THE PARADOX OF THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS (Part 3 of 4) JUST WISHFUL THINKING?? Supporters of the Southern Cameroons thesis say they want the Southern Cameroons territory to be restored to its “rightful owners”. But who will do it? There is a saying that power is grabbed, not given. Besides, the United Nations does not up countries. But it can recognize a people who forcefully take up arms and fight their way to autonomy. That is not the case with our Southern Cameroons leaders. They have proved to be solid on three points: talk, talk and talk. They are like toothless dogs that bark but do not bite. UNEQUAL SHOW OF STRENGTH Even so, if the Southern Cameroons were to start a war, it is unlikely to win. Their claim, that it is they who are neighbours with Nigeria and not “La République” is flawed because if they think Nigeria would support them against “La République”, then they ought to think twice.. Nigeria has learned firsthand what the ravages of a civil war can be, after fighting and surviving their four decades ago. The other reason for Nigeria’s reluctance to enter a war against Yaounde is that just like Yaounde, Abuja has very strong ties with Paris. Today, French is the second official language in Nigeria, after English. Besides, French investment in Nigeria is very significant. The volume of trade between Nigeria and France is so heavy that it surpasses that with some traditional Francophone African countries. FRANCE IS BOTH HERE AND THERE For those who do not know it, France will not relent on its efforts to “capture” Nigeria and bring it into its fold. For one thing, Nigeria is an indisputable giant in Africa South of the Sahara. As such, the country can be a very strategic partner for France. Furthermore, straddled between Francophone countries to the east, west and north, France would very much want to use Nigeria as a stepping stone and a buffer state when it comes to its former territories with which it already enjoys good relations. It must be understood that as a nation, France is a sensitive country to which friendship is paramount. That is why today, Africa’s lone Spanish-speaking country, Equatorial Guinea, is virtually a Francophone country. It has joined the CFA franc zone and embraced the French language to the extent that the language is gaining more and more ground in that country. As a matter of fact, when this writer while in Malabo some years ago asked the Equato-Guinean Minister of State in Charge of External Relations whether Madrid was not offended by the growing ties with Paris, the minister was categorical. He replied: “To be honest with you, what we have gained from France in ten years, we never gained from Spain since independence. So if we had to choose between France and Spain, we would choose France.” BRITAIN? COUNT THEM OUT The SCNC will be making a monumental error if it thinks the British will support its separatist ambitions. British colonial policy was such that once they left a territory, they left with the little they had and never came back. It was as if on leaving they shook the dust off their feet and said: “God riddance”. That is why in Britain, when someone introduces himself as coming from Cameroon, the first reaction of the British person is: “So, you speak French?” That is because many of them are ignorant or simply do not care that their country once had ties with Cameroon. Also, unlike the French, the British are not good at wooing and keeping friends. That is why higher education is very expensive for foreign students in Britain. Yet many foreign students are from the so-called (poor) Third World countries which are known for their high rate of poverty. Britain charges the foreign student at least six times what the same student is charged in France. Some observers have even asserted that Britain is blatantly and callously milking foreign students dry in order to remain fat. BUILDING ON A POROUS FOUNDATION The problem is that the approach and strategy chosen by the SCNC are porous. Firstly, the SCNC has always been imbued with a confidence which although praiseworthy, is unfortunately not backed by any solid courage. The pressure group wants autonomy but is not prepared to stand the heat that comes with it. In fact, its approach reminds one of the legendary mice who agreed it was necessary to bell the cat so that whenever it was nearby, they would be warned by the ringing bell and then escape. The plan was hailed by all the mice present but when the key question was asked as to who exactly would bell the cat, no one was willing to do it. As a result the plan flopped for want of implementation. As such, the SCNC appears to be knowingly or unknowingly practicing the counterproductive strategy of the ostrich which when confronted by an adversary, buries its head in the sand and thinks it has hidden itself. THE EMPEROR`S NAKED CLOTHES The SCNC seems to be suffering from political inexperience. Some years ago, it dispatched some of its members to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. On their way back to Cameroon, they stopped over in London to brief their brethren in the United Kingdom. They triumphantly toasted victory. When asked concretely what they had achieved at the United Nations, they had nothing to show. Their only victory was the fact that they had been received and listened to by someone. But the United National headquarters is a public office where anyone can be received. A couple of years back, the SCNC boasted that it had taken its case to an international Dakar-based arbitration body. But then, apart from the fact that the body in question does not have the powers to enforce a decision on any country, it contented itself with advising the SCNC to create a political party and work from within it. Surely that was not what the SCNC had expected. Today, the pressure group (because that is what it really is) is more divided than ever before. It is in factions, splintered and maimed. THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY ///////////////////////////////////////// FOR PART 4 OF 4 , PS FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO THE APPROPRIATE PAGE OF MY BLOG http://tmazonga.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-paradox-of-scnc-part-4-of-4the.html