**4.2 Cultural domination in the educational section**

Teachers and the general public joined the lawyers in the strike. They reportedly opposed what was described as the "imposition of French in schools in Anglophone parts of the country." According to Catherine Soi reporting for Aljazeera [20], students battled on their own at school because even private school teachers had deserted classroom in support of the public sector teachers and so many classrooms and schools across Ambazonia were empty. They wanted the government to stop sending teachers who spoke only in French or Pidgin English. Even students supported the strike action because after completing school, they were unable to find jobs.

"For over fifty years Anglophone students have not been able to have a headway in Cameroon in most disciplined that bring about development: science and technology because the government has refused to train teachers for our schools," declared Tassang Wilfred over Aljazeera (2016).

According to University of Buea strike Report [21], a mammoth crowd of students came out protesting in order to attract the authority of the university attention to their plights. A student carried a placard on which it was written: "enough is enough." They had a variety of complaints: the non-payment of the 50,000frs CFA that the government had promised them, the cancelation of the 10,000frs CFA penalty fees for the late payment of school fees, and the payment of fees before being given a semester result, and as it was the general cry with the secondary and high schools in the Anglophone zone, they also demanded the removal of Frenchspeaking lecturers from the faculty of the university.

They stood in front of the Administrative Block wishing to meet the Vice Chancellor to tell her their problems but instead security forces took her away and a huge number of security forces were sent to dispatch them. As they arrived, the students ran into different directions and the atmosphere became very misty because the security officers had thrown teargas and fired gun shots in the air. The students shouted no violence as they ran away for safety. Although students were beaten and arrested, it did not dampen the spirit of the strike action so the students left and marched into the street.

#### **4.3 The white coffin revolution**

According to Bamenda protest close to one hundred wounded [22], protesting residents voice other grievances, including – poor roads, no jobs and water. "On November 21, 2016, Mancho Bibixy, the newscaster of a local radio station, stood in an open casket in a crowded roundabout in the Anglophone city of Bamenda. Using a blow horn, Bibixy denounced the slow rate of economic and structural development in the city."

"When that Chinese them di come, m-e-y they come tell we when they dig road, na we di fix'am back," he declared his discontent with the bad state of roads that Chinese would only construct but would not repair. He showed his defiant attitude by declaring he was ready to die while protesting against the social and economic marginalization of Anglophone in the hegemonic Francophone state.

"I don tell them, if na teargas I go drink'am."

"Let them chase me….it won't mean anything to me," he declared.

He emerged as a key leader in the Anglophone political movement who were among the first to be arrested and he was later slammed a 15-year prison term (**Figure 1**).

In a video entitled "Bamenda Protest Close to 100 wounded," [22] it shows how the white coffin was carried about and a mammoth crowd of young men followed it with Bibixy himself leading.

"We can never be defeated by the police," they declared when the police came to stop them. They rounded-up one of them and chased the others who came to stop their peaceful march. One can clearly hear a voice saying in the video:

"You no take hi gun?" asking whether he has not taken his gun.

"Cameroon must change,"

"That independent na today where i go start o-o," which means: the independence will start today.

Young men came in their bikes honing while those who were on foot shouted. Protesters were all over the whole streets.

"I say… bamenda di hot yah," they said in the background.

"We need change in Bamenda," they said.

"whosai the police them dey where they di try their nonsense, make them come now," they declared with determination.

**153**

hiding.

*Uprising and Human Rights Abuses in Southern Cameroon-Ambazonia*

"Jesus, they are killing us in Bamenda," they said. Another truck arrived on which it was written "Gendarmerie Nationale" and it sprayed huge amount of water on a hostel: Grand Plaza; certainly where some of the protesters were hiding. The video shows how two persons hurriedly took away a shot person on a bike and some

*The White Coffin Revolution. Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=picture+of+white+coffin.*

In a video entitled: Bamenda Boiling, they Escaped Teargas, on December, 8th 2016 [23], shows some young men shouting loudly and running away as fast as they could from the police who were throwing teargas on them to stop them from manifesting. Some covered their nostrils with handkerchiefs to prevent them from

The struggle as well was not only between the Francophone and Anglophone but also between the Anglophone and their elite who enjoyed juice positions in the government and were not ready to resign from their positions. They were enablers: the government used them to crush their own people. They always would preach anti-struggle campaign and would bring other Francophone authorities to fight against their people. Each time they visited the Anglophone zone, there was always a battle between them and their people. The elite wanted to maintain the status quo,

The video Bamenda Boys against CPDM [24] shows a comic scene where a young man brought a large catapult and took a stone to support the big stick and another one pulled the rope from behind him and then they took the catapult to confront the CPDM barons. According to Zigolo Tchaya 2016 [25] reporting for France 24, when the Prime Minister of Cameroon (an Anglophone) and the Secretary General of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, the party of the government in power, went to Bamenda to hold a pro-government rally with its militants to calm down the striking lawyers and the teachers' association, who had been striking for 2 months, a group of young men burnt the CPDM party uniform of an elderly person who was going to attend the rally. The angry youth blocked the hotel where the Prime Minister and Secretary where lodging and there was a confrontation between them and the security. According to Gigova [26], it led to four deaths and several wounded and about 50 arrested. The Prime Minister, The CPDM Secretary General, the Governor of the North West region, and the national security adviser were forced to go into

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91053*

were taken and given private treatment at homes.

while the general population wanted a change.

inhaling the toxic gas.

