WAA Cameroon Salutes Biya’s Grand National Dialogue

The nongovernmental organization and GPPAC member Women in Alternative Action, WAA Cameroon, has saluted President Paul Biya's speech calling for a major national dialogue to resolve the crisis rocking the Anglophone regions of the country.

Speaking to The Voice in recently, WAA Cameroon Executive Director, Justine Kwachu Ngum Kumche, said the call comes in due time to consolidate WAA Cameroon and her partner, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, GPPAC, cry for inclusive dialogue. This call was first made during a conference organised by WAA and GPPAC on October 25, 2018 at the Yaoundé Conference Centre on the theme: National Inclusive Dialogue on Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts in Cameroon which saw the participation of traditional and religious leaders, CSOs, women and youth leaders all echoing the need for peace to return in the crisis regions. “As calls for national dialogue were intensifying as the days went by, we were expecting that the President would heed to our recommendations and call for an inclusive national dialogue. When he pronounced that word, we were happy and excited but we thought his announcement will say that the dialogue would be facilitated by a third party especially given the present context. We are equally hoping the president, in his usual magnanimity, can include the leaders of the Anglophone uprising in the dialogue process as this would go a long way to end the upheavals rocking the two regions.”

She said they were a little disappointed when the president announced that the Prime Minister would chair deliberations during the Grand National Dialogue and so questioned if the neutrality of a third would be respected.
 

“We are happy that the dialogue would take place at last but we thought that the inclusiveness would actually mean bringing those that matter in the struggle for this crisis to end once and for all.”

Justine Kwachu Ngum Kumche expressed contentment that the call by Paul Biya has proven that WAA Cameroon recommendation during the October 25, 2018 conference has been considered though there are some loopholes in the entire dialogue process.

She said WAA Cameroon will willingly participate in the dialogue if invited as that is what they have been clamouring for and they think that their opinion and contributions would count because as a women’s organization, they believe that the voices of women must be heard.
 

“So the organisers have to redesign the peace table by including everyone and also having the women meaningfully participate in that dialogue. We are really looking forward to the dialogue and we know that we would be there as a women’s organization working for peace."

Having witnessed the devastating consequences of the crises affecting the Northern, North West and South West regions of Cameroon, WAA Cameroon and partner came to the conclusion that only a peaceful, just and inclusive approach through dialogue and non-violent communication would lead to peaceful coexistence.