While Cameroon marks May 20 as its “National Unity Day,” for millions of Anglophone Cameroonians, this day symbolizes the betrayal of a historic pact and the beginning of institutionalized marginalization.

On May 20, 1972, Cameroon’s leadership unilaterally dismantled the federal structure agreed upon during the 1961 UN-sponsored plebiscite that brought Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun into a union of equals. 
The resulting centralized state was not a symbol of unity but the start of a deliberate campaign to assimilate the Anglophone people into a Francophone system of governance—an agenda later confirmed by President Paul Biya himself.

Rather than uphold the terms of the federal pact, legislators from the Anglophone regions allowed the dissolution of the federation without a referendum in Southern Cameroons. 
This betrayal ignited the Ambazonian uprising—a movement born out of frustration, demanding the restoration of dignity, equality, and political recognition.

Sadly, the struggle for justice has since been undermined by internal leadership rivalries, fragmentation, and a loss of focus on the collective good. As a result, the momentum for change has stalled. 
Today, we witness the slow re-assimilation of Ground Zero into the centralized French-Cameroonian system, with no viable political structure in place to protect the Anglophone identity.

The People’s Rights Advocacy Platform (PRAP) reminds the international community and Cameroonian citizens that genuine unity cannot be built on suppression and deception. 
May 20 must not be celebrated blindly—it must be confronted as a turning point that derailed the hopes of millions.

We call for a renewed path toward dialogue, constitutional reform, and political accountability that respects the historical rights of the Anglophone people.

Issued by:
Ndong Emmanuel Ngong (Capo Daniel)
Chairman, People’s Rights Advocacy Platform (PRAP)

Best regards