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Religious Leaders Ready to “facilitate meaningful dialogue” to End Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: Catholic Archbishop

Jude Atemanke

By Jude Atemanke

Yaounde, 19 March, 2025 / 8:44 pm (ACI Africa).

Religious leaders in Cameroon's English-speaking regions have expressed their readiness to facilitate dialogue between the government and separatists to resolve the protracted Anglophone crisis.

Cameroon’s English-speaking regions plunged into conflict in 2016 after a protest by lawyers and teachers turned violent. An armed movement of separatists seeking independence for the so-called republic of Ambazonia emerged following the government’s crackdown on protesters.

In his address during the Sixth Session of the Follow-up Committee Meeting of the Major National Dialogue in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), who led the delegation of religious leaders from the North West and South West Regions, emphazized that only “genuine dialogue—not force—can bring lasting peace” in the embattled region.

“All wars, including the First and Second World Wars, ended at the negotiating table. The Ambazonians are ready for meaningful dialogue, and we, as religious leaders, can facilitate it,” Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea said during the Tuesday, March 18 session.

Acknowledging modest progress in addressing the conflict, Archbishop Nkea however noted that several areas “remain under the control of Ambazonian fighters, with ongoing kidnappings and killings fueling distrust between the government and separatist groups.”

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The Local Ordinary of Cameroon’s Bamenda Archdiocese urged authorities to engage directly with those driving the conflict, rather than limiting discussions to government allies.

“Our boys believe the government is not truly committed to solving this problem. Some feel that while many declarations are made on radio, television, and in newspapers, little is actually implemented,” the Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop said.

He noted that religious leaders serve “only as facilitators and cannot make any pledges on behalf of the state.”

“We can only go out with camwood, wash and rub their feet, pray with them, and urge them to stop killing their own,” Archbishop Nkea said.

The Catholic Church leader called on members of the Follow-up Committee to recognize that dialogue must take place with adversaries, not just allies. 

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“The boys feel you are merely talking among yourselves or to your friends,” he said

The Local Ordinary of Bamenda urged the government to “step beyond these meetings and engage directly with the fighters.”

The NECC President further said that both Ambazonian fighters and the leadership they have met believe that some members of the government want the crisis to continue and are actively obstructing genuine dialogue.

This perception, the Catholic Archbishop cautioned, fuels distrust and complicates efforts towards a peaceful resolution.

However, Archbishop Nkea lauded the government for some progress in the two regions, saying, “One indication of advancement is that some of the boys compatriots had expressed interest in attending this Follow-up Committee meeting.”

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This, the Archbishop of Bamenda said, “demonstrates a willingness, albeit cautious, from some actors to engage in the dialogue process.”

Regarding decentralization in these regions, Archbishop Nkea said, “It must be made visible. While many speeches have been given, concrete results remain limited.”

He appreciated the ongoing reconstruction programs but called for “greater efforts, as this would help rebuild the trust that has been lost between the government and the affected populations.” 

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.