<div dir="ltr">What a Cameroonian Havard Scholar is saying on the Anglophone prohlem in Cameroon<div><br></div><div>"C<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">ommunication blackout and internet shutdown in the Anglophone regions is an unbelievable national shame that lowers our nation’s prestige in the comity of nations" Ekinneh Agbaw Ebai</span></div><div><font face="georgia"><br></font><div><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">An open letter to HE Paul Biya, President of the Republic </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Your Excellency, </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">I am deliberately adopting an uncommon open letter approach to draw your attention to the ongoing carnage by security forces, who are perpetrating what some are now calling genocide and crimes against humanity against Anglophones in the Northwest and Southwest regions of the country. A lot has been said about the Anglophone problem, which you acknowledged in your traditional year-end address to the nation. But it appears you have a superficial understanding of the problem; in which case, I am compelled to school you on the problem, so you can end the nation’s drift and save Cameroon from the looming anarchy. Mr. President, we should stop chasing shadows. The Anglophone problem is not about promoting bilingualism or multiculturalism. I will spare you an academic definition, but for practical purposes, the Anglophone problem is the systemic marginalization and institutionalized discrimination against people of the former Southern Cameroon state, who have been reduced to second-class citizens in a country they voted to join as equal partners. It is the plunder and gross mismanagement of their resources, to finance a Cameroon state, captured and held hostage by a vampire elite of tribal bigots and jingoists; corrupt politicians and rent-seeking bureaucrats, operating a system of ethnic -inspired clientelism with mindless impunity. The resulting frustration and anger have caused Anglophones to lose faith in the Cameroon project and now want a return to federalism or outright separation from the Cameroon state. This is the Anglophone problem, Mr. President, so let’s discuss it! </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">As the bread basket of the nation, producing over 60% of national GDP, Anglophones have every reason to be angry, especially when government deliberately and provocatively breaches the social contract with the people; while plundering their natural resources - oil, gold, timber, coffee, cocoa, tea, rubber, banana, palm oil - and flaunting it on their faces. It is unacceptable that 55 years after reunification, Anglophones still lack basic social amenities that ought to be taken for granted like constant power supply, potable water, tarred roads, well equipped schools, functional hospitals and health centers. Mr. President, if all the resources government has been exploiting from Anglophone Cameroon were in the South; your region of origin, would your Bulu kith and kin accept to be deprived of the benefits of the exploitation of their resources? Do you now understand why Anglophones are angry? </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Mr. President, the obnoxious argument that we are all Cameroonians and this somehow gives government the right to exploit our resources, while Anglophones are left wallowing in abject poverty is provocative, insensitive and self-serving. This daylight robbery of Anglophones has had its day, and must now end in the interest of peace and stability. Anglophones are not fools; we want to belong to a united Cameroon freely built on equality and fairness; where we are treated as equals; a Cameroon where there are no masters and servants, and where merit prevails; not a nation built around ethnic and primordial identities. Simply put, Anglophones want a federal Cameroon, where they can manage their own affairs. And if Mr. President cannot guarantee such a Cameroon, then like the Biblical Egyptian King Pharaoh, you must let my people go. And go they will, peacefully if possible and violently if necessary. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">For sure, Anglophones are saying what all Cameroonians already know: that the country is not working, can hardly work as structured and that it is in a stasis with a likelihood of implosion. You must heed these timely admonitions. Anglophones have suffered immeasurably from the scourge of predatory politics and want a national forum, whether sovereign or not, to review the structure of the state and the organization of the economic base in terms of ownership and control of resources as well as a new, fair and equitable distribution formula for the proceeds from exploitation of our natural resources. