A Rose by Any Other Name: “United Republic of Cameroon” vs. “Republic of Cameroon”

Dibussi Tande

Let us assert forcefully and equivocally, that history is very much like itself - like history, that is; the more you try to efface, distort or forget, the more it sticks on as the one permanent, absolute haunting reality. Cameroon Tribune (English Edition), February, 8, 1984, Pg. 7

On February 4, 1984, President Paul Biya issued a decree changing the official name of Cameroon from the "United Republic of Cameroon" to the "Republic of Cameroon" (or, La Republique du Cameroun), which was the name taken up by the French Cameroons when it became independent in 1960. According to proponents of the name change, this was a manifestation that the bilingual Cameroon Republic had gone beyond “mere” national unity to a much "higher stage" of national integration.

Opponents of the name change however see things differently.

Southern Cameroons nationalist movements argue that the 1984 name change was a brazen attempt to erase the identity of English-speaking Cameroonians, and trample upon their history. They insist that by adopting the name "Republic of Cameroon", which was the name of the French Cameroons at the time of unification with British Cameroons, French Cameroons has effectively seceded from the union.

For example, the Cameroon Anglophone Movement (CAM) argued in “The Buea Peace Initiative” (1994) that the name change

"…sounded the death knell of the unification of British and French Cameroons [and] consummated the constitutional secession of East Cameroon from the United Federal Republic which was negotiated in Foumban... in fulfillment of Resolution A/C.4/L 685 of April 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly.”

The Ambazonia Movement shares the same view:

"The constitutional mutation brought about by the United Republic of Cameroon Law 84/01 in January1984 dissolved the illegal union first called Federal Republic of Cameroon (FRC) and later United Republic of Cameroon (URC). It restored our two nations to their original position as separate and independent of each other. So by law Cameroon authority is now limited to the East of the Mongo River."

Foresight from Unexpected Quarters
I was going through some archival material when I stumbled across a commentary from the English language edition of the Government owned Cameroon Tribune (no. 1084 of February 8, 1984, p. 7) a few days after the controversial name change was implemented. The commentary is important because not only did it challenge the prevailing official dogma on the issue, it also demonstrated a deep understanding of the historical and political implications of changing the name of the country:

Our present world is partly history and permanently so. For as we slowly face up to the reality that historical truth is absolute truth and that by maiming history books history will itself not be maimed... Can we be sure of our destination without constantly disrupting the historical foundations that harbour our roots? Can we be sure of our destination without constantly reminding ourselves of our point of departure? ... We can assert without effacing... It is not possible to talk of citizens of the world who do not belong to a country... effectively, you do not automatically belong to a whole without first belonging to, or yourself constituting, one of its parts...

Historians tell us that the present somewhat arbitrary borders of the geographers came about as a result of the unification of a West Cameroon and an East Cameroon with their two foreign languages-- English and French-- and two administrative, judicial and educational systems.

All these are facts and whoever refutes the fact flies in the face of the truth which would be the goal of all forms of moralisation... scaring us into believing the contrary is brutal and cannot but be temporal, that is as long as you keep us scared and even that is not enough... It is absurd to think that the best way to avoid divorce is to give a couple a single name. Absurd because marriage and divorce are affairs of the heart, whereas names deal with the lips and with ink and paper... let us assert forcefully and equivocally, that history is very much like itself - like history, that is, the more you try to efface, distort or forget, the more it sticks on as the one permanent, absolute haunting reality. Invariably such attempts at effacement and distortion hardly ever go beyond the point at which themselves constitute a temporarily finite element of the very history we have tried to maim, nothing more."

Comment
Even the government mouthpiece had the foresight, over 20 years ago, to realize that irrespective of the motives behind it, the name change would become an albatross around the neck of the Biya regime. However, in a system which is reactive rather than proactive, no one paid attention. The result is there for everyone to see – irrespective of where they stand on this contentious debate…

Tags: cameroon africa Southern Cameroons

Comments

[Wafo Peter]

Thanks for this piece! This is the first time that I have come across a clear and succinct explanation as to why "southern Cameroons" nationalists believe there is a legal and constitutional problem with the 1984 name change (true I never read the documents cited in the article).

