The Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun both emerged from United Nations Trust Territories. Questions of self-determination and political status are not merely internal administrative matters but touch upon principles of international law and human rights. These issues deserve careful, principled engagement.
By A Patriot and Contributor to The Independentistnews
Your Holiness,
It is with a heavy heart that we write to you as faithful Christians and as a people deeply wounded by conflict. We do so not in hostility, but in sorrow and moral concern.
There appears to be a recurring pattern in which Papal visits to Cameroon coincide with moments of political contestation, particularly following disputed elections. In such contexts, even a pastoral visit—however spiritually motivated—risks being interpreted as conferring legitimacy upon political authorities whose mandates are contested by significant portions of the population.
For nearly nine years, the people of the Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) have endured a devastating armed conflict following a declaration of war by the government of La République du Cameroun. Entire villages have been burned, civilians killed, thousands displaced, and properties destroyed. Yet many among our people feel that the suffering in this region has not received the clear and forceful moral attention it deserves from the universal Church.
We ask respectfully: can a Papal visit proceed without directly acknowledging the grave humanitarian crisis in the Anglophone regions? Would silence on these matters not risk being interpreted as indifference? And would such perception not wound the credibility of the Church among the afflicted?
Your Holiness, during the recent visit of the Apostolic Nuncio to Bamenda, public reactions revealed deep pain and unresolved anguish among the faithful. We humbly suggest that these sentiments be carefully reviewed before any decision is made regarding a visit to this war-torn territory. A Papal journey is never merely ceremonial; it carries profound symbolic weight.
The most recent elections were widely boycotted in the Southern Cameroons, yet official results reported overwhelming participation and support within the same territory. This contradiction has further eroded trust in national institutions. Many fear that a high-profile international visit could be perceived as validating a political order they believe to be imposed and unlawful.
We recall that respected church leaders of blessed memory, including Cardinal Christian Tumi and Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua Verdzekov, consistently urged dialogue, justice, and a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Appeals were made to the Holy See for moral intervention and mediation. The pain persists because those calls remain unanswered in the eyes of many victims.
We therefore pose, with humility and urgency, an alternative path: rather than visiting amid unresolved conflict, might Your Holiness consider convening the concerned parties at the Vatican under the Church’s moral authority? Such a gesture would embody the Church’s historic role as mediator, peacemaker, and defender of human dignity.
The Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun both emerged from United Nations Trust Territories. Questions of self-determination and political status are not merely internal administrative matters but touch upon principles of international law and human rights. These issues deserve careful, principled engagement.
Your Holiness, should you decide to visit, we pray that your message will clearly affirm justice, condemn violence against civilians, and call unambiguously for dialogue grounded in truth. Only such clarity can preserve the Church’s moral authority among a people who continue to suffer.
We seek guidance on how to receive such a visit in a spirit consistent with our conscience, our faith, and our longing for justice.
May the Holy Spirit grant you wisdom in this delicate matter.
Respectfully submitted.
The Patriot
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