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Mr. President, now that you understand the Anglophone problem, it should be obvious to you and anyone not blinded by prejudice or self-interest that the bureaucratic contraption you created called National Commission to Promote Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) cannot resolve the Anglophone problem. You must transcend the traction of hawks and hardliners in your “Situation Room” and do what is right for the country. It certainly is an unimaginable feat of political miscalculation and error of judgment for Mr. President to think he can just decree a solution to the Anglophone problem without addressing the asymmetrical structural dynamics that engender and perpetrate the Anglophone problem. Most Anglophones are functionally bilingual and there have been many marriages between Anglophone and Francophone tribes, so bilingualism and multiculturalism is not the problem. The country needs a new federal constitution, not a NCPBM. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">The Anglophone problem is a Cameroonian problem and resolving it requires presidential leadership. Anglophones are protesting because they want a better Cameroon for all its citizens. The ongoing strike is an invitation to build a patriotic partnership to save Cameroon, because as the country stands today, no force on earth can eliminate corruption. You cannot continue to ignore calls for a national dialogue to reform the structure of the state and work out modalities of ensuring good governance; through a federal system of government that guarantees equal opportunity, and engenders a sense of belonging in all citizens. Sitting down with Anglophones is not a gallant surrender to pressure; rather, it will be an act of political sagacity and the first step towards rebuilding Cameroon and remolding its sovereignty. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Mr. President, it is indeed perplexing that the government has answered the call for dialogue with threats, intimidation, coercion and crude force; adopting the failed crisis control mechanism of go-back-to-work or-be-sacked, to end the teachers strike shame. Please, be reminded that education is a constitutional issue. The constitution, which you swore to uphold, bestows the right to education on every citizen. That children in Anglophone regions remain out of school despite your repeated intervention, is a shameful representation of leadership failure; a tell-tale sign of how the magisterial capacity of your office has been undermined and shows how far we have failed as a nation. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Certainly, Mr. President cannot pretend to be unaware that Anglophone regions have been reduced to a killing field where soldiers and agents of death are on the rampage, unleashing mayhem on defenceless civilians. Peaceful protests have been met with horrendous brutality by security forces. Anglophone opinion leaders including a Justice of the Supreme Court have been arrested without due process and detained on bogus charges. University students have been abducted, brutalized, tortured, raped and killed simply for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech and peaceful assembly. These egregious human rights violations fly in the face of our obligations under signed and ratified international treaties, and are telling signs of a weak governance culture. It is disheartening that the situation persists, even as I write. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Mr. President, many Anglophones of goodwill for whom the Cameroon project remains an unanswered question, have been willing to give peace a chance. But we are finding ourselves increasingly in the minority because it is useless and futile to continue talking peace and nonviolence to a government whose reply is only violence on unarmed and defenseless people. Southern Cameroon is a state; we are not a conquered people. As the blood of the victims of government’s barbarism, still raw on the pavement of our hearts cry out ever more loudly for justice, sooner, rather than later, Anglophones will resort to violence in legitimate self-defence as this seems to be the only language the government has shown by its own behavior that it understands. This is not a threat, Mr. President, it is a real possibility! </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Your Excellency, I am not unaware that the office you occupy is a tough, thoughtful, burdensome and sacrificial position that demands self-discipline, gumption, prudence and political sagacity. Although misconstrued to be laden with unbelievable privileges, a president must feel the pangs of responsibility and use his elevated position for the good of the nation in a clear display of focused leadership because preserving peace and harmony is the highest objective of statecraft. I am therefore alarmed that in this age and time, a supposedly democratic government will refuse dialogue and resort to brigandage in dealing with dissent by a group of its citizens. Mr. President, the criminalization of free speech and civil liberties including the communication blackout and internet shutdown in the Anglophone regions is an unbelievable national shame that lowers our nation’s prestige in the comity of nations. This must stop. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">On this basis, Mr. President, leadership is the issue. You should be concerned with the future that you bequeath this country, as well as your legacy. History is beckoning on you and giving you a chance at winning the battle for self-redemption and national rebirth. It is a lifetime opportunity to engrave your name in history. Should you fail to call a national conference to resolve the Anglophone problem, your name will still find its way into the book of infamy, historic still, in a way, as the man who was opportune to rewrite the history of Cameroon but failed needlessly. The choice is patently yours to make. