North West and South West Situation: Dialogue Recommended As The Way Forward

Calm is reportedly returning to the North West and South West Regions after sporadic confrontations between security forces and protesters on October 1, 2017

As the dust settles after the intermittent escalations of skirmishes between the forces of law and order and protesters in the North West and South West Regions on October 1, 2017, both public authorities and Cameroonians from all strata of society  and the international community are proposing the way forward in getting out of the crisis.
Field reports citing the North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique and the South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai talk of scores  of people killed in the confrontations, others injured and property destroyed. This happened as the forces of law and order tried to stop the protesters whose ambition is secession of the two English-speaking regions from hoisting their so-called flags on public buildings and  places, destruction of State emblems and property.
Even  before October 1, 2017, the day the protesters announced to concretise their secessionist attempt, calls and appeals kept on coming stressing the need for  restraint by all parties. The calls reiterated the need to preserve peace, unity and living together of Cameroonians irrespective of their places of origin. The overriding appeal is that of dialogue. The Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation, Antonio Guterres  in a release issued by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric  called for peace.  He said  in the release that, “ The Secretary General believes that genuine and inclusive dialogue between the government and the communities in the North West and South West Regions is the best way to preserve unity  and stability of the country.” The Secretary General of the ...