Atanga Nji Rules Out Dialogue, Issues Laying Down of Arms Ultimatum Instead

The colonial minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji in an interview granted the state-broadcaster CRTV, maintained La Republique’s long-standing position that Yaounde will not broker any arrangement that sought to fragment the fragile unity of the country.

On the political talk-show, Actualite Hebdo, he tried to buttress the idea that colonial president Paul Biya has prioritized security above everything else because it provides a conducive environment for investment.

Comfortable in his new role as interior minister, the ex-con delivered what he will consider a thirty day period of grace for Restoration Forces to lay down the weapons, vowing that ”it is the law that will take its course” should they fail to comply.

Atanga Nji Rules Out Dialogue, Issues Laying Down of Arms Ultimatum Instead

Atanga Nji, since his installation has been on an apology tour. Having visited both Northern and Southern Zones of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, in the hope of cleaning himself of the stench of treachery and clamoring for people’s support for Yaounde’s misdirected effort at peace-making.

What initially started as a cry against discrimination and marginalization from La Republique’s colonial schemes disguised through assimilation, under the directive of Yaounde has morphed into a violent conflict and La Republique’s is yet to understand the new reality.

The brutal crackdown on protesters on October 1 in a symbolic independence declaration, turned the tides of the Restoration Movement for good, pushing pro-independent sympathizers of Federal Republic of Ambazonia to pick up arms and push back the heavy-handedness of La Republique.

Security personnel; police officers, gendarmes, and soldiers of La Republique have been attacked and killed. Colonial administrators have been arrested over the last few months.

A dialogue which has been proposed by many countries and civil society groups as a way forward has been vehemently ignored by Yaounde who does not and would not want to be seen negotiating with what they often call ”separatists’ and as Issa Tchiroma, colonial spokesman for LRC likes calling them ”terrorists”.

The UN Refugee Agency has likewise proposed dialogue as a possible detente to the escalating crisis which has resulted in humanitarian concerns as thousands of people from the Northern and Southern Zones to flee to neighboring Nigeria and others hiding in the bushes after their houses were burned to the ground by La Republique troops.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst

Source -- Bareta News