LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Re: Eric Chinje and the Betrayal of the Truth.
To the Editor,
I write in response to the recent ABS interview in which veteran journalist Eric Chinje, once a staunch and articulate voice for Ambazonian self-determination, declared that Ambazonian independence is nothing more than a “pipe dream.” Coming from the author of the seminal piece “Understanding the Civil War in Cameroon”, this volte-face is not only disappointing — it is dangerous.
In that essay, Mr. Chinje boldly admitted that “Cameroon is a nation at war,” and rightly traced the roots of this war to the betrayal of the 1961 federal agreement, the illegal dismantling of the West Cameroon government, and the systematic marginalization of the Anglophone people. He acknowledged, without ambiguity, that Anglophones had exhausted political avenues and had every moral and historical right to resist.
What, then, has changed? Not the facts. Not the oppression. Not the aspirations of the people. Only Mr. Chinje’s voice has changed — and one is left to wonder: is this the result of state pressure, elite capture, or simply the weariness of conscience compromised by comfort?
Unfortunately, Mr. Chinje is not alone. Like Hon. Paul Tasong, Hon. Minister Paul Ghogomu, and many others — all once products of the moral rigour and excellence of Sacred Heart College — he now appears caught in the web of the Bulu-Beti system of bribery and betrayal. That even our most educated have become enablers of tyranny is a sober reminder: the enemy may wear your school colors.
But Ambazonians are not dreaming. They are resisting because history demands it. From South Sudan to Eritrea, from Namibia to East Timor, independence struggles were once called foolish — until they became inevitable. Ambazonia has the territory, the legal precedent, the national consciousness, and now, the martyrs’ blood to back its claim.
If Mr. Chinje has fallen silent before the storm, let him go in peace. But let him not mistake his fatigue for truth, or his doubts for destiny. The people of Ambazonia will decide that — and history will not forget who stood for freedom and who bowed before fear.
Sincerely,
Johnny P.
Surrey, United Kingdom.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Dangers of MRC in Ambazonia: A Repeat of the Foncha Betrayal.
To the Editor,
There is a dangerous and familiar wind blowing across the territory of Ambazonia, and it carries the faint but unmistakable scent of betrayal. The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), led by Professor Maurice Kamto, has begun to flirt with ideas of expanding its influence into the Anglophone heartland. To many, this may seem like an innocent call for national unity. But history teaches us otherwise.
What we are witnessing today is disturbingly reminiscent of the 1960s One Cameroon movement, when John Ngu Foncha, once a trusted nationalist leader of the British Southern Cameroons, opened the gates to political infiltration under the guise of pan-Cameroon unity. The architects of that infiltration? Many were Bamileke refugees fleeing civil war in French Cameroun. They did not come as guests seeking peace. They came as agents of assimilation, ready to use the Southern Cameroons as a launching pad for political survival, not mutual freedom.
Today, MRC’s posturing as a national alternative to Biya’s regime, while superficially appealing, conceals a similar agenda. Its silence on the genocide in Ambazonia, its lack of a clear stance on the colonial status of Southern Cameroons, and its attempts to recruit Anglophone sympathizers without acknowledging the history of betrayal — these are all red flags. Let us be clear: the MRC is not a liberation movement. It is a rebranding of the same colonial project dressed in opposition robes.
But Ambazonia is not defenseless. Across the homeland, grassroots structures are rising to take ownership of our destiny. A shining example of this was the installation of the Mezam County Bureau by Secretary-General Christopher Ndong, a bold reaffirmation that governance and legitimacy must now emanate from within, not from imposed regimes or foreign party structures. This act was not symbolic — it was strategic. It reminds the world that Ambazonians are organizing, resisting, and building their own institutions, even under siege.
We must not repeat the mistakes of the past. Ambazonians have already lost a generation to the lies of reunification. We have been jailed, bombed, burned, and buried — not because we sought to destroy a country, but because we insisted on the right to be a people.
To invite the MRC into our struggle now would be to undo decades of resistance and erase the sacrifices of our martyrs. Just like in the 60s, they come with warm words and open hands. But make no mistake: behind their slogans is the same centralist, Francophone agenda that robbed us of our nationhood.
Let us not be deceived again. This time, Ambazonia must stand alone — or not at all.
Sincerely,
Peter Chi
Bamenda, Ambazonia.
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