Meeting in extraordinary session on February 15th, 2017, with a view to conducting a responsible and responsible reflection on the dramatic situation that the populations of South and North West of Cameroon live and to propose solutions likely to leave our country of the political stagnation in which it 'Bogs a little more each day,

COACIC produced the following statement.

• Considering the socio-political crisis in our dear and beautiful country, Cameroon, since November 2016;

• Considering that this crisis, as a result of categorical demands made by trade union organizations of lawyers and teachers from the North and South West regions,

• Considering that the responses to these demands by the authorities - notably the arrest of the leaders - contributed only to the radicalization of the demands;

• Considering that these initially trade-union-oriented demands quickly developed into political demands, in particular on the form of the State;

• Considering that, to this day, our brothers in the above-mentioned regions are demanding for the moderates a return to federalism and that some more extremists demand secession more or less;

• Considering that this worrying situation is causing enormous harm to the populations, especially schoolchildren, pupils and students who no longer attend school;

• Considering that the suspension of the Internet causes an enormous prejudice to business, reinforces the feeling of marginalization of these two regions through the communication break with the French-speaking regions;

• Considering that the potential hitherto potential risk of a cross-community confrontation is increasingly palpable from the moment when Cameroonians supposedly natives of these two regions begin to ask the Cameroonians allegedly "allogeneous" or simply francophone to "return At home "as if they were foreigners in Cameroon;

• noting with regret that the arrogance of the first emissaries of the Government contributed to the escalation and radicalization;

• Noting their attempts to deride the legitimate and socioprofessional claims of lawyers and teachers, by simplifying and trivializing them, claiming that each region of Cameroon had similar problems, which is true, without prejudice to the right of each region to express his;

• noting that this weakening of trade unions has offered a cozy bed to latent political demands, which are now turning back to federalism by some and secession by others;

The COACIC,

In accordance with a number of instruments on which our Republic is based, namely:

* The Constitution of Cameroon,

* The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights,

* The African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance,

* The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

* The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

* The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, etc.

Noting:

• that a real threat is hanging over our lives together;

• As the days go by, the conflict gets bogged down and, like an ill-treated illness, creates resistance;

• that this situation creates conditions for massive adherence to separatist and independence theses

Recommends:

• In the very short term,

• In order to reduce the current negative political atmosphere, the unconditional release of those arrested and the restoration of the Internet;

• The demilitarization of the two regions concerned;

• publication of the results of the investigation into violence against students at the University of Buea

• Reopening the dialogue;

• The lifting of the slogan of dead cities

• In the medium term (ie by 2018),

• full implementation of the Constitution, including:

• the holding of regional elections as provided for in Article 55 et seq. Of the Constitution;

• the establishment of the Constitutional Council (articles 46 et seq.);

• Establishment of the High Court of Justice (Article 53 of the Constitution);

The application of article 66 of the Constitution on the declaration of property, or more precisely the implementation of its implementing law already enacted.

In any case:

1.- COACIC reminds all of them that Cameroon was born, as a national territorial entity, not in 1960 or in 1961, but on 14 July 1884, and that no one has the right to repeat the A crime committed by Great Britain which, by skewing the 1961 referendum, enabled Nigeria to amputate our nation.

2.- It exhorts all citizens, to be vigilant because the cannon traders lurk around our country, like predators.

3.- COACIC particularly calls on journalists to ensure that, in their delicate mission of information and training, they never forget the noble obligation they have, as scouts of the socio-political actors, defenders of all Human rights, and the lever of common social progress,

• to distance themselves from any form of verbal or written violence (for it is speech that leads to war and to peace according to the way of expressing it);

• avoiding editorial positions that may generate or exasperate hatred, or discourage the desire to live together for the majority of national populations;

• on the contrary, give visibility to the gestures, reflections and positions of the protagonists or observers, who can promote mutual understanding between communities and the return of peace.

4. Lastly, COACIC reminds all of us, but above all of our leaders, of the political deadlines that await the country in 20 months and of the difficult economic situation ahead that the return of peace, Here and now, is a categorical imperative, on the one hand to confront the socio-economic crisis in a participatory way, and on the other hand to allow at least 15 million voters to register on the electoral Urns in 2018, give more legitimacy to the governance of our country.

Done at Douala on 15 February 2017

THE COACIC CORDER

BRUNO DEFFO