I have a problem with their argument. If the 1984 name change constituted sessession, what did the more significant 1972 name change from The federal republic to the united republic signify? Unlike the 1984 change which simply gave cartographers additional work, the 1972 name change was accompanied by significant constitutional changes that sealed the fate of west Cameroon...

Any takers?

[Ma Mary]

Wafo, of course there are takers. Could you please elaborate about what sealed the fate of West Cameroon? I think this comment feature allows you to go quite a bit longer in making your argument. Right now, unlike Dibussi's article, it is not clear what the takers are taking.

I will just make one small point and then I will wait for you. The mere suggestion of dissolving the federation was illegal and constitutional scholars like Dr Anyangwe have elaborated exhaustively on this in other places where I could link you but let the discussion/debate continue.

[Ma Mary]

There is another caveat, Wafo, which might seem like quibbling from this vantage point, but what is life without law and is it not the details that win legal disagreements? This is the fact that the union between la Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons was never legally consumated right from 1961. The union between Southern Cameroons and la Republique is very much a matter of law. The law cannot be ignored. This very argument won a case for SCAPO vs Federal Republique of Nigeria in a Nigerian High Court in 2001. I am sure you have not bothered to read that either. The website that contains most of those legal documents and many of those arguments is www.southerncameroonsig.org. Lots of juicy PDFs there. Very scholarly and legal. Have fun!

[Wafo Peter]

Hello Ma,

My point was not about the illegality (or lack thereof) of the 1984 (or 1972) name change. Put differently, I would like to know why the 1984 name change, which did not lead to any constitutional change on the ground is considered of extreme importance to SC nationalists, when they don't seem to give the same importance to the 1972 name change which was far more significant in changing the basis of the union and institutionalizing the annexation of West Cameroon.

So, is the 1984 name change as significant as SC nationalists would like usto believe, or is it just another astutute way to to poke Biya in the eye?

In other words, beyond its obvious propaganda and mobilization value, does the SC name change argument have a historical or legal leg to stand on? If it does, then I will like to know what that is.

From where I stand, there is a substantive difference (ideological, political, constitutional, administrative, structural economic, social, etc.) between the "Federal Republic of Cameroon" and the "United Republic of Cameroon" but absolutely no fundamental difference between the "United Republic of Cameroon" and the "Republic of Cameroon". In the latter case, a rose by any name smells just as sweet.

Over to you!!!

[Walters]

My contribution is not necessarily about the name debate but about memories of the so-called "Reunification Monument" which is pictured in this posting.

As a kid attending the Government Bilingual Primary School in Yaounde in the 1970s, that monument held very bad memories for me.

First of all we learned to be distrustful of that Statue because the big guy carried 5 babies and a flame, although Cameroon had 7 provinces at the time. The general belief among us students was that the statue had been deliberately designed to leave out the 2 Anglophone provinces (yes, we were silently militant even in those days of the dreadful Ahidjo regime). This might not have been the case but it once again shows the lack of foresight in everything that is done on the East bank of the Mungo.

So to us kids, that statue was nothing but a most visible symbol of Anglophone lack of visibility in the "united Republic".

It is however, ironic that the Statue became historically accurate only after the 1984 name change which was accompanied by the creation fo three new provinces (Far North, Adamawa, and South). These new creations brought the number of provinces to 10, and the 5 babies on the Statue now came to each represent 2 provinces. Talk about poetic justice...

However, that statue conjures some very horrible memories because it is contructed on the boulevard where May 20th celebrations used to take place during the Ahidjo days. Well, the students of the bilingual primary school with their sharp blue shirts and khaki shorts were always the target of mob action during this "great day". During the march before the President, we were always greeted with shouts of Anglo! Biafrais!, and pelted with oranges and other objects - and to this day, I hate any form of public gathering just because of these childhood memories.

