Indeed, more than 2,000 Cameroonian women from the ten regions of the country, accompanied by men and children converged on the Red Cross Hall in Yaoundé Tuesday, June 25, 2019 to amplify their calls for a return to normalcy in the North West and South West Regions.

The conclave was also attended by hundreds of internally displaced women and children who testified about the ongoing violence that has left most of them homeless, poorer and unable to assert their reproductive rights.

In a tweet Thursday, June 27, 2019, Elie Smith suggests that the women were there for the money and not because they feel that the cause is right. He says the women are using the situation to make gains.

His words: “Crazy National call of Cameroonian women to end violence and consolidate peace. Ironically, they fought over FCFA 10,000,000. While people are dying in the North West and South West Regions, these women, most of whom are in denial of what’s happening in [the] Anglophones want to use [the] crisis.”

The crusade for a return to normalcy is the initiative of an assembly of women’s groups, associations and networks with the support of international partners. The event took place under the theme “national call of the Cameroonian woman to end violence and consolidate peace”.

The national call of Cameroonian women to end violence and consolidate peace is supported by the United Nations systems in Cameroon. The women cried that the powers that be speedily resolve the crisis in the North West and South West Regions because they are tired of the bloodshed.

“We’re tired of burying our children, our husbands and living in total fear of the unknown. We are tied of living in the bushes. We want our children to go back to school,” the women cried out.

Prof Justine Diffo Tchunkam, Coordinator of the Crusaders for Peace initiative said they will on July 2 & 3, 2019 organise a capacity building workshop at the Yaoundé Mont Fébé Hotel to arm women with the skills they’ll need to continuously push for the restoration of peace in Cameroon’s troubled regions – including the Adamawa, East, North West and South West Regions.

She thanked the United Nations systems in Cameroon for supporting their initiative while rejoicing over the fact that women from the ten regions of the country massively adhered to the initiative.

The Peace Crusader is a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, put in place with support from the United Nations Systems in Cameroon to echo messages of love and peace in Cameroon.