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Mr. President, I hate to be the one to say this, but before I go, I must tell you that token measures of appeasement, like the NCPBM will not succeed where violence and intimidation have failed in resolving the Anglophone problem. And even if soldiers kill every Anglophone in Cameroon, our ghosts shall rise from our graves to seek freedom and demand justice. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">Thanks for reading, and accept, Mr. President, my most esteemed consideration for your good self and exalted office. </span><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><br style="line-height:1.22em;font-family:georgia;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:13px">By Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai</span><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 1, 2017 at 1:46 PM, Nyangkwe Agien Aaron <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:nyangkweagien@gmail.com" target="_blank">nyangkweagien@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Delphine<div><br></div><div>Toutes mes condoléances à toi et ta fille pour cette énorme. </div><div>Comme quelqu'un qui a perdu sa conjointe, je comprends la situation de votre fille. Elle a toute ma sympathie</div><div><br></div><div>Vraiment, perdre son ordinateur, c'est perdre une partie de sa vie. Vraiment terrible. Je te connais très forte et capable de surmonter toute épreuve à brève échéance. Du courage, ma sœur.</div><div><br></div><div>When you get to Yaounde, please talk to Janvier that he is helping a government and doing terrible harm to the Cameroonian people by spewing the nonsense that he states here. When he talks of WAR against secessionists, is that appropriate? If that is not appropriate, how does he expect the world to look at the world to look at our government and then us the citizens? No one has ever shocked me in my over 60 years on earth like Monsieur Janvier Gnoulaye.</div><div><br></div><div>Can you join me to ask Mister Janvier Gnoulaye to tell the world the number of Cameroonian soldiers that have been killed by the "secessionists" that he claim since we all know how many have been killed by Boko Haram. His condescending mood on anglophones like his francophone likes bothers me less</div><div><br></div><div>With love</div><div><br></div><div>Aaron</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 1, 2017 at 1:26 PM, NANA Delphine <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:delynana2002@yahoo.fr" target="_blank">delynana2002@yahoo.fr</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Bonjour Aaron,<div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951426218"><br></div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951428735">Malheureusement, je n'ai pas assisté.à l'AG de ISOC CAMEROUN et je ne suis non plus sur cette liste.</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951583563">Je viens juste de decouvrir tous les message,</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951633545">En plus, depuis de le debut de la crise, je suis indisponible sur le net, ma fille a perdu son epoux, il vient d"être enterré, il ya une semaine</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951780775"><br></div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951836383">Pire encore, pendant que j"etais aux obsèques mon ordinateur a été volé.</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951907817">Image son contenu ! Je suis meurtrie.</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951940950"><br></div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951963166">Je suis perdue !</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951990560">Toutes mes excuses.</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485952003979">Delphine</div><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951964579"> <br><br><div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980ymail_android_signature"><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android" target="_blank">Envoyé depuis Yahoo Mail pour Android</a></div> <br> <blockquote style="margin:0 0 20px 0"> <header style="font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#6d00f6"> <div id="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980yMail_cursorElementTracker_1485951533859">Le mer. j févr. PM à 12:43, Nyangkwe Agien Aaron</div><div><<a href="mailto:nyangkweagien@gmail.com" target="_blank">nyangkweagien@gmail.com</a>> a écrit :</div> </header> <div style="padding:10px 0 0 20px;margin:10px 0 0 0;border-left:1px solid #6d00f6"><div><div class="h5"> <div dir="ltr">Dear all<div><br></div><div>Mr Janvier Gnoulaye writes.</div><div>"<span style="font-size:large">Cameroon is in a situation of war against the secessionists, who have at one time erected their flag inside one part of the territory, no one knows by who they are supported and financed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:large"><br></span></div><div>Can some remind Janvier that Boko Haram uses arms that are bought from abroad in their killings of our national and no one deemed it necessary to cut Internet from that part of the territory.