So each time I look at that monstrosity called the reunification monument, I lose my cool and get very very Angry. And I am quite angry right now, nearly 3 decades later.

[Dibussi]

Hi Walters,

Having attended the same primary school around the same period, I can confirm that your childhood memories are right on target.

I however disagree with your premise that the statue ever became historically accurate or relevant. Officially, it was created, I believe in 1978, to mark the "reunification" the "Cameroonian nation" which was "torn apart" by British and French colonialism (forget for one moment that the "cameroon nation" itself was a German creation...).

So if this was the purpose of the monument, how come the statue did not represent the two entities that were reunified? Why 5 babies instead of 2?

If the monument today represents the 10 provinces as you say, then it is not a REUNIFICATION monument because that reunification was between 2 entities not 10.

Dibussi

[paolo laurent]

wafo pierre, the bamileke man,

we cannot be allowedbbto be spinned around too long any more, hope wafo knows his own interest, we know our interest, which is our beliefs, and our land,
not to talk much for enough have all readdy been written world wide. that the 11 million citizens of la republique du cameroun and their 50,000 army,gerdames and police , should moved back to their land without hesitance, but biya is still staying put. US CONGRESS HR 503
HAVE ASKED BIYA TO RELEASE ALL SCNC PRISONERS AND ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT VACATING THEIR LAND, BIYA STAYS PUT, KOFI ANNA, HAVE ASKED BIYA TO FREE ALL ANGLOPHONES PRISONERS AND ENTER INTO DIALOGUE ABOUT A FREE INDEPENDENT SOUTHERN CAMEROONS, BIYA STAYS PUT,

EVEN IF GOD ASK BIYA TO CARRY HIS MILITARY APARATUS AND RASCALS AND LEAVE
S CAMEROONS, BIYA WILL STILL STAY PUT...

SOOO. AT THIS POIT IN HISTORY , THERE EXIST A SOLUTION, EVERY SCAMEROONIAN
MUST START THINKING ABOUT MOVING THEIR FAMILIES IN VICTORIA, KUMBA, BAMENDA, TIKO. MAMFE NDOP. BUEA. ALL TOWNS INTO THEIR VILLAGES, FOR WHEN THE BOMBS START FALLING AT ETOUNDI , AT BASE AERIENNE, DOUALA, AT CAMP MILITAIRE BASSA
AT KOUTABA, AT MAMAFE AT BAMENDA AT EVERY WHERE TO KILL THESES DEMONS, INNOCENT GOD FEARING CHILDREN SHOULDNT BECAME CASUALTY.
THATS THE LANGUAGE BIYA UNDERSTAND.
THEN HE ,IF HE ISNT KILLED. WHICH I SUPPOSE HE WILL, HIS BOYS WILL FLEE
WITH THEIR TAILS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS.

[Emah]

Paolo laurent,

There is no other better way to put it than you have done. when you read carefully from all the above and look at the reality on ground, you can't afford to be vain and bitter.

If War will be the only language to be understood, then i see it coming sooner than anticipated.

In every Revolution in human history that is geared towards freedom, human blood has been the plateform for such unforgettable sacrifices. If this is what it will take, then I start to pray to Almighty God to accept in his heavenly kingdom the souls of all the Southern Cameroonians that will be lost in that freedom "war".

After all the best way to defend is to attack. The Southern Cameroon, call it Ambazonia, a name i totally subscribe to or what ever have endured for too long.

God Take Control of your LAND

[fontom]

RAS

[paolo laurent]

DIBUSSI , HIMSELF IS NOT EVEN ASHAME FOR
MISREPRESENTING HISTORY, WHO EVER TOLD YOU THAT,THE GERMAN-KAMERUN,CONPRISES NOT ONLY
OF FRENCH AND BRITISH CAMEROON, BUT GABON, CONGO, TOGO,NIGERIA ,TCHAD,ETC

[shaunee]

what is the real name now?

[DANGO TUMMA]

wafo pierre
doesnt have the guts any more
these dirty bastards. we go kill all of you and drive all these pigs off our land