Women in Bamenda in their numbers have openly
declared their intention to join the campaign intended to meet the president of
the Republic Paul Biya in his Unity Palace Etoudi office and residence.
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Cross section of the women and participants at the come
together
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The determination of the women to be part of
the campaign was further amplified by the soul touching and horrible stories
shared during the come together by women from various parts of the NW and SW
regions who have lived firsthand the sad incidences emerging from the
Anglophone crisis.
Some of the members of Mothers of the Nation
Campaign from West and the Center regions who visited the NW region lamented
how they saw people in misery. “I have tears in my eyes because of what I have
seen. I am not sure this country has a future…… I have seen issues I think the
government is taking this issue too lightly…. It is very sad” A women in the
team said
Another from Bafia corroborated saying “from
what I have seen, man has lost dignity because of this crisis. Live has no
value here again. I want to see the Head of State. Let’s leave it here, let’s
stop the killings…. When a child suffers it’s the mother that suffers… we have
suffered enough. It’s time for all women to rise. I wish we get to a level
where women will be shot with children in their hands.”
With several testimonies, the meetings almost
turned into mourning come together with everyone almost shading tears for the
current state of affairs.
As saddening and tears provoking as the
stories were, Edith Kah Walla; lead of the group softened the hearts of the
women with the assurance that there was hope based on the fact that many
internally displaced persons IDPs could still receive support from their fellow
brothers and sisters who are providing accommodation for them nationwide.
Another team member who visited some IDPs was
also quick to deny the fact that the lead group of the meet Biya campaign Stand
up for Cameroon does not belong to the Cameroon’s Peoples party CPP insisting
that Mothers of the Nation is a movement created by Cameroonian Women “to cry
out for this country.” She added “I
arrived some places with women housing and taking care of many persons but you
cannot know what they are doing.” She regretted that despite being a
Cameroonian crisis, the ongoing crisis in the NW and SW has been reduced as a
war in the NW/SW. While calling on soldiers to be calm, she insisted that the
crisis must be brought to a halt now.
On the way forward, the lead campaigner Edith
Kah Walla argued that the crisis has been brought to its present level by the
regime in place and so they must be made to leave power with the issue of
marginalisation and violence. According to her, a political transition was
mandatory and women were prepared to take the lead. “We cannot move forward
with all what we have as it is. We must reform the constitution, laws and
institutions.” She said adding that “any discussion now on the form of state is
irrelevant.”
On elections issues she argued that the state
of the electoral process from its registration, elections itself, management
and declaration was not appealing enough to encourage participation reason why
the mothers of the nation campaign was not interested in talking that now.
Cameroonian women Kah concluded must turn out in their numbers to face the
reality and stand up for their country.
After being a grassroots politician for over
11years, Kah Walla thinks that those who appear only ceremonially at elections
time should not be listened to. “We are doing are best to provide grassroots
leadership” she said.
The next march whose date has not been
announced will not be long with over 1000 women expected in the nation’s
capital.
Prior to the Bamenda meeting, Kah Walla and
team visited Ewoh village where many are internally displaced. She later
visited a home in Bamenda hosting over 44persons displaced because of the
crisis. At Press time she was to meet the governor of the NW.