2016–17 Cameroonian protests

2016 Cameroon protest
Part of the Anglophone problem
SWAT vehicle with water cannon from a riot police in Bamenda during protests in 2016.
Date	6 October 2016 – October 2017
Location	Northwest Region and Southwest Region (former Southern Cameroons), Cameroon
Caused by	Language and marginalization[1]
Goals	To protect the common law system of Anglophone Cameroonians[2]
Methods	Demonstrations, ghost town, shutdown of schools
Resulted in	Outbreak of the Anglophone Crisis
Parties
Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC), activist and Ambazonian separatist groups Government of Cameroon
Lead figures
Felix Agbor Balla Fontem Neba Paul Biya
Casualties and losses
27 killed, many injured[3][4] None

The 2016–2017 Cameroonian protests (later known as the Coffin Revolution^[5]) were a series of protests that occurred following the appointment of Francophone judges in English-speaking areas of the Republic of Cameroon.^[6] In October 2016, protests began in two primarily English-speaking regions: the Northwest Region and the Southwest Region.^[7]

On November 23, 2016, it was reported that at least two people were killed and 100 protesters were arrested in Bamenda, a city in the Northwest Region.^[8][9] In September 2017, the protests and the government's response to them escalated into an armed conflict between pro-Ambazonia factions and the Cameroonian government.

The protests began on October 6, 2016 as a sit-down strike initiated by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC), an organization consisting of lawyer and teacher trade unions from the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The strike was led by Barrister Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba, and Tassang Wilfred.^[10]

Common law lawyers of Anglophone Cameroons were said to have written an appeal letter to the government over the use of French in schools and courtrooms in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon. In an effort to protect the English culture, they began a sit-down strike in all courtrooms on October 6, 2016. Peaceful protests began with marches in the cities of Bamenda, Buea, and Limbe calling for the protection of the common law system in Anglophone Cameroon. They asked for the common law system to be practiced in Anglophone courts and not the civil law used by the French-speaking magistrate. Laws such as the OHADA uniform acts, CEMAC code, and others should be translated into English.

They also asked that the common law system of education in Anglophone universities such as the University of Buea and the University of Bamenda should be addressed by the creation of a law school.^[11] The government responded by sending security forces to fire tear gas and allegedly assault protesters and lawyers.^[12][13] During November 2016 thousands of teachers in the Anglophone regions joined the lawyers to protect English culture in Anglophone Cameroon, asking that the French language not be used in schools and courtrooms in English-speaking regions of Cameroon.^[14][7] All schools were shut down in the Anglophone regions, only two months and three weeks after the start of 2016/2017 academic year.

Within two weeks, more than 100 activists had reportedly been arrested. Six were reported dead. Unconfirmed videos released over social media depicted a variety of violent scenes, including demonstrators "parading the dead body of an activist, barricades set ablaze, [and] police brutally beating protesters and firing tear gas against the crowds".^[15][7]

In his yearly New Year's message to the country, Paul Biya discussed the protests and the Anglophone problem (although without mentioning the phrase 'Anglophone problem'). He said,

All the voices that spoke have been heard. They have, in many cases, raised substantive issues that cannot be overlooked. I have enjoined the Government to engage in frank dialogue with the various parties concerned to find appropriate solutions to the issues raised. I urge them to participate, without any bias, in the various discussions. However, we should never forget that we are walking in the footsteps of our country's founding fathers, our national heroes, who shed their blood to bequeath to posterity a nation that is united in its diversity. Cameroon's unity is, therefore, a precious legacy with which no one should take liberties. Any claim, no matter how relevant, loses its legitimacy once it jeopardizes, even slightly, the building of national unity. Do I need to repeat this? Cameroon is one and indivisible! It shall so remain.^[16]

