The recent peaceful transition in Tanzania (Tangayika and Zanzibar) is a story of truth and honesty embedded in history – the history of the two British protectorates that accepted each others uniqueness when they came together. On 26 April 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The name Tanzania is a blend of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Under the terms of this union, the Zanzibar Government retains considerable local autonomy. Tangayika like British Southern Cameroon was a UN-mandated territory, that ascended to self rule in 1961. Zanzibar, a former British protectorate gained her autonomy from the UK on 10 December, 1963.
As an autonomous part of Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own government, known as the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. It is made up of the Revolutionary Council and House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has a similar composition to the National Assembly of Tanzania. Fifty members are elected directly from constituencies to serve five-year terms; 10 members are appointed by the President of Zanzibar; 15 special seats are for women members of political parties that have representation in the House of Representatives; six members serve ex officio, including all regional commissioners and the attorney general. Five of these 81 members are then elected to represent Zanzibar in the National Assembly.
TWO-MANDATED TERRITORIES, TWO FATES
While the UK government respected the terms of the UN Trusteeship Council by granting self-rule to Tangayika (by not asking her whether she wanted to join Zanzibar), in the other mandated territory of British Cameroon, she rather forced a union with other countries. Unable to come to a consensus, the UN, which became the supervisory authority of the former mandate territories, including British Cameroons imposed two options on them. The options were: whether they would like to achieve independence by joining with French Cameroon which as a result of their independence on January 1st, 1960 became La Republique du Cameroun or integrating with Nigeria which was already given independence too. Prior to the plebiscite, in 1959 Southern Cameroons organised democratic elections for a third time and effected the first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in the 20th Century Africa. Despite this solid political and economic self-rule since 1954, the UK and the UN forced the territory into a union with French Cameroon in 1961 as two autonomous countries/entities. Like in Tanzania where Zanzibar has maintained its government and other institutions, the majority French -speaking section completely abolished the autonomy of the English-speaking people. Their parliament and prime ministerial governing structure modelled on the UK and other Anglo-Saxon countries was abolished and an assimilation policy enforced. The self-governing territory saw French administrators imposed on them, their institutions abolished.
Current British Southern Cameroon Genocide
On October 6, 2016, lawyer and teacher trade unions in the Anglophone regions initiated a strike. Led by Barrister Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba, and Tassang Wilfred, they were protesting against the appointment of French-speaking judges in the British Southern Cameroons. They saw this not only as threatening the common law system in the Anglophone regions, but as part of the general marginalization of Anglophones. The strikes were supported by peaceful protests in the cities of Bamenda, Buea and Limbe. The activists demanded protection of the Common law system of the Anglophone regions, and opposed the civil law system used by the Francophone magistrate in courts in British Cameroon, thus replacing the common law system. They asked for several laws to be translated into English. The greater population inspired by Mancho Bibixy with a coffin demanded for the respect of British Cameroon’s identity. He equally questioned the neglect of the region by the French Cameroun authorities (View Here).
The Cameroonian government deployed security forces to crack down on the protests. Protesters were attacked with tear gas, and many lawyers were brutally assaulted by soldiers. Throughout November 2016, thousands of teachers in the Anglophone regions joined the lawyers’ strike. The protest let to a civil war that has claimed more than 25000 lives. The UK and UN that violate the terms of the Trusteeship Council which was to prepare these territories in to self-rule have remined silent to the killings in which former State Department official – Dr. Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch has called a genocide. Foe evidence of the Atrocity Crimes, click here.
TANZANIA REMINDS THE WORLD OF HOW TO AVOID A GENOCIDE
With the passing of Tanzania’s president John Magufuli, on 17 March, 2021 , and his replacement by his vice Samia Suluhu Hassan, the unity of the country was consolidated. John Magufuli is from Tangayika and the vice, now president is from Zanzibar. Mrs. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has made history 19 Friday, 2021, when she was sworn in as Tanzania’s first female president. In the case of British Southern Cameroon, the world has stood by as the majority French Cameroun authorities backed by France are ethnically cleansing the minority Anglophones, who are asking for nothing, but their rights as an autonomous territory like Zanzibar. Will the Boris Johnson administration and her conservative allies finally act to end the annihilation of the once autonomous British Southern Cameroon – Black Africa’s first democracy?
Tanzania’s Hassan, 61, a soft-spoken ruling party loyalist will complete Magufuli’s second five-year term, set to end in 2025. She was first elected to a public office in 2000. She only became prominent in 2014 as the vice-chairperson of the Constituent Assembly, created to draft a new constitution.
British Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) Genocide Library 
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