</div><div>Who are the seccesionists? Let him clarify. He talks of people flying flags. So what? When Obama won elections in America did we not see Americans fly the secessionist flags and a petition of over 500 000 South Americans calling for the southern states to opt out of the union?.What nonsense is this about secession? Is the call for state nationalism not same in Corsiga in France, Scotland, Catalona et all.</div><div><br></div><div>He talks of Cameroon being at war with secessionists, the government of cameroons has killed many anglophones through fire arms since the beginning of the current crisis and many are reported missing. I challenge Monsieur Janvier Gnoulaye to tell the world the name of one Cameroonian soldier that has been killed bu us the "secessionists". In the North we hear of Boko Haram killing Cameroon soldiers. How comes there is war with secessionists and we have mainly secessionists killed. Did great America achieve that in its wars in the American countries. Ladies and gentlemen, let it dawn on you all that ISOC Cameroon is an arm of government. <span style="font-size:large"><br></span></div><div><br></div><div>Delphine Nana, (je t'ai copié cet mail) as-tu assisté à la réunion avec Janvier Gnoulaye? Pourquoi est-tu silencieux sur cette affaire? Solidarité francophone oblige n'est ce pas? Y-a-t-il guerre entre les sécessionnistes au Cameroun? Quel est le nom du Général sécessionniste.</div><div><br></div><div>Agien Nyangkwe (Aaron) is my name and I approve the above message</div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Wed, Feb 1, 2017 at 10:51 AM, Mawaki Chango <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow">kichango@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div><div class="h5"><div>P.S. In my previous email, at the end of that sentence where I mention "political and security issues... on the ground" I would want to insert the following as a footnote. Whatever the issue at hand and the legitimacy of fighting against it, it still appears to be the predominant view among CS that shutting down the Internet does not resolve the problem while taking related rights and freedoms away from people the overwhelming majority of whom have nothing to do in causing the problem. Anyone, including from among concerned ISOC Chapter members, is free to agree with the government approach on this, or try to justify it, and anyone else is equally free to disapprove of it. That's basically all IGC is trying to do through this statement, taking into account in this specific context the kind of expectations one would hold toward any group of people claiming membership to ISOC. </div></div></div><div><div class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980h5"><div><br><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Feb 1, 2017 9:18 AM, "Mawaki Chango" <<a rel="nofollow">kichango@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980m_2885721253979022480quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div><div class="h5"><div>Dear Arsène et al. </div><div><br></div><div>We deliberately decided to keep it short, on purpose. This should not be approached as an input from IGC to a complex global policy issue, on the world stage. (Not to mention that we did not want this to get into endless debates as IGC is accustomed to.) Neither did we want it to take a turn to, or us to be suspected of, lecturing. That's why we further motivated the exercise, with a narrow focus, by recalling the specific communication that prompted it. </div><div><br></div><div>You can see from Javier's first response that even those precautions prove not to be enough to warrant our declaration, in his view. Apparently he would want us to withdraw altogether from, and keep quiet, on the issue (if I'm being mistaken here on the implications of your response, I stand to be corrected.) </div><div><br></div><div>In the meantime, I personally think our above described precautions should suffice. The statement doesn't get into the presumably complex political and security issues that the government might be dealing with on the ground. In the communication that prompted our statement, maybe Janvier just got carried away in an attempt to avoid a wholesale condemnation of his country in the global community of civil society. But the email posted is there including terms and a rationale which are unacceptable to us, and we needed to express our concern and register our disapproval of such. We are not making claims as to how hard working and committed ISOC Cameroon may or may not be toward facilitating Internet access to all in Cameroon, in ordinary times. </div><font color="#888888"><div><br></div></font></div></div><div><font color="#888888">Mawaki </font><div class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980m_2885721253979022480elided-text"><br><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Feb 1, 2017 6:13 AM, "Arsène Tungali" <<a rel="nofollow">arsenebaguma@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980m_2885721253979022480m_-5486453783241466852quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5">Dear Norbert, Mawaki,<br>
