Cameroon opposition party calls for federalism to solve political crisis

Cameroon’s main opposition party led by Ni John Fru Ndi is vouching for federalism.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF), confirmed it’s position on Sunday after an executive committee meeting held in the outskirts of Yaounde.

The party said it believes having a federal multi-state government is the best solution to the country’s current political discord, an idea it first put forward in 1997 and according to them federalism would have prevented the crisis in the two English-speaking regions, which are the party’s strongholds.

SDF also demanded the reinstatement of Internet connections in the mainly Anglophone regions in the north and southwest, which were cut off the web in January,and also for release of people arrested during anti-government protests, including professors and lawyers.

Bamenda has been the center of recent civil unrest in the country as demonstrations started in late 2016, when local lawyers and teachers in the area went on strike.

The region represents Cameroon’s English speaking minority and residents say they are being politically and economically sidelined by the Francophone government.

Cameroon’s constitution says the country is bilingual. While the government has made some reforms and promised others, it has refused to release dozens of people detained in relation to the unrest.

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