Malcolm Milne may have sensed the fragility of the foundation. But the future of Cameroon will not be determined by memoirs alone. It will be determined by courage, constitutional honesty, and the shared commitment of its people to peace. And peace, above all, must be the common ground.
By Ali Dan Ismael, Editor-in-Chief, The Independentistnews
In the final years of British rule in Southern Cameroons, one man stood quietly at the hinge of history. His name was Malcolm Milne — the last British Deputy Commissioner in the territory.
He was not a revolutionary. He was not a nationalist leader. He was a colonial officer tasked with supervising a transition. Yet in later years, he would emerge as something more: a witness who believed the political marriage of 1961 carried the seeds of future conflict.
Nearly four decades later, in his memoir No Telephone to Heaven, Milne reflected on the events surrounding reunification with a tone that was neither triumphant nor nostalgic. It was reflective — and cautionary.
A Reluctant Midwife to a New Nation
Between 1959 and 1961, Milne oversaw the final administrative steps that would determine Southern Cameroons’ future. The United Nations organized a plebiscite offering two choices: integration with Nigeria or union with the Republic of Cameroun. What was missing, Milne privately believed, was a third option — full independence. That option never appeared on the ballot.
When the people voted to join La République du Cameroun, the path was set. But for Milne, the decision was not the end of the story. It was the beginning of an experiment whose durability he quietly doubted.
Foumban: Where Foundations Were Laid
Milne was present during the historic Foumban Conference, where constitutional terms of union were discussed. Across the negotiating table stood President Ahmadou Ahidjo, representing a centralized Francophone republic. Representing Southern Cameroons were leaders such as John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna, whose political heritage was rooted in British parliamentary practice and Common Law.
Milne later suggested that the Southern Cameroons delegation was underprepared for the legal and constitutional complexities of the negotiations. Britain, eager to conclude its trusteeship, appeared determined to complete the transfer quickly. In Milne’s assessment, Southern Cameroons was entering what he described as a “union of unequals.”
The Fear of Institutional Erosion
Milne’s concerns were not framed in emotional terms. They were structural. He feared that the centralized administrative culture of Yaoundé would gradually override the federal safeguards intended to protect:
The Common Law system
The Anglo-Saxon educational framework, Regional administrative autonomy. He reportedly urged leaders to secure stronger constitutional guarantees before the British departure. Once Britain left, he warned, there would be no external authority to mediate disputes if centralization advanced. When the federal system was dissolved in 1972 and replaced with a unitary state, many later observers viewed that development as validation of Milne’s earlier apprehensions.
A Prophecy Revisited
By 1999, when Milne published his memoir amid rising Anglophone activism, he expressed little surprise at the tensions unfolding. To him, the crisis was not sudden. It was the delayed consequence of a fragile constitutional compromise.
He believed that friction would emerge first around identity-linked institutions — the courts, the schools, and local governance. In that sense, his reflections have often been cited as prophetic.
The Continuing Debate
One enduring question remains whether a formal bilateral treaty of union was signed between President Ahidjo and Prime Minister Foncha. Some argue that ambiguity surrounding the legal foundation of reunification fuels present-day grievances. Others contend that the 1961 federal constitution provided sufficient legal legitimacy.
Milne’s position, as interpreted by many, emphasized the importance of explicit safeguards and clarity — protections that could not easily be undone by shifting political majorities.
Beyond 1961: A Call for Peace
On September 30, 1961, leaders stood together to mark the birth of the Federal Republic of Cameroon — West Cameroon and East Cameroon joined under one flag. It was described as a gentleman’s agreement. A hopeful moment. A new beginning.
More than sixty years later, history remains contested, memories remain divided, and interpretations vary. Yet one truth stands above all political debate:
Cameroon is a country of immense beauty, diversity, and potential. The present challenge is not merely to revisit the past — but to shape a future where: Institutional protections are respected. Historical grievances are acknowledged. Dialogue replaces violence. Unity is built on justice rather than assumption.
Malcolm Milne may have sensed the fragility of the foundation. But the future of Cameroon will not be determined by memoirs alone. It will be determined by courage, constitutional honesty, and the shared commitment of its people to peace. And peace, above all, must be the common ground.
Ali Dan Ismael, Editor-in-Chief
Leave feedback about this