<br>
Thank you for the draft as suggested. It is very short, i wonder if anyone who was not part of these discussions or who will see it for the first time on our website will be able to understand the background. Just thinking outloud :)<br>
<br>
I leave it open to the community for comments, etc if applicable. I suggest we close it by 11:pm UTC this Feb 1st.<br>
<br>
We will then post it on our website and send it to the appropriate persons, to follow the process as agreed here.<br>
<br>
Meanwhile, i see Mr Janvier already responded (which is a good sign imo) and i suggest we discuss his response once we have formally sent this letter.<br>
<br>
Hope this is fine with you'all.<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
A<br>
-----------------<br>
Arsène Tungali,<br>
@arsenebaguma<br>
<div class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980m_2885721253979022480m_-5486453783241466852quoted-text"><a rel="nofollow">+243 993810967</a><br>
GPG: 523644A0<br>
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo<br>
<br>
</div>Sent from my iPhone (excuse typos)<br>
</div></div><div class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980m_2885721253979022480m_-5486453783241466852elided-text"><div><div class="h5"><br>
> On Jan 31, 2017, at 9:32 PM, Norbert Bollow <<a rel="nofollow">nb@bollow.ch</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> Dear Arsène and all<br>
><br>
> Please find our proposal at<br>
><br>
> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQjEQ5UtR4D7f0HYeJsK0upPKnJTEyWULk-fUSajTd8/edit" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/docume nt/d/1pQjEQ5UtR4D7f0HYeJsK0upP KnJTEyWULk-fUSajTd8/edit</a><br>
><br>
> I'm also including the text below.<br>
><br>
> Greetings,<br>
> Norbert<br>
><br>
><br>
> -- draft starts --<br>
> To the ISOC Cameroon Chapter<br>
><br>
> Dear Colleagues<br>
><br>
> The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus (IGC, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://igcaucus.org" target="_blank">http://igcaucus.org</a>)<br>
> is a global network of civil society actors who originally came<br>
> together in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society<br>
> (WSIS) to promote global public interest objectives in Internet<br>
> governance policy making.<br>
><br>
> We are firmly convinced that Internet shutdowns are not acceptable in<br>
> regard to any region and not justifiable in any way, and that such<br>
> shutdowns must be opposed vigorously.<br>
><br>
> We would have expected everyone who associates themselves with ISOC to<br>
> be committed to ISOC's principle stating that “The Internet is for<br>
> Everyone”.<br>
><br>
> For further elaboration of the important principle of /Internet access<br>
> and affordability/ along with related rights and freedoms, we refer to<br>
> the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms,<br></div></div>
> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://africaninternetrights.org/articles/" target="_blank">http://africaninternetrights.o rg/articles/</a> .<div><div class="h5"><br>
><br>
> In light of these principles and rights, we would like to respectfully<br>
> urge the ISOC Cameroon Chapter to adopt a corresponding strong stance<br>
> in regard to Internet shutdowns in some regions of the country, and to<br>
> denounce and oppose such dreadful measures with all earnestness.<br>
><br>
> The reason why we write to you in this matter is a posting to our<br>
> mailing list on January 26, 2017, which was signed “ISOC Cameroon,<br>
> President” and which expressed views that were not at all consistent<br>
> with the above.<br>
><br>
> Best regards<br>
> Internet Governance Caucus (IGC)<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Cc: ISOC’s regional contact for Africa, <a rel="nofollow">bekele@isoc.org</a><br>
><br>
> -- draft ends --<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 17:54:30 +0200<br>
> Arsène Tungali <<a rel="nofollow">arsenebaguma@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
>> Dear Norbert,<br>
>><br>
>> Thanks for Mawaki and yourself for willing to take on this task. I am<br>
>> happy with the process as you suggest it (with the hope that everyone<br>
>> is happy as well): writing to ISOC Cameroon with cc to ISOC Global.<br>
>><br>
>> Please do send us the draft once finalized and we will allow at least<br>
>> 24 hours for the IGC to comment before this can be sent. Please do<br>
>> share it in a Google Drive (do not allow edit by anyone but just<br>
>> allow people to make contributions in form of comments in the margins<br>
>> of the doc).<br>
>><br>
>> Regards,<br>
>> A<br>
>><br>
>> ------------------------<br>
>> **Arsène Tungali**<br>
>> Co-Founder & Executive Director, *Rudi international<br></div></div>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rudiinternational.org" target="_blank">http://www.rudiinternational. org</a>>*,<span class=""><br>
>> CEO,* Smart Services Sarl <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.smart-serv.info" target="_blank">http://www.smart-serv.info</a>>*, *Mabingwa<br>
>> Forum <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mabingwa-forum.com" target="_blank">http://www.mabingwa-forum.com</a> >*<br>
