CI-NEWS

“Separatists do not represent the aspirations of The Diaspora”- Paddy Asanga, activist in the Diaspo

2019-10-08

No: 450

“Separatists do not represent the aspirations of The Diaspora”- Paddy Asanga, activist in the Diaspora.

What motivated you to attend this event?

I was invited to this national dialogue which we have all been longing for, for some time now. I took upon myself to come and see and give my own contribution to make sure that we don’t practice the politics of empty chair. You want to bear with me that during the legislative elections of 1992, the SDF boycotted, the opposition won and actually formed the Presidential majority, voted all the bad laws that we have today and it is where we have been trapped. The country has been taken hostage by bad laws. When an opportunity like this comes up, I think it is the time for everybody to come and give his or her own voice, to give his or her own contribution.

What’s your appraisal of the dialogue so far?

When they talk of national inclusive transparent dialogue, it should be transparent and we are here to see the sincerity of what the government is offering to our people. So, we are like the vanguard, you know the Diaspora has played a very important role and its absence to this dialogue would have been catastrophic, that is why we are here today. Some of us are afraid, some of us have braved that element of fear, but it is not my first time coming to Cameroon during this crisis, this is actually my third time and before the government even created the disarmament commission, I took upon myself on social media to start de-radicalising the armed youths. The first boys who came out of the bush before any other person started talking disarmament, we did it and we went to our village, Baba II after the SDF Chairman’s house was burnt, to remove those boys (from the bushes) and tell them that was not the right way.

Assess the work done after two days.

On the first day, we came out very dissatisfied, angry and we were almost going back but we were called back and our complaints were tabled to the authorities that be. Some amendments were made and we think of moving forward. It is the outcome that will portray the sincerity of this dialogue. We all want Cameroon to stay one and indivisible but we think that there are some fundamental issues we need to address.

What are the issues?

It is time for us now to ensure we give power back to the people and that is what we have come to discuss and tell Cameroonians it is their right. We are angry, we are frustrated but we have to sit together and talk because we don’t want foreigners to intervene into our internal affairs. We can sit down among ourselves and do the right things. I think we are mature enough today to take decisions that matter to us as Cameroonians and Africans.

What message to the separatists and other compatriots in the Diaspora who did not show up?

All the separatists are my friends, they are my brothers and I am telling them that there is still an opening and it is time for us to sit down and talk. When I get back to the Diaspora, I will reach out to them and tell them that there is no way we are going to get it because they are not on the right path. They don’t have my mandate. Who mandated them to pick arms on my behalf? So that is why I think we should tell our young boys and girls the truth and engage in de-radicalisation, telling them that this radical mentality is only going to lead to death.

Culled from Cameroon Insider.

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“Separatists do not represent the aspirations of The Diaspora”- Paddy Asanga, activist in the Diaspo