Cameroon opposition leader: “Federalism is the solution”

Cameroon’s opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, has told reporters that a system of federalism is the ideal solution to the country’s separatist crisis. 

Speaking in an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle, the leader of Cameroon’s MRC opposition party stated that a federalist system would bring peace to the country’s anglophone regions. 

“My position is quite clear. I said that decentralization is not a solution anymore. I clearly stated that the solution is federalism. I have always said that it is not two-state federalism. We'll start with our own form, discuss it, and agree on what they would like to see in their own state as part of the federal government or system in Cameroon,” he told reporters. 

Mr Kamto’s interview took place only a few months after he was released from prison, having been held in custody for nine months on charges of insurrection. He used the platform to express his concern for the treatment of Cameroon’s imprisoned militants. 

“What shocked me the most was the torture against many of our militants. So, that was a matter of concern because people are still being tortured today in Cameroon,” he said. 

Mr Kamto also took the opportunity to address Cameroon’s upcoming elections, stating that they would do little to alter the situation and that more fundamental changes in attitude were required.

“If you lead a country, you should make sure that you address the concerns of the people. If people in the English-speaking part of the country say that they have a problem with the government, and you tell them you don't care, it means that there is something wrong. With the situation in the English-speaking part of the country and the whole electoral holdup in 2018, that's why we made the decision not to participate in this year's elections,” he said. 

Cameroon’s government has been grappling with intensifying unrest in the country’s Northwest and Southwest regions since 2017, when English-speaking separatists declared independence from the majority French-speaking population under the new nation of Ambazonia. 

In a message of hope towards the current crisis, Mr Kamto identified himself as someone “who will always do his best to bring peace and rebuild a new Cameroon where people live together where the youth have a place.”

Photo: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters