24/10/2020 | Douala

The Social Democratic Front (SDF) is devastated by the carnage perpetuated on young children in their classrooms in Kumba today, in search of knowledge. Innocent students killed and mutilated during classes by armed groups who have as their lone agenda, terrorism.

The SDF condemns in the strongest possible terms this barbaric terrorist attack on innocent children and calls on the perpetrators to be punished accordingly. These terrorists are well known to many as well as all those enjoying the fall out of this dirty war are known as well.

After four blank academic years, a couple of completely lost generations and an educational gap burden that will certainly hunt Cameroonians for the next decades, schools showed encouraging signs of resumption in the North West and South West regions for this academic year. These marauders are trying in vain to mortgage the future of our country by perpetrating such inhumane acts. As a people, we must not yield. Following this e

vent, our higher sense of judgement must come to play.

Their attacks of today and several previous decisions have continuously made innocent civilians the target of their actions. By their misguided actions and tirades, they keep trying to destroy the merits of the Anglophone problem for which we are actively looking for lasting solutions.

The SDF has left no stone unturned in the past five years to bring to an end the escalation of violence in the conflict torn North West and South West regions and this at the cost of repeated attacks on the party and its officials including the kidnapping of our National Chairman on two occasions. In this battle for peace, we have been attacked by secessionist armed groups, their fanatical propaganda agents abroad as well as the Biya regime. Notwithstanding the cost of our battles, we will continue fighting for justice and peace as well as to put an end to the marginalisation of the people of the North West and South West regions through constructive political means because we understand that we stand on the side of truth and without justice there can be no peace. The unacceptable carnage that occurred today in Kumba just comes in to reinforce our conviction and our mission.

Schools should have, and must from now onwards, be integrally protected by our security and defence forces. This is an imperative that must be put in place to ensure our children's right for education in a safe, secure, and conducive environment. Such measures must as well be extended to the main roads leading to schools to ensure safety to and from schools as well.

The horrible terrorist attack perpetrated on our children today in Kumba should awaken the Biya regime to step-up measures to bring this war to an end. In this regard, we call on this regime:

• To immediately enquire into this attack and hold all the perpetrators and their various accomplices at all levels accountable.
• To immediately call for consultation, our diplomatic representatives in nations guilty of unfriendly acts by putting themselves in a situation of casus belli with Cameroon by harbouring known terrorism sponsors and/or are supporting terrorism in Cameroon. If no immediate remedy is sought, our diplomatic relations with these nations should be revisited to protect our nation and appropriate action should be engaged against these countries in the appropriate international instances. Continuous leniency by the Biya regime with these countries will have to be handled as a breach of our constitution.
• To hold accountable and bring to justice those benefiting from the economy of this war and thereby entertaining its existence.
• To provide reinforced protection wherever citizens are unavoidably vulnerable, like in schools, markets and hospitals.
• To engage the entire nation, as a matter of urgency and without fear nor shame into putting an immediate end to this unnecessary war, before our actual socio-economic and political situation degenerates into a generalised civil war. The SDF believes that to heal our wounds and share our desire for a brighter future as a nation, this can only happen through a national and inclusive peace, justice and reconciliation exercise.
• To work on justice and reconstruction as a matter of priority to usher in peace and stability into these regions and many more in our country.

In the face of these attacks, we call on all Cameroonians to be on alert because we must defend our country, our children and ourselves. We cannot continue living in terror. One child killed is the death of all our children.
As we mourn our innocent children today, we pray for the injured and those battling between life and death from this attack as well as for the many affected families.

May the gentle souls of our dear children rest in perfect peace and let it be known that without justice

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