Former UN Aide predicts success for Southern Cameroons struggle

Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor (a.k.a Agbor Balla), Former Legal Adviser to the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan and Vice President of the African Bar Association, has said “someday, somehow, some (SCNC) leader will come, who will galvanize the people and when the people will say enough is enough, the centre can no longer hold, there will be nothing than a unitary junta can do.”

Agbor Balla, who made the declaration recently in an interview equally warned the Biya regime against undermining the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC.

While stressing that the Southern Cameroons’ independence struggle is a dream that must come to pass, the renowned lawyer expressed discontent over government’s failure to follow the advice of the African Commission, to dialogue with the SCNC, despite SCNC’s belief in the force of argument.

“It is important for you to know that there are many other groups clamouring for the same course. There is the Southern Cameroons’ Youth League which is headed by Akwanga, there is Ambazonia Movement and the Free West Cameroon Movement.

“We have a plethora of them, it’s just that in Cameroon, the SCNC is the one that is more visible, but at the end of the day, all of them are liberation movements,” Balla stated.

He intimated that the problem the liberation movement is facing is lack of some kind of credibility in the eyes of people. He added that the secessionist group is not doing enough groundwork, before disclosing that no liberation group the world over will succeed through the force of argument.

Quizzed on whether the secession struggle is a sham because the group lacks a credible leader with following, the Former UN aide said: “The struggle can never be a sham. I want to seize this opportunity to also put the records straight. I had acknowledged the services and the sacrifices that have been made by members of the SCNC, SCYL, Ambazonia and so on. Lots of them in the country and in the Diaspora have made enormous sacrifices… It is not a sham. It’s a gradual process. If we look at the history of liberation struggles, if we look at South Sudan, Pakistan and so on, some have been fighting for over 50 years.

“I think the SCNC is still a nascent organization. The group is still young in the liberation struggle; we will get there someday, perhaps not in my life time. In so far as the foundation of this country is built on sinking sand, in so far as it is built on injustice, repression, suppression and oppression, people will buy the gospel of the SCNC.”

Balla frowned at the manner with which Anglophones are marginalized in the country. He confirmed that the prevailing marginalization of Anglophones is both physical and psychological. Agbor then advanced that the return to a two-state federation will solve most of the problems in Cameroon.

Asked to comment on the call by some CPDM sycophants for 83-year Biya to seek re-election, the lawyer retorted: “It beats my imagination that intellectuals, educated people, young and vibrant who have a vision and mission for this country will be sending motions of support for an 83 year-old-man to stand as president. It is an insult to close to 20 million Cameroonians. They are giving us the impression that if Mr. Biya drops dead, this country will come to an end.”

Agbor asserted that the country needs strong institutions and political change.