FIVE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS ANGLOPHONES MUST CONFRONT: THE ROAD TO FREEDOM BEGINS WITH SELF-ACCOUNTABILITY

The difficult question is therefore not simply what Cameroon has done to Anglophones. It is also what Anglophones are prepared to change within their own institutions, leadership practices, and communities. Because winning the argument for political freedom is not the same as building a free society. And the cost of failing to understand that distinction may be borne by generations yet unborn.

By Ali Dan Ismael
Senior Editor, The Independentist News

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The greatest tragedy of an oppressed people is not necessarily the injustice they have endured. Another danger emerges when generations become so consumed by confronting external oppression that they neglect the failures, contradictions, and abuses developing within their own communities.

For decades, Anglophones in Cameroon have raised serious grievances concerning constitutional arrangements, political marginalization, economic exclusion, cultural identity, and the erosion of institutions associated with the former British Southern Cameroons.

The conflict that escalated in 2016–2017 has compounded these grievances through displacement, insecurity, interrupted education, shattered livelihoods, and profound uncertainty about the future. Yet one question deserves equal courage: Can a people demand accountability from those governing them while refusing to hold their own leaders accountable?

Five uncomfortable truths must be confronted.

OUR OWN ELITES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR UNDERDEVELOPMENT

Yaoundé must answer for its policies, decisions, and institutional responsibilities. But that accountability does not exempt Anglophone political, traditional, business, and intellectual elites from examining their own conduct. Where are the transformative industries, productive investments, agricultural enterprises, research institutions, and employment opportunities that our communities desperately need?

Some influential individuals have pursued political appointments, public contracts, personal enrichment, and proximity to power while contributing comparatively little to long-term institutional development. Others criticize political arrangements privately while publicly defending them when personal advantages are at stake.

A community cannot build a culture of accountability by applying one standard to external authorities and another to its own leadership. We cannot condemn exploitation in Yaoundé while excusing exploitation within our communities.

INDEPENDENCE IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC GUARANTEE OF PROSPERITY

Self-determination is a serious political aspiration. But the achievement of statehood and the successful construction of a state are two different undertakings. South Sudan achieved independence in 2011. Its subsequent civil war and institutional challenges demonstrate that sovereign status alone does not guarantee security, prosperity, or accountable governance.

For Southern Cameroons, the questions of state-building deserve rigorous examination. How would public institutions be financed? What monetary and fiscal systems would be sustainable? How would security, healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and international relations be administered?

Most importantly, what safeguards would prevent a new governing class from reproducing the corruption, authoritarianism, and exclusion that many citizens already condemn? These are not arguments against independence. They are questions that any serious nation-building project must answer.

Political sovereignty without accountable institutions can reproduce the very injustices it was intended to overcome.

NO POLITICAL CAUSE SHOULD CONDEMN AN ENTIRE GENERATION TO IGNORANCE

Among the most devastating consequences of the conflict is the disruption of children’s education. Schools have been closed or attacked, educators threatened, families displaced, and learning interrupted.

The consequences extend far beyond missed examinations. Lost schooling can affect lifetime earnings, professional opportunities, scientific capacity, public institutions, and the economic prospects of entire communities. What future are political actors claiming to defend if children are denied the opportunity to prepare for it?

The Cameroonian authorities have responsibilities to protect civilians and ensure safe access to education. Armed separatist groups must also refrain from attacks, threats, and coercive practices affecting schools, teachers, and students.

No political position—independence, federalism, autonomy, or continued unitary government—justifies violence against children or the deliberate destruction of their educational future. A political victory achieved at the expense of a generation’s education risks becoming a victory without a future.

INTERNAL DIVISIONS MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES MORE VULNERABLE

Anglophone communities possess considerable human talent, professional expertise, financial resources, and international connections. Yet tribal rivalries, regional suspicions, leadership struggles, and ideological intolerance have too often obstructed cooperation.

Political disagreement is sometimes treated as betrayal. Constructive criticism becomes an accusation of disloyalty. Loyalty to individual leaders may be demanded at the expense of loyalty to principles. These divisions can be exploited by actors seeking political advantage, influence, or control over resources.

But unity does not require uniformity. A person may support independence while rejecting attacks on civilians. Another may support federation while criticizing government abuses. Others may advocate alternative constitutional arrangements without abandoning their concern for the welfare of affected communities.

Their differences should not erase their shared humanity. Good schools, functioning hospitals, secure property rights, productive employment, reliable infrastructure, and accountable institutions are concerns that cross political divisions. A society that cannot tolerate disagreement risks recreating authoritarianism under a different political name.

THE SUFFERING OF OUR PEOPLE MUST NEVER BECOME SOMEBODY ELSE’S BUSINESS MODEL

The diaspora has made significant contributions to humanitarian assistance, public awareness, community organization, and support for displaced families. Many individuals have sacrificed money, time, professional opportunities, and personal security to help those affected by the conflict.

Those contributions deserve recognition. Nevertheless, humanitarian and political fundraising must remain subject to transparent accounting. When funds are collected for displaced families, refugees, detainees, or vulnerable communities, contributors and intended beneficiaries deserve credible information about their use.

Who receives the money? Who authorizes expenditures? What records exist? What safeguards protect beneficiaries? Are independent financial reviews possible? Concerns about misappropriation or exploitation must be investigated on their evidence rather than used to accuse an entire diaspora or political movement.

Genuine asylum claims, lawful advocacy, and legitimate fundraising deserve protection. Fraud, diversion of humanitarian resources, and coercion deserve accountability wherever they occur. Human suffering must never become a commercial opportunity for those claiming to speak on behalf of its victims.

THE REAL STRUGGLE IS ALSO ABOUT THE SOCIETY WE INTEND TO BUILD

None of these observations absolves the Cameroonian government of responsibility for its actions, the protection of civilians, or the pursuit of credible responses to historical and contemporary grievances. Nor do they erase the political aspirations of Southern Cameroonians. But historical grievances do not eliminate the obligation of internal accountability.

We cannot demand democracy while excusing authoritarian conduct among our own leaders. We cannot condemn corruption in government while celebrating corruption among influential members of our communities. We cannot demand transparent governance while refusing to scrutinize those who collect money, exercise political influence, or claim public authority in our name.

Above all, we cannot claim to defend future generations while accepting the destruction of their education, security, and economic opportunities. The future of Southern Cameroons—whatever constitutional direction ultimately emerges—will depend not only on political agreements but on institutional competence, economic productivity, civic protection, respect for disagreement, and enforceable accountability.

The difficult question is therefore not simply what Cameroon has done to Anglophones. It is also what Anglophones are prepared to change within their own institutions, leadership practices, and communities. Because winning the argument for political freedom is not the same as building a free society. And the cost of failing to understand that distinction may be borne by generations yet unborn.

Ali Dan Ismael
Senior Editor
The Independentist News