameroonian presidential election, in which he had claimed victory.Cameroon: CRM sets Kamto, allies release as condition to partake in National dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 18, 2019. Accessed Sep 23, 2019. This demand was eventually met after the dialogue had taken place.
Separatist response
The Southern Cameroons Liberation Council, an umbrella movement of several Ambazonian separatist groups, including the Interim Government of Ambazonia, immediately dismissed the dialogue as insincere, citing the recent life sentences handed to Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and other detained separatist leaders. Ebenezer Akwanga stated that it was far too late to talk about reforms, and that the separatists would only settle for independence.Biya’s ‘dialogue’ for Cameroon crisis runs into questions, rejection , Journal du Cameroun, Sep 11, 2019. Accessed Sep 12, 2019. Despite this, separatist fighters from Fako Division agreed to participate through a telephone conference.Cameroon: SW Separatists to participate in dialogue through phone conferencing, Journal du Cameroun, Sep 24, 2019. Accessed Sep 24, 2019.
Reactions at conclusion
The ruling CPDM party welcomed the recommendations from the commissions. Some attendants criticized the structure of the dialogue, as well as the fact that separation was not debated as an alternative. Others characterized the five-day event as a sham. The separatists reaffirmed their rejection of the dialogue, promising to step up the war.
In December 2020, the United Nations urged the government of Cameroon to address the issues that had been brought up at the Major National Dialogue and to continue the dialogue process with all parties involved. François Loucemy Fall, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, stated that "the implementation of the recommendations from the major national dialogue, in addition to continued dialogue with all parties, remains crucial to building lasting peace and development".Cameroon:UN wants govt to address core issues raised by Major National Dialogue, Journal du Cameroun, Dec 11, 2020. Accessed Dec 14, 2020.
Aftermath