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Home » US Ambassador To Cameroon Holds Talks In Washington DC On Cameroon Dialogue; This Is What IRI, 6 Others Told Him.
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US Ambassador To Cameroon Holds Talks In Washington DC On Cameroon Dialogue; This Is What IRI, 6 Others Told Him.

By Eric Tataw – Sunday October 13, 2019.

US Ambassador, Peter Henry Barlerin in one of his visits to President Paul Biya at the Unity Palace (the official residence and office of Cameroon’s President.)

The United States Ambassador to Cameroon was back to Washington DC, federal capital of the United States of America where he held a top meeting with experts on the political situation of the two English-speaking regions of the North West and South West of Cameroon.

Peter Henry Barlerin, on Thursday October 3, 2019 held a meeting at the United States Foreign Affairs Office known as US State Department in Washington DC, National Telegraph has been authoritatively told by a secret stringer.

According to an on-the-spot source, the focus was mainly on the just-ended dialogue in the Central African country, Cameroon. In the meeting with at least six international organisations, the outcome of the Major National Dialogue was completely rubbished.

Ambassador Peter Henry Barlerin listened with undivided attention from some expert groups on crisis resolution. Among the groups present; International Republican Institute (IRI), Search For Common Grounds, Crisis Group, Congressional Research Service, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and State Department were clear about their opinions on Cameroon and the Grand National Dialogue held in the country’s capital, Yaounde from September 30 to October 4, 2019.

The groups said the Dialogue didn’t meet even a criterion on any form of dialogue during an armed conflict. The experts say, the government can’t continue to hold leaders of the Anglophone movement and other detainees within the armed conflict context while calling for dialogue.

Other concerns included the continuous killing of civilians in the North West and South West in the heart of the dialogue, that the dialogue was void of any inclusiveness. There were also concerns that the dialogue was called to solve the problems in the two regions and trying to bring in the entire country into the agenda made it short of substance and purpose.

The Ambassador, after the perspectives from the various experts, through the Embassy issued a statement condemning the recent brutal execution of the Bamenda Prison Wardress, Ayafor Florence in North West Cameroon and called on both parties involved in the war to stop new violent acts and hold a dialogue without preconditions.

“More violence is not the solution. We are calling on all parties involved in the conflict in the regions of North West and South West, to restrain from new acts of violence and embark on an open dialogue without preconditions”, the Embassy’s statement of Friday October 10, 2019 said.

While calling on Cameroonian authorities to open an investigation on the brutal murder of Ayafor Florence, and bring to book the culprits, the Embassy also extended condolences to the bereaved family.

Cameroon’s North West and South West have been under a deadly armed conflict for over three years with armed groups battling to restore the statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons now called Ambazonia.

During this period, over two million (2.000.000) people, mostly women and children have been either internally displaced or living as refugees in Nigeria and other countries, way over thirteen thousands (13000) killed, over four hundred houses (400) burnt down by the Cameroon military with something in the neighbourhood of five thousand (5000) held as war prisoners across detention facilities in the country.

Just recently, a military court in the country’s capital, Yaounde, handed life sentence to Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius, leader of the Ambazonia Independence Movement alongside nine (9) members of his retinue. This judgement goes against international standards, disrespecting a previous judgement from the Federal High Court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, demanding that the Nera10 as they’re called be returned to Nigeria where they were picked up as refugees.

In a move to lessen international pressure and contain the violence which still keeps schools and businesses shut down in most parts of these regions, Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya in a televised address to the country on September 20, 2019, called for a Grand National Dialogue.

Observers however opined that the dialogue failed from inception following complaints of its lack of inclusiveness, especially as officials of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party of President Paul Biya manned all activities. This failure was further compounded by the appointment of Prime Minister, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute as the chairman and George Ewane as Spokesperson, all baptismal allies of the President.

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