Fellow Southern Cameroonians,

I have traveled across the world and witnessed firsthand the struggle of nations and peoples fighting for self-preservation. As a Hong Kong citizen from Southern Cameroon, I lived through Hong Kong’s battle to protect its territorial self-governance—a fight that placed human rights and development above political ambitions. 
Some of Hong Kong’s leading activists, now imprisoned, are my friends. 
Their fate serves as a stark reminder of what happens when a people resist an overwhelming power without the means to prevail.

Through my experiences, I have seen the dynamics of state power from multiple perspectives. 
Tyrannical and dictatorial regimes operate with a complete disregard for people. 
In such systems, the state is everything, often embodied by a singular leader—a Führer, a national leader, an emperor, a president—whose vision dictates the fate of millions. 
Under such rule, individuals become expendable, sacrificed for the fantasies and ambitions of those at the top.

This is a world entirely opposite to the worldview held by most Anglophones in Cameroon. 
We believe in individual dignity, shared governance, and the right to self-determination. 
But belief alone does not equate to power. 
The harsh reality is that we are not in control of our destiny.

The Illusion of Power and the French Colonial Shadow

For decades, many among us have dreamed of an Anglophone becoming President of Cameroon. 
But this is a fantasy—an impossibility. 
Even the most powerful individuals in Cameroon are merely actors on a stage controlled by forces greater than them. 
Paul Biya himself, despite his 40+ years in power, is not truly in charge. 
His rule has been propped up by the French, who have ensured that Cameroon remains under their economic and political grip.

Look at history: 
No Francophone country in Africa has truly broken free from France’s control unless it completely severed ties, like Guinea under Sékou Touré or Mali under Assimi Goïta. 
Cameroon has never had that break. 
The French chose Ahidjo, and when he was no longer useful, they replaced him with Biya. 
Even Biya, despite his absolute control over Cameroon, still operates under the shadow of his French masters.

If a man as powerful as Biya is not truly in charge, what makes us think an Anglophone will ever be allowed to take power? 
The system is designed to ensure that does not happen. 
Every election, the regime allows a few Anglophones to run—not because they have a chance, but to keep the illusion alive. 
In reality, the French and their proxies in Yaoundé will never permit it.

Edith Kah Walla said it’s impossible to replace Paul Biya by election. 
She is absolutely right. Elections in Cameroon are a controlled mechanism to sustain the status quo, not a path to change. 
The system is rigged from top to bottom, designed to maintain the illusion of democracy while ensuring that power never truly shifts.

The Cost of Fighting the System

Knowing this reality, what should we do? 
Should we continue resisting an empire we cannot defeat? 
Should we keep sacrificing generations of our people for a dream that will never come true?

The answer is clear: 
We cannot afford to keep fighting a battle we cannot win.

Many liberation struggles have been crushed because they refused to adapt. 
Look at Tibet, which resisted China for decades—today, it is completely absorbed, its culture suppressed, its people silenced. 
Look at Hong Kong, where people fought bravely in the streets, only to be crushed under the weight of a system too powerful to defeat.

If we continue down this path, we will meet the same fate. 
The more we fight, the more we become the primary enemy of the system. 
And when a system like this sees you as an enemy, it does not negotiate—it destroys.

A Smarter Path: The PRAP Vision for a Win-Win Future

Survival is not surrender. 
It is a calculated step toward preserving our identity, our people, and our future. 
Instead of positioning ourselves as a direct threat to the system, we must secure a deal that ensures our preservation.

This is where PRAP (The People’s Rights Advocacy Platform) offers a realistic and achievable path forward.

PRAP’s vision calls for a Peace Plant Paper (PPP), which seeks a win-win solution through the devolution of power. 
Instead of an impossible struggle for total control, PRAP is pushing for a political arrangement that guarantees self-governance for Anglophones within Cameroon—a model that has allowed regions like Quebec in Canada and the Basque Country in Spain to thrive while preserving their cultural and political rights.

Time to End the Power Struggle and Focus on Real Possibilities

We must end the illusion of power struggles that lead nowhere. We cannot afford to keep fighting a war we cannot win. 
Instead, we must focus on realistic possibilities that improve the lives of our people today and create a space for our development while we still can.

The PPP is within the realm of possibility. 
It must be embraced by all who truly want to secure a future for Southern Cameroonians. 
The choice is clear: clinging to an impossible dream and risking total destruction, or adapting and securing a future where our people can thrive.

History will judge us by the choices we make today. 
Let us choose survival, progress, and a future we can actually achieve.
Ndong E N aka Capo Daniel 
PRAP CHIARMAN

Best regards