Collectif Mémoire 60, a group dedicated to preserving the historical memory of the struggles for independence and reunification of Cameroon, has strongly criticized a column by historian Daniel Abwa regarding the Anglophone crisis. Published in Cameroon Tribune on February 7, 2017, Abwa's column described the crisis as a "paradox," arguing that Anglophone Cameroonians were claiming both independence and a cultural dependence on the former colonizers.
Abwa, a respected figure in Cameroonian history, suggested that elites with "oversized egos" were fueling tensions, while the diversity of colonial legacies should make Cameroon a model of Pan-Africanism. However, he acknowledged shortcomings such as unfinished bilingualism and inequalities between Anglophone and Francophone cultures.
Collectif Mémoire 60 rejects this interpretation, believing that the current crisis stems from incomplete decolonization and the exclusion of nationalist movements during independence negotiations. While acknowledging that Abwa mentions the role of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) in the struggle for independence, the Collectif deplores his silence on the reasons for the UPC's eviction in favor of Ahmadou Ahidjo, supported by France.
The Collectif emphasizes that the war against the maquis, electoral fraud, and the marginalization of nationalists weighed on the construction of the post-colonial state, weakening unity. Another source of disagreement concerns an alleged decree from the 1990s, attributed to Paul Biya, which would have elevated both the figures of independence and the supporters of close cooperation with the former colonial power to the rank of national heroes. Collectif Mémoire 60 asserts that this decree is non-existent and that it is impossible to equate martyrs such as Ruben Um Nyobè, Félix Moumié, and Ernest Ouandié, who died for independence, with leaders who died of natural causes.
The Collectif also criticizes the analysis of the Foumban negotiations in 1961, pointing out that Anglophone leaders such as John Ngu Foncha had initially supported a unionist project in connection with nationalists. Their rallying to Ahidjo, under Franco-British influence, would have transformed a democratic ideal into a sharing of positions, integrating Southern Cameroons into a system dominated by the single party from 1966. This original "betrayal" would still fuel current resentment. In addition, the "K" of Kamerun, defended by nationalists, would not only refer to the German period, but to a political vision of unity, present in the history of parties and petitions from 1919.
To break the current impasse, Collectif Mémoire 60 proposes organizing two conferences in Buea and Foumban, aimed at developing a historical memorandum, implementing popular education programs, and drafting a new Constitution. The ultimate goal is to restore a shared memory and rebuild a unified, democratic, and reconciled Kamerun. The Anglophone crisis, although complex, thus finds its roots in historical events and political choices that continue to shape contemporary Cameroon.