In response, the government of Cameroon created an ad hoc committee to dialogue with members of the CACSC led by Tassang Wilfred in Bamenda from the Consortium and minister Jacques Fame Ndongo in January 2017. The first meeting was not fruitful, as the consortium members demanded the government release all arrested before any dialogue; more cases of arrest continued and were condemned by the Consortium members in the bid to solve the Anglophone problems. They presented a draft for federalism which was condemned by the government, and on January 17, 2017, through a ministerial decree signed by minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi, the CACSC and SCNC were banned in Cameroon, and their activities were described as illegal and against the security and unity of Cameroon. A few days later, two members of the Cameroon civil society were arrested, Agbor Balla and Fontem Neba.^[17][18]

More than 13,000 Anglophone Cameroonians residing in Maryland began to protest and called for international bodies to help stop the arrests and marginalization in Cameroon. On June 27, United States Congressman Anthony Brown filed a petition with the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to call for the government of Cameroon to immediately show concern and solve the ongoing crises.^[19] The United States condemned the loss of life and brutality against Anglophone protesters.^[20]

Around January 17, 2017, reports emerged that an Internet blockade had been implemented in major cities of the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon; many suspected it was a government ploy to disorganize and stamp out the Anglophone protests.^[21]

On Friday, September 22, 2017, thousands of protesters came to the street demanding full independence across villages, towns, and cities in Southern Cameroons. In Buea, the capital of Southern Cameroons, freedom fighters took down a national flag outside a police station while officers looked on and hoisted the blue and white striped flag of Ambazonia (Southern Cameroons), while young boys painted their faces blue and white to represent the territory and chanted "We want freedom". About eight people were reportedly killed, with photos circulating in social media.
On Friday, President Paul Biya, who had been in power for 35 years, was addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, and thousands of Anglophone protesters rallied for independence at the UN headquarters, led by Ayaba Cho Lucas, Sisiku Tabe Ayuk, Barrister Bobga Harmony, and others.^[22][23][24]

Anglophone separatists declared independence from Cameroon on Sunday, October 1, 2017. Peaceful marches took place on the streets of the English-speaking regions; the protests occurred in several towns : Buea, Bamenda, Kumba, Kumbo, and Mamfe. Protesters carried leaves to symbolize freedom and sang songs as they celebrated their independence. The government responded by deploying fully armed soldiers to Anglophone regions. On October 2, Amnesty International reported that at least 17 people were killed in a military confrontation.^[25][26]

• Anglophone Crisis
• Anglophone problem (Cameroon)

• The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC)
  • War Crimes in Ambazonia: Condemning Cameroon's Violent Occupation**

On January 10th, 2017, the village of Mautu, Fako State, Ambazonia, became the latest victim of the brutal conflict between the people of Ambazonia and Cameroon’s occupation forces. In a violent attack, over nine innocent civilians were abducted, and several others were injured. This incident is yet another stark reminder of the human rights violations and war crimes that have plagued this region since the start of the conflict.

The abduction of civilians, indiscriminate violence, and extrajudicial killings have become an all-too-common occurrence in the war-torn areas of Ambazonia. Cameroon’s military continues to target civilian populations, deepening the humanitarian crisis and violating the most basic tenets of international law. This assault on unarmed civilians is not an isolated event, but part of a broader campaign of terror aimed at subjugating the people of Ambazonia.

Under international law, such actions are clear violations of human rights and constitute war crimes. Civilians should never be the targets of violence, and their abduction for any reason is a grave injustice. The repeated assaults on villages like Mautu expose the complete disregard of Cameroon’s forces for international legal standards, and their indifference to the human suffering caused by their military operations.

The international community can no longer turn a blind eye to the ongoing atrocities in Ambazonia. The Cameroonian government must be held accountable for these heinous acts, and pressure must be applied to end the violence against innocent civilians. Humanitarian aid organizations must also be given unhindered access to the affected regions to provide much-needed assistance to the victims of this senseless war.

The people of Ambazonia have the right to live in peace and security, free from the terror imposed by an occupying military force. Until the violence ends and justice is served, the suffering of civilians in Ambazonia will remain a grave stain on the conscience of the international community.