>> Tel: <a rel="nofollow">+243 993810967</a><br>
>> GPG: 523644A0<br>
>> *Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo*<br>
>><br>
>> 2015 Mandela Washington Felllow<br>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://tungali.blogspot.com/2015/06/selected-for-2015-mandela-washington.html" target="_blank">http://tungali.blogspot.com/2 015/06/selected-for-2015-mande la-washington.html</a>><br>
>> (YALI) - ISOC Ambassador (IGF Brazil<br>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/igf-ambassadors-programme/Past-Ambassadors" target="_blank">http://www.internetsociety.or g/what-we-do/education-and-lea dership-programmes/next-genera tion-leaders/igf-ambassadors-p rogramme/Past-Ambassadors</a>><br>
>> & Mexico<br></span>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/education-and-leadership-programmes/next-generation-leaders/Current-Ambassadors" target="_blank">http://www.internetsociety.or g/what-we-do/education-and-lea dership-programmes/next-genera tion-leaders/Current-Ambassado rs</a>>)<br>
>> - AFRISIG 2016 <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://afrisig.org/afrisig-2016/class-of-2016/" target="_blank">http://afrisig.org/afrisig-20 16/class-of-2016/</a>> -<span class=""><br>
>> Blogger <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://tungali.blogspot.com" target="_blank">http://tungali.blogspot.com</a>> - ICANN Fellow (Los Angeles<br>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2014-07-18-en" target="_blank">https://www.icann.org/news/an nouncement-2014-07-18-en</a>> & Marrakech<br>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/marrakech55-attendees-2016-03-14-en" target="_blank">https://www.icann.org/resourc es/pages/marrakech55-attendees -2016-03-14-en</a>><br>
>> ). AFRINIC Fellow (Mauritius<br></span>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.afrinic.net/en/library/news/1907-afrinic-25-fellowship-winners" target="_blank">http://www.afrinic.net/en/lib rary/news/1907-afrinic-25-fell owship-winners</a>>)*<div><div class="h5"><br>
>> - *IGFSA Member <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.igfsa.org/" target="_blank">http://www.igfsa.org/</a>> - The HuffingtonPost UK<br>
>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/liza-bel/drc_b_8958150.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.co. uk/liza-bel/drc_b_8958150.html</a> ><br>
>><br>
>> 2017-01-30 16:36 GMT+02:00 Norbert Bollow <<a rel="nofollow">nb@bollow.ch</a>>:<br>
>><br>
>>> Dear Arsène and all<br>
>>><br>
>>> After a quick exchange with Mawaki, I'm happy to report that Mawaki<br>
>>> and I are willing to work out a joint proposal.<br>
>>><br>
>>> In regard to who the letter should be addressed to, Mawaki and I<br>
>>> think that the statement should be addressed to ISOC Cameroon. At<br>
>>> the most, we can cc ISOC Global for the record. As made clear in<br>
>>> the communication excerpts forwarded by Arsène, ISOC Global is<br>
>>> already taking action and Chapter office holders are volunteers who<br>
>>> are not bound to the organization by a required line of conduct as<br>
>>> would be expected from staff of ISOC Global. Therefore we cannot<br>
>>> reasonably hold the global organization accountable for any Chapter<br>
>>> official's position and put them in the position to be answerable<br>
>>> about it -- which will appear as being the case if we address a<br>
>>> letter to ISOC Global, -- especially when their response is already<br>
>>> known.<br>
>>><br>
>>> We think that the statement should be short and narrowly focused,<br>
>>> and articulated on the basis of some basic principles which should<br>
>>> be sufficiently self-evident to not need any in-depth debate in IGC.<br>
>>><br>
>>> You may expect us to post proposed text shortly.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Greetings,<br>
>>> Norbert<br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> On Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:02:56 +0200<br>
>>> Arsène Tungali <<a rel="nofollow">arsenebaguma@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>>><br>
>>>> Dear colleagues,<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Starting a new thread.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> I would like to thank everyone for raising your concern about<br>
>>>> what's going on in Cameroon which is just another country added<br>
>>>> to the list of African countries that have experienced Internet<br>
>>>> shutdown. I am from the DRC and we have experienced this more<br>
>>>> than 3 times and I am in the best position to highly condem this<br>
>>>> new form of oppression.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> I would also like to thank everyone who have expressed their<br>
>>>> concern over what Mr. Janvier had to say about the shutdown in<br>
>>>> his country, where he volunteerly serve as ISOC Cameroon<br>
>>>> President. I join you all and condemn his position on this, which<br>
>>>> I can assure you, is his own position, not shared by his other<br>
>>>> colleagues at theISOC Chapter. Proof is he reacted to his other<br>
>>>> colleague who had a different view and who was making an appeal,<br>
>>>> asking for more coverage and action regarding what's going on in<br>
