I watched 2 live TV debates on Sunday May 19th on 2
private TV stations airing from Cameroon: Canal 2 International and Spectrum TV (STV2).
On both shows, the topic was national unity and obviously "The Anglophone
Problem" crept in. Previously, I found it very difficult to articulate
"that problem" satisfactorily. However, I definitely made up my mind after the shows.
Why would the Anglophone Problem come up in a show which focused national unity? Do anglophones threaten national unity? You may debate on the WHY and HOW of the unification and reunification;
of who was re-unifying with whom and why; of whether it was a unification or re-unification
or even if the event ever took place. Regardless, so long as ONE Cameroonian is labeled
"Anglophone" (for whatever reason), you must entertain the possibility that there may be a
specific problem which only Anglophones face owing to the history, sociology, ancestry and/or territory. Curiously, on both shows, inasmuch as they both labeled
some Cameroonians "Anglophone", the TV stations didn't find it
relevant to invite an Anglophone! Surreal as it may seem, this is a reflection
of contemporary Cameroon. Suddenly I realized that, maybe the Anglophone Problem is
actually a "francophone issue". How do you acknowledge a problem
facing some people, yet fail to recognize the people? One reason only; disrespect.
The Anglophone Problem concerns anglophones but it doesn't
automatically follow that anglophones have a problem. I don’t think so. “The
Anglophone Problem” is the francophone incapacity to distinguish between
unification and uniformity. Anglophones didn’t become francophone in 1972 nor
do Anglophones expect francophones to become anglophone any day. We are whom we are.
