Munjah Vitalis Fagha, Researcher in Comparative Politics Munjah
Munjah Vitalis Fagha, Political Science scholar and Researcher at the Department of Political Science and Comparative Politics has said by ruling out preconditions towards a negotiated end to the socio-political crisis in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions, the parties to the conflict have made dialogue almost impossible.
The PhD researcher said all parties to the conflict should make known their preconditions so that dialogue can begin as soon as possible in a bid to rescue the masses from untold suffering and hardship.
“This issue of no precondition(s) to dialogue and/or negotiation is in itself a precondition,” Munjah said, regretting that it “has retarded dialogue or negotiation to end the conflict”.
His words: “Rather than saying no precondition, I think concerned parties should come out with their preconditions and conditions to guide the dialogue and/or negotiation. Once the preconditions have been outlined, national and international mediators and/or negotiators can be engaged to study the preconditions and find a middle ground for both parties.”
According to Munjah, a researcher in the domain of comparative politics argues that all those calling for negotiations or dialogue without preconditions may be reaping benefits from the current impasse.
“Saying that dialogue or negotiation should be without (pre)conditions is a way of fanning the flames of the crisis so that those who are making huge capital out of it will continue to do so unperturbed,” Munjah opines.
Wondering whether the Anglophone crisis is the first crisis in the world, Munjah said it is wise to draw inspiration from examples that have worked in order to speedily resolve the present socio-political deadlock.
“I don't think even the most advanced states and democracies in the industrialised world can allow dialogue and/or negotiation without preconditions. Let us be realistic and stop wasting human lives.”
Munjah is of the opinion that “progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Corporatist demands made by Cameroonians in the North West and South West Regions in 2016 morphed into a bloody conflict that has led to the death of at least 2,000 people, according to human rights groups. Official figures say with at least 152,000 people have been internally displaced.
Fighting between Cameroon's military and armed separatists who want to create an English-speaking state called Ambazonia has no end in sight. Cameroon’s Prime Minister said recently that government is open to dialogue on all subjects except separation. The separatists on their part say they can only discuss on the terms of separation and nothing less.
Auteur:
