Curbing Terrorism Funding: Salutary Partnership

The ideal situation will be there to be no possibility to sponsor terrorism. However, the reality has been different. Fortunately, it can never be a fatality living with such sadism. Over the years, countries have grappled with the painful imposition of acts that not only go against existing systems, but which curiously end up constituting sources of despair and mayhem mostly to innocent citizens. Such victims are collateral damage in the hands of people, who, in the absence of arguments to defend their views, end up resorting to terrorism and other forms of barbarism intended to drive home hard-to-swallow pills. Cameroon, that has for decades prided herself as a haven of peace suddenly found the dynamics reversed with the extremist Boko Haram sect in the Far North Region over a decade ago. Several year ago, the crisis in the South West and North West regions raised its ugly head. Both challenges have been about national sovereignty and the attempts by either the sponsors or their networks on the ground either trying to take part of the country for their heinous activities or divide people and communities from the national polity. Boko Haram sought to create a caliphate in the Far North with an extension into Nigeria where the sect had its origins. That could easily be qualified as external invasion and was tackled accordingly. With the separatist agenda in the South West and North West Regions, the stakes have been dicey, although the consequences are the same. Human lives lost, property destroyed, with internally-displaced people and even refugees in some cases. Again, both instances of violence have often proven to benefit from sponsorship at home and abroad, thereby making the quest for solutions more demanding even for the State.     
News of the government or Norway finally getting into action by arresting one of the unapologetic promoters of the atrocities in the restive regions of the South West and North West, Lucas Ayaba Cho, on 24 September, 2024 has been greeted with enthusiasm across the country. Many see and hope that it should be able to send home a message to others that no one responsible for the destruction in the two regions can hide. It would appear that he will be taken to Oslo Courts to answer “charges based on his various expressions on social media” which of course have direct bearing on the havoc that has been unfolding in the two regions since 2017. Whatever twist people may want to give to his trial, the fact remains that his arrest is a plus to the effective diplomatic measures that Cameroon has opted for in seeking lasting solutions to the unrest. President Paul Biya has repeatedly urged foreign partners that harbour those sponsoring terrorism in Cameroon to do the needful against the scourge. This position has been unwavering. Speaking in his State-of-the-Nation’s address on 31 December 2022, President Paul Biya stated that: “I also thank our partners for their multifaceted support, and particularly the United States of America for its decisive action in prosecuting those who help to finance terrorist activities in Cameroon from abroad. I urge other friendly countries to follow suite so that the resumption of development activities can be accelerated in the said regions.” It is within this context that the recent arrest can be understood. Of course, while receiving New Year wishes from the diplomatic corps in Yaounde on 3 January, 2023, the Head of State still harped on the issue by saying: “As I mentioned earlier on, there are multiple lingering security crises worldwide. Unfortunately, Africa remains the theatre of many armed conflicts. Such conflicts, regardless of form or justification, truly impede development and affect innocent people. Of course, it is incumbent upon every State to take the necessary and useful measures to maintain peace within its borders or with its neighbours. However, I wish to appeal to the international community to pay greater attention to the crises and conflicts occurring on the African continent.” Thus, while taking cognizance of the argument that the situation in the South West and North West regions is an internal matter, the role of partner-countries cannot be undermined. Signals such a...