Description
Since the end of the major world wars, the international community and Africa have struggled with the identification and punishment of the genocide against the civilian population. Despite proliferation of genocide and awareness, the Africa continues to witness unprecedented wave of genocide with the Cameroun- Anglophone scenario instructive in this regard. Relying on both secondary and primary sources of data and employing the Responsibility to Protect framework, this study interrogates the nature of the Cameroun- Anglophone crisis, the extent to which the mass atrocities qualify as acts of Genocide, factors accounting for the apparent inconsistent reaction by the Africa Union (AU), implications for the Genocide Convention protection of the civilian population. This study argues that the orchestrated sanction of violence and mass atrocities against the Anglophone population by the Paul Biya regime meets the Genocide threshold and one deserving global and regional intervention. However, the lack of condemnation from the international community and the wobbly position of the AU about these horrendous acts tacitly endorse more attacks against the Anglophones and water down the global commitment of “Never Again”, and the sincerity behind the AU's commitment to ending mass atrocities. These acts not only bring back the sad memories of the Rwanda holocaust, but also demonstrate that the African continent is yet to learn from such horrific experiences. This underscores the need for an affirmative AU intervention in the lingering crisis via strict condemnation, reminding the Biya's regime of its duty to protect its citizens as stipulated in Article 4 g & h of the AU Act, while equally commencing judicial inquiry in ensuring that they chastise those culpable of mass atrocity acts accordingly. More importantly, the changing nature and contending issues bothering around mass atrocity acts call for a reassessment of the status, application, and interpretation of the AU Act to accommodate emerging trends that threaten the civilian population and regional security.
