A Call for Justice and National Reconciliation
To the Bamiléké diaspora and to all Cameroonians who believe in justice
We declare this truth: Cameroon will never heal as long as the hatred weaponized against one of its peoples remains fuel for power. The so-called « Bamiléké problem » is not a Bamiléké issue—it is an open wound in the Republic’s soul. We refuse to make it taboo. We choose to make it a turning point.
I. Our Truth
We emerge from a history forged in sweat, knowledge, trade, solidarity, resistance, and grief. We carry the sacred names of Ruben Um Nyobè, Ernest Ouandié, Félix Moumié, Martin Paul Samba, Wambo le Courant, Fô Nenlo, Ossendé Afana, Abel Kingué, and countless others who gave their lives for freedom.
They tried to transform our success into suspicion, our solidarity into threat, our memory into silence.
Enough.
II. What We Reject
Bamiphobia as a governance tool—whether deployed as a media strategy or whispered reflex in corridors of power.
The ethnicization of political discourse—using tribal identity to discredit citizens, programs, and candidates.
The confiscation of democracy—through manufactured ethnic balances and engineered fears.
The folklorization of our culture—cloth without voice, dance without dignity, celebration without rights.
III. What We Affirm
Cameroon’s diversity is a strategic strength, not a risk to be managed.
Success is not a crime but national capital—whether economic, academic, or cultural achievement by any group.
Memory serves justice—without truth, no reconciliation; without justice, no lasting peace.
Unity grows from fairness, not forgetting.
IV. National Roadmap: What We Demand
Institutional Reforms
- Truth, Memory & Reparations Commission: Independent body addressing politico-ethnic violence from the 1950s to present
- Civic Equality Guarantee Law: Enforceable sanctions against ethnic incitement in administration, media, and politics
- Electoral Reform: Independent management, diaspora participation, transparent candidate endorsements
- Judicial Independence: End exceptional procedures and military tribunals for civilians
Democratic Participation
- Equal Media Access: Transparent, audited airtime distribution across the political spectrum
- Political Party Charter: Ban stigmatizing discourse, mandate funding audits, and enforce democratic primaries
- Diaspora Representation: Consultative voice, effective voting rights, investment incentives
Social Integration
- Regional Development Policy: Public criteria-based allocation—needs, impact, results over allegiance
- Citizenship Education: Plural national history, multilingual curricula, anti-tribalism values
- Economic Empowerment: Protect community savings systems, facilitate productive credit access
V. Citizen Action Plan: Our Immediate Commitment
Documentation and Advocacy
- Name the Wound: Document discrimination incidents, provide legal support to victims
- Strengthen Think Tanks: Join pluralist research institutions, produce actionable policy solutions
Youth Empowerment
- Educational Investment: Debate clubs, scholarships, mentorship programs, student media
- Democratic Formation: Teaching reasoned argument over inflammatory rhetoric
Public Engagement
- Reclaim Narrative Space: Opinion pieces, podcasts, cultural platforms making art political
- Economic Participation: Support local value chains, cooperatives, digital marketplaces
- Electoral Vigilance: Mass voter registration, observer training, anti-fraud culture
Bridge-Building
- Cross-Regional Dialogue: Replace rumor with encounter, suspicion with understanding
- Media Accountability: Challenge, report, boycott platforms normalizing hatred
- Principled Resistance: Seek justice, not vengeance
VI. To Our Sisters and Brothers Across Cameroon
We invite you not to join a clan, but to honor a Republican covenant. The Bamiléké question tests our national maturity—if one group can be publicly humiliated, none of us is truly safe.
Reject the politics of fear. Build the politics of purpose.
VII. Oath of Voix-Plurielles and Free Conscience
We pledge to transform:
- Memory into public policy
- Indignation into institutions
- Pride into collective action
We pledge to speak clearly, act decisively, and extend fellowship without compromising dignity.
We pledge that our celebrations will carry substance, our traditions will champion justice, and our unity will advance strategy.
VIII. Call to Action
Diaspora, rise.
Youth, step forward.
Elders, guide.
Artists, create.
Scholars, illuminate.
Entrepreneurs, invest.
Believers, pray and act.
Civil servants, remember: The State serves no clan.
Cameroon, face the mirror—and choose truth.
A united people cannot be defeated.
A people who remember build unshakeable foundations.
A people who act together change history.