1. It is common knowledge that La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons were two distinct territories, otherwise there would have been no question of the UN conducting a plebiscite on 11 Feb. 1961 in Southern Cameroons to ask the People of Southern Cameroons if they wished to associate with either Nigeria or La Republique du Cameroun.
2. The governing constitutional/statutory law for states that are members of the UN is the UN Charter. This contains clear provisions in Art 102 on the prescribed procedure to be followed if a member state of the UN wishes to join another territory
3.La Republique du Cameroun was admitted a member state of the UN on 20th Sept1960 and from that date it became bound by the provisions contained in the Constitution (Charter) of the United Nations. Consequently, for any joining with another territory to be legal, LRC had to conform with the statutory provisions of the Charter, in Art. 102. Failure to comply with the provisions in Art 102(1) attracts the penalty in Art. 102(2) which renders such alleged joining unconstitutional..
4. To argue, as some misguided proponents say, that an association of a UN member state with another territory could be deemed valid, is to say that while the constitution of a country defines the prescriptions to establish a marriage, parties who cohabit without going through the statutory and legal STEPS toconstruct a legal marriage, could be deemed nevertheless to be “married.” The statute would first have to be amended, to permit of such an interpretation.
5. The provision of Art.102 in the UN Charter has not altered over time, and it is therefore safe to say that if La Republique du Cameroun, which is a member state of the UN, desires to legally unite with Southern Cameroons, the appropriate statutory steps prescribed by statute must first be performed.
6. The solution to the present impasse is for La Republique du Cameroun to engage the People of Southern Cameroons to agree on mutually acceptable terms of association, under the auspices of the African Union/United Nations, sign an Agreement to that effect and file it at the Secretariat of the United Nations. If the parties have been living together in harmony, there should be no great difficulty in reaching an Agreement. If however they fail to reach agreement, they should revert peacefully to their respective positions.
7. Until the parties go through this motion, a celebration of “Re-unification” is a contradiction in terms and, at best, a terminological in-exactitude.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa
At this point in our history, we really have not much time to be explaining what Self-Rule is. If anyone has some explanation to do, it is the Republique du Cameroun's current regime. They have to explain what it is they are doing within our State borders. Our people really do not have to explain anything. We have our story. And we'll stick to it, because it is the Truth. No matter what the matter, it is this Truth that will be handed down to our children. The worst thing will be to let children grow up with a distorted Truth of their own history. That can do something bad to their psycho-intellectual competence in the long term. Will you want that to happen? You tell me.
ReplyDeleteAt this point in our history, we really have not much time to be explaining what Self-Rule is. If anyone has some explanation to do, it is the Republique du Cameroun's current regime. They have to explain what it is they are doing within our State borders. Our people really do not have to explain anything. We have our story. And we'll stick to it, because it is the Truth. No matter what the matter, it is this Truth that will be handed down to our children. The worst thing will be to let children grow up with a distorted Truth of their own history. That can do something bad to their psycho-intellectual competence in the long term. Will you want that to happen? You tell me.
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