Wanted by President Paul Biya, the "Great National Dialogue" was launched Monday, September 30, in Cameroon to try to put an end to the deadly conflict between Yaoundé and English-speaking separatists in the west. Its chances of succeeding remain slim, however, because of the absence of the main secessionist leaders.

In front of a full house, the Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute proposed to the participants to be "true craftsmen of the peace" during the five days envisaged for the great dialogue in Yaoundé, describing as "not insoluble" the "preoccupations" which oppose the two parts.

The fighting, but also the abuses committed on civilians by both sides, in the two northwestern and southwestern regions, where most of Cameroon's English-speaking minority lives (16%), have already done so. More than 3,000 deaths in less than three years, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

A deadly conflict

Since 2017, social demands from the English-speaking population, who feel aggrieved by the eight French-speaking regions, have turned into a deadly conflict between radicalized armed independence groups and state security forces, who have remained deaf to demands. Some English speakers demand a return to federalism while others demand the partition of the country. Two scenarios rejected by President Biya.

After being intransigent since his re-election in October 2018, the head of state, 86 years of which nearly 37 in power, announced mid-September this "great national dialogue" in Yaounde. The announcement of this dialogue has brought hope to moderate Anglophones, such as the influential Archbishop of Douala, Cardinal Christian Tumi. "I have the hope that leaving here something good begins to happen," he told AFP after the speech of the Prime Minister.

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In parallel, some 20 young English-speaking ex-combatants, dressed in the colors of the Cameroonian flag, came on stage to underline "the marginalization that [they] are victims of [their] own lands" before the Prime Minister's speech.

"Powder in the eyes" for some separatists

On the side of more radical Anglophones, Mark Bareta, very active on social networks, was presented by Yaoundé as the one who showed the most openness. But Mark Bareta announced Friday not to participate in this dialogue, saying that "the only way to carry out real negotiations was to do it on a neutral ground".

Among the sixteen English-speaking separatist leaders invited to the dialogue, many of whom are abroad, leaders of armed groups, such as Ebenezer Akwanga and Cho Ayaba, have announced their refusal to participate. With this dialogue, Cameroon wants to throw "powder in the eyes of the international community," said on the phone to AFP Ebenezer Akwanga.

Most of these leaders have reaffirmed their willingness to discuss with the government, but demand that the negotiations take place in the presence of an international mediator, abroad and that the terms of the separation be the main point of the order of the day.

"Great dialogue of the deaf"

Monday, in the kiosks of Yaoundé, the bi-weekly Repères, rather favorable to the power, affirms in a "That passes or that breaks!", While the Anglophone Eden, which also title on the dialogue, asks: "Will he make the success or the ruin of Cameroon? " The newspaper Integration, it shows in one: "Great dialogue of the deaf in Yaounde".

Near the Palais des Congrès, onlookers were divided between skepticism and hope. "I do not know how much importance can be given to what people will say in this dialogue when people are shot" in English-speaking areas, says Joseph, a resident of Yaounde and originally from the west.

"We want the return of peace, it is only necessary that we give everyone the opportunity to express themselves," said Mitterrand, the English-speaking resident of Yaoundé.

With AFP