**Figure 1.**

Then suddenly trucks of military men arrived shooting in the air and killed a good number and wounded about a hundred.

*Uprising and Human Rights Abuses in Southern Cameroon-Ambazonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91053*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Education, Human Rights and Peace in Sustainable Development*

speaking lecturers from the faculty of the university.

left and marched into the street.

**4.3 The white coffin revolution**

with Bibixy himself leading.

"Cameroon must change,"

Protesters were all over the whole streets.

now," they declared with determination.

"We need change in Bamenda," they said.

good number and wounded about a hundred.

dence will start today.

According to University of Buea strike Report [21], a mammoth crowd of students came out protesting in order to attract the authority of the university attention to their plights. A student carried a placard on which it was written: "enough is enough." They had a variety of complaints: the non-payment of the 50,000frs CFA that the government had promised them, the cancelation of the 10,000frs CFA penalty fees for the late payment of school fees, and the payment of fees before being given a semester result, and as it was the general cry with the secondary and high schools in the Anglophone zone, they also demanded the removal of French-

They stood in front of the Administrative Block wishing to meet the Vice Chancellor to tell her their problems but instead security forces took her away and a huge number of security forces were sent to dispatch them. As they arrived, the students ran into different directions and the atmosphere became very misty because the security officers had thrown teargas and fired gun shots in the air. The students shouted no violence as they ran away for safety. Although students were beaten and arrested, it did not dampen the spirit of the strike action so the students

According to Bamenda protest close to one hundred wounded [22], protesting residents voice other grievances, including – poor roads, no jobs and water. "On November 21, 2016, Mancho Bibixy, the newscaster of a local radio station, stood in an open casket in a crowded roundabout in the Anglophone city of Bamenda. Using a blow horn, Bibixy denounced the slow rate of economic and structural development in the city." "When that Chinese them di come, m-e-y they come tell we when they dig road, na we di fix'am back," he declared his discontent with the bad state of roads that Chinese would only construct but would not repair. He showed his defiant attitude by declaring he was ready to die while protesting against the social and economic

He emerged as a key leader in the Anglophone political movement who were among

"We can never be defeated by the police," they declared when the police came to stop them. They rounded-up one of them and chased the others who came to stop

"That independent na today where i go start o-o," which means: the indepen-

Young men came in their bikes honing while those who were on foot shouted.

"whosai the police them dey where they di try their nonsense, make them come

Then suddenly trucks of military men arrived shooting in the air and killed a

marginalization of Anglophone in the hegemonic Francophone state.

"Let them chase me….it won't mean anything to me," he declared.

their peaceful march. One can clearly hear a voice saying in the video: "You no take hi gun?" asking whether he has not taken his gun.

"I say… bamenda di hot yah," they said in the background.

the first to be arrested and he was later slammed a 15-year prison term (**Figure 1**). In a video entitled "Bamenda Protest Close to 100 wounded," [22] it shows how the white coffin was carried about and a mammoth crowd of young men followed it

"I don tell them, if na teargas I go drink'am."

**152**

*The White Coffin Revolution. Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=picture+of+white+coffin.*

"Jesus, they are killing us in Bamenda," they said. Another truck arrived on which it was written "Gendarmerie Nationale" and it sprayed huge amount of water on a hostel: Grand Plaza; certainly where some of the protesters were hiding. The video shows how two persons hurriedly took away a shot person on a bike and some were taken and given private treatment at homes.

In a video entitled: Bamenda Boiling, they Escaped Teargas, on December, 8th 2016 [23], shows some young men shouting loudly and running away as fast as they could from the police who were throwing teargas on them to stop them from manifesting. Some covered their nostrils with handkerchiefs to prevent them from inhaling the toxic gas.

The struggle as well was not only between the Francophone and Anglophone but also between the Anglophone and their elite who enjoyed juice positions in the government and were not ready to resign from their positions. They were enablers: the government used them to crush their own people. They always would preach anti-struggle campaign and would bring other Francophone authorities to fight against their people. Each time they visited the Anglophone zone, there was always a battle between them and their people. The elite wanted to maintain the status quo, while the general population wanted a change.

The video Bamenda Boys against CPDM [24] shows a comic scene where a young man brought a large catapult and took a stone to support the big stick and another one pulled the rope from behind him and then they took the catapult to confront the CPDM barons. According to Zigolo Tchaya 2016 [25] reporting for France 24, when the Prime Minister of Cameroon (an Anglophone) and the Secretary General of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, the party of the government in power, went to Bamenda to hold a pro-government rally with its militants to calm down the striking lawyers and the teachers' association, who had been striking for 2 months, a group of young men burnt the CPDM party uniform of an elderly person who was going to attend the rally. The angry youth blocked the hotel where the Prime Minister and Secretary where lodging and there was a confrontation between them and the security. According to Gigova [26], it led to four deaths and several wounded and about 50 arrested. The Prime Minister, The CPDM Secretary General, the Governor of the North West region, and the national security adviser were forced to go into hiding.
