“The current crisis in the North West and South West Regions in Cameroon has caused untold hardship to the people. Ten months since the end of the Major National Dialogue, there's nothing concrete to show in the direction of peace,” said the human rights lawyer in a Facebook post on July 20.

Agbor Balla thinks that with very little done by the government in the direction of peace, other avenues at resolving the protracted crisis should be sought before a bad situation gets uglier.

His words: “It is now time for National, Regional and International initiatives to be re-launched with a clear objective to bring on the table the various warring parties in a bid to seek a negotiated settlement to the ongoing war. We need Peace!”

In January, Agbor Balla described decentralization and/or special status as stop-gap measures, advising that stakeholders should return to the drawing board to address the fundamental issues.

Hear him: “A two-state federation is a Solution to the crisis. Any other solution be it decentralization, 10 state federation or a special status are only stop-gap measures. We shall have to go back to the drawing board to address the fundamental issues.

Speaking Tuesday, October 1, 2019, at the Major National Dialogue held at the Yaounde Conference Center, Agbor Balla said the people who have taken up arms to make of Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions an independent state they call Ambazonia may only be pacified if the form of the state is touched to accommodate federalism.

Taking the Decentralisation and Local Development Commission headed by ex-Forestry and Wildlife Minister Ngole Philip Ngwese by storm, Agbor Balla regretted that another dialogue may be ordered by President Paul Biya not too long after the Major National Dialogue if the form of state was not discussed back then.

A video clip of the Human Rights Lawyer’s clarion call filtered out of the in-camera session and made rounds on social media at the time. In the video, Agbor Balla calls on Senator Mbella Moki Charles to bear him witness.

Agbor Balla said: “I don’t want us to waste taxpayers’ money today and next year the President calls us for another dialogue. We need to find a lasting solution. And like Dr. Munzu said yesterday, I am not prescribing any particular form of the state. But we cannot leave here without looking at the form of the state. As I sit here, if I show you my messages from some of the separatist leaders abroad, they are asking if they have at least started talking even about the form of the state.

“Some of us have put our reputation and our image on the line to be here. If you follow social media, they attack some of us just for coming here. But we believe in the oneness and the unity of this country. We believe that Cameroon should be one and indivisible. But we equally believe that decentralization will not solve the problem. We have to get to a federation. That is the minimum the people who have taken up arms will accept.”

Agbor Balla calls for unity

Yesterday, Agbor Balla, pioneer President of the outlawed Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, regretted that while the people are yearning for a return to peace, infighting is rather ruining “the struggle”. He called on all those representing the Anglophone voice in whatsoever capacity to close ranks.

“When we stop the infighting, labelling those we disagree with them as Enablers, Blacklegs, Traitors, Sell out Etc. And we include everyone into the debate without attacking their persons or positions then we shall truly be on track.

“A lot of our brothers and sisters with constructive and brilliant ideas with leadership qualities have either withdrawn from the struggle or decided to take a back seat. This is due to the insults and “I know it all syndrome” where some people deify leaders and are intolerant to healthy debates and discussions. We cannot succeed as a people if we don’t address these facts.”