The French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guilhou has learnt of the situation prevailing in the Anglophone regions from youths attending a peace building workshop organized by Youth Outreach Programme, YOP, in Bafoussam on Friday December 6, 2019. Speaking to the Ambassador, the youths described the heightened insecurity in most communities like Nkambe, Kumba, Wum and other places across these two regions and advocated for increased support to IDPs.
An activist with knowledge of the situation describe the collapse various services like health and education. Speaking to The Voice he said,
“The situation on the ground in Nkambe is not fine as people claim. People cannot travel freely. Around Nkambe Central schools are going on and that is all. The situation is not the best and we hope that the Ambassador can carry this message to the govt. We think our role as peace advocates is to lay emphasis on the truth on as it is”
Another participant asked the Ambassador,
“How can you tell people it is okay when all they have in their minds is the violence? I have people who have lost their families, people who are in the bushes and all they need is someone to hold them and say it is going to be okay.”
Ambassador Christophe Guilhou told the participants he was very moved by the various testimonies and happy to learn firsthand of their day to day experience and to know what people feel. The trip to Bafoussam was his second outing from Yaounde and comes after his first visit to the South West region where he visited French government sponsored projects.
The capacity building event with the youths was facilitated by Youth Outreach Programme, a CSO with over 25 years of working with young people. Mr. Songwe its coordinator said it was extremely vital for the youths who are largely affected by the conflict to have an opportunity to tell the French Ambassador their experience. During the exchange no administrative authority was present which enabled the young people to speak openly.
It should be recalled that many in the English speaking region perceive France as part of the problem faced in these regions, reason why the initiative to talk to the Ambassador directly was a welcomed initiative enabling youths to reiterate why the Anglophone Crisis is still a burning issue to be tackled
