People
It has always been self-evident even to the blind that the indigenous population of the Southern Cameroons constitute a people separate and distinct from the people of Republique du Cameroun. But true to its logic of destroying us as a people with every right to existence, the colonial occupier keeps repeating ad nauseum that we are “a small linguistic tribal minority” in Republique du Cameroun, not different from minority groups in that country. And this, in spite of the fact that the self-determination plebiscite in the Southern Cameroons was the clearest proof that under international law we constitute a people. A self-determination plebiscite is resorted to by the UN when it is satisfied that the dependent population concerned constitute a people within the meaning of international law. There is also UN Resolution 1608 of 12 April 1961 in which the General Assembly of the UN expressly and advisedly refers to us as a people. With the recent ruling by the African Human Rights Commission in Communication 266/2003 any lingering doubt on this matter has been put beyond question. This point must now be regarded as definitively settled.
One of the foremost implications of the jurisprudence that the indigenous populations of the Southern Cameroons are a people is that they necessarily have a territory and are free to name it as they see fit. There cannot be a people without a territorial link. A people must necessary have a homeland. When the Jews, dispersed as they were all over Europe and America, were recognized as constituting a people the international community had to find a homeland for them. The Jews were settled in part of the British mandated territory of Palestine. They named the area Israel and proclaimed their independence. The populations of the Southern Cameroons are native to the territory they occupy and which the British colonial authorities named as ‘the Southern Cameroons’. It is up to the people to rename that homeland when and by whatever name they chose to, before or on the day of independence.
" title="" target="_self">
Other implications are that the people of the Southern Cameroons, qua people, have the right to:
(i) Self-determination (i.e. the right to freely determine their political status, and the right to freely pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have chosen);
(ii) Existence (the only adequate guarantee of which is sovereign statehood);
(iii) Equality with all other people;
(iv) Enjoy the same respect as all other people;
(v) Have the same rights as all other people (including the right to be free);
(vi) Freedom from domination by another people;
(vii) Free themselves from the bonds of domination by resorting to any means recognised by the international community (i.e. right to resist colonial rule);
(viii) Assistance from States Parties to the African Charter in their liberation struggle against Republique du Cameroun domination;
(ix) National and international peace and security;
(x) Cultural development;
(xi) General satisfactory environment favourable to their development;
(xii) Freely dispose of their wealth and natural resources;
(xiii) Lawful recovery of property and to an adequate compensation in case of spoliation.
Self-determination involves the all-important issues of survival, identity and dignity.
" title="" target="_self">
Comments