An Open Letter to His Excellency President Paul Biya and the Leadership of Anglophone Movements, Following the Apostolic Visit of His Holiness Pope XIV to Cameroon:
A Call for Reciprocal Concessions and Inclusive Dialogue
Your Excellency,
Distinguished Leaders of the Anglophone Movements,
I write with deep respect and a shared sense of urgency to all parties central to the resolution of the ongoing crisis in Cameroon, in the aftermath of the apostolic visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV from 15 to 18 April 2026.
The Holy Father’s message in Yaoundé, Douala, and especially Bamenda was clear and compelling: peace requires courage, humility, and concrete action from all sides. His call was not directed at one party alone, but at the collective conscience of the nation and its leadership.
Cameroon now stands at a critical crossroads. Years of conflict have inflicted immense suffering—loss of life, destruction of communities, mass displacement, and deepening mistrust. Yet, despite these painful realities, the recent visit has rekindled a fragile but real hope that a different path remains possible.
This moment demands not hardened positions, but shared responsibility.
To the Government of Cameroon, under your leadership, Your Excellency: the responsibility to initiate meaningful confidence-building measures—including the release, pardon, or judicial review of political detainees—and to establish a credible and inclusive framework for dialogue remains both urgent and indispensable.
To the leaders of Anglophone movements: the responsibility to demonstrate commitment to peace through restraint, openness to engagement, and readiness to participate constructively in a negotiated process is equally vital.
Peace cannot emerge where trust is absent—and trust cannot be built without reciprocal gestures.
I therefore respectfully urge the following parallel steps:
From the State: the implementation of concrete confidence-building measures, including the release, pardon, or judicial review of detainees linked to the crisis, and the formal initiation of an inclusive, transparent, and credible dialogue process;
From Anglophone leadership: a clear commitment, where feasible, to reduce hostilities, to publicly endorse dialogue, and to engage in a structured peace process in good faith;
From all parties: a shared and immediate commitment to the protection of civilians, the restoration of education, and the alleviation of humanitarian suffering.
These are not acts of concession born of weakness. They are acts of leadership grounded in responsibility.
At the same time, any meaningful dialogue must be anchored in a framework that ensures neutrality, credibility, and the confidence of all parties, including the presence of mutually acceptable international facilitation.
History has consistently shown that durable peace is not achieved through unilateral victory, but through the difficult yet necessary process of engagement, compromise, and mutual recognition.
The recent visit has opened a rare moral and political window. To ignore it would risk prolonging the suffering of millions. To act upon it, however, could redefine the trajectory of the nation.
Cameroon’s strength has always resided in its diversity. That diversity must now become the foundation for dialogue, not division.
I therefore call upon all parties—government authorities and Anglophone leaders alike—to rise to this moment with courage, restraint, and foresight. Let this be the point at which entrenched positions give way to constructive engagement, and where the pursuit of peace becomes a shared national mission.
The people of Cameroon are watching. The international community is observing. But more importantly, the victims of this crisis—families, children, and displaced persons—are waiting.
May wisdom, restraint, and a genuine commitment to peace guide your decisions.
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
Respectfully,
Willibroad Dze-Ngwa
Historian / Senior Peace and Conflict Analyst
President/Director
Heritage Higher (University) Institute of Peace and Development Studies
Yaoundé, Cameroon