>>>> his country.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> For your information, ISOC has issued a statement<br>
>>>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.internetsociety.org/lets-keep-internet-everyone?utm_content=" target="_blank">http://www.internetsociety.or g/lets-keep-internet-everyone? utm_content=</a><br>
>>> bufferc442c&utm_medium=social& utm_source=<a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com" target="_blank">twitter.com</a>&utm_cam paign=buffer><br>
>>>> condemning the shutdown in Cameroon as well as in other countries.<br>
>>>> This show that ISOC, as an organization, does not support<br>
>>>> shutdowns but rather condem it firmly (as we all know).<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> And, on a different mailing list, Mr. Nicolas Seidler<br></div></div>
>>>> <<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.internetsociety.org/who-we-are/people/mr-nicolas-seidler" target="_blank">https://www.internetsociety.o rg/who-we-are/people/mr-nicola s-seidler</a>>,<div><div class="h5"><br>
>>>> who is Senior Policy Advisor for ISOC said the following:<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> We felt it was time to formally express our long-standing<br>
>>>> concerns on such measures, in the context of the Cameroon<br>
>>>> situation and in view of others to come up in the future. We are<br>
>>>> also supporting and giving visibility to efforts from Access and<br>
>>>> members of the Keep it on campaign on our social media channels.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> And he reacted on Mr. Janvier's stance and ONLY had this to say:<br>
>>>> Finally, we have an ISOC Chapter in Cameroon, as in many other<br>
>>>> parts of the worlds. While not all members of Chapters share the<br>
>>>> same view (a Chapter is made of local volunteers, not staff),<br>
>>>> there are some who want to act and we’ll make sure to direct them<br>
>>>> to Deji, Julie and others involved in the advocacy effort.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>>> From the above, we understand that it was a personal point of<br>
>>>>> view from Mr.<br>
>>>> Janvier which, as most of our colleagues said here, is completely<br>
>>>> wrong. I do personally believe that when a single person is<br>
>>>> restricted access, this should be raised and condemned. In<br>
>>>> Cameroon, we have 2 regions affected and this is terrible.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>><br>
>>>> *Now, coming back to the discussion on this list regarding a<br>
>>>> statement, I would like to suggest the following:*<br>
>>>> 1. We can issue a statement adressed to ISOC Global (to ISOC<br>
>>>> Executive Director for example) condemning the public stance<br>
>>>> taken by ISOC Cameroon President. May I suggest *Norbert and<br>
>>>> Mawaki* to make an initial draft statement and share with us<br>
>>>> within the next 48 hours (if at all possible)?<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> 2. We then issue a more general statement condemning Internet<br>
>>>> shutdown across the world as a civil society coalition because I<br>
>>>> am sure this is the new form of opression that Gov are taking (as<br>
>>>> said by Snowden). It will be very useful we use the expertise we<br>
>>>> have here to draft this and circulate it widely in all networks<br>
>>>> as a way to condemn the act but also to raise awareness about the<br>
>>>> issue (which is still unfamiliar with those who are not actively<br>
>>>> involved in these discussions or who have never experienced any<br>
>>>> shutdown). *For this, I would like to ask request few volunteers<br>
>>>> to make an initial draft statement as well?*<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Please do let me know what you think or if there is another<br>
>>>> approach that we can all agree on and take action without<br>
>>>> wassting more time. If you want to be part of the team of 3 to<br>
>>>> draft the second statement, please do let us know on this list<br>
>>>> within the next 48 hours.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Very best,<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Arsene, IGC Co-cooordinator<br>
><br>
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<br></div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div><span class="">-- <br><div class="m_-5581618490488208215m_-7126470963214331980gmail_signature">Aaron Agien NYANGKWE<br>P.O.Box 5213<br>Douala-Cameroon<br>Tel. <a href="tel:6%2073%2042%2071%2027" value="+237673427127" target="_blank">237 673 42 71 27</a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div>
</span></div> </div> </blockquote></div></blockquote></div><span class=""><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="m_-5581618490488208215gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Aaron Agien NYANGKWE<br>P.O.Box 5213<br>Douala-Cameroon<br>Tel. <a href="tel:6%2073%2042%2071%2027" value="+237673427127" target="_blank">237 673 42 71 27</a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div>
</span></div>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Aaron Agien NYANGKWE<br>P.O.Box 5213<br>Douala-Cameroon<br>Tel. 237 673 42 71 27<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div>
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