A change of tone and position provokes a reaction in Cameroon. Capo Daniel, a former English-speaking pro-independence spokesperson, is now calling for a ceasefire and negotiations for autonomy.
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Capo Daniel was one of the radical voices in the galaxy of English-speaking separatists, demanding uncompromising armed struggle against the government forces in Yaoundé. Still in exile, the former spokesperson for the “Ambazonia Defense Forces” signed a declaration on Saturday May 4 calling for “ end hostilities against the state ” For ” direct negotiations “. He no longer claims independence, but the autonomy of the two English-speaking regions of the North-West and the South-West.
In the name of his new Peoples Rights Advocacy Platform created a year and a half ago, after his departure from the ADF movement, Capo Daniel, whose real name is Emmanuel Ngong, now prefers “ the nonviolent approach in the fight for self-determination […]. We call on our forces to keep their weapons only for self-defense until negotiations take place with Yaoundé,” he said.
Reached by telephone, Capo Daniel claims to have made several observations. He states in particular that after more than seven years of conflict, the populations are exhausted, the Anglophone cause has not aroused significant international sympathy, the divisions within the separatist movement have not made it possible to coordinate a decisive action against the Cameroonian army and, without dialogue, there will be no return possible for the exiles or release of the prisoners.
Previously a hard-line defender of the independence of what separatists call Ambazonia, Capo Daniel now advocates for a transfer of powers via constitutional amendments.
“ In addition, we are approaching an election year in Cameroon, it is the time to attract the attention of the international community », he adds. He, who confirms having participated in the 2022 discussions facilitated by Canada, wishes to see the international community once again support a negotiation process.
A separatist galaxy too fragmented to have any effect
Can this call have an impact on the ground in the short term? Observers doubt it, because the separatist galaxy is fragmented, the armed groups divided and the interests intertwined. However, a voice from English-speaking civil society, lawyer Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla who heads the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), wants to see it as a “ a step in the right direction ».
“ Capo Daniel may no longer have the influence he once had, but I welcome every voice that joins the moderate camp in calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict », Recognizes the director of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa.
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