"I doubt a Western nation arming Boko Haram" – Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh
March 16, 2015

The President of The Fomunyoh Foundation who is also the Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) recently paid a one-week visit to the three Northern Regions of Cameroon.

The visit to the Extreme North, North, and the Adamawa Regions was in respond to the threats the country has been suffering lately in the hands of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

In a press conference at the Foundation's head office in Bamenda in the North West Region of the country on Thursday March 12, 2014, Dr. Chris Fomunyoh addressed concerns of the press in relation to the Boko Haram scourge.

As to how the common enemy procures its ammunition, Dr. Chris Fomunyoh was quick to point out that after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the cold war, there was excess ammunitions especially in some of the Eastern bloc countries.

He also made mention of the mass circulation of weapons in the Middle East while adding that the porous state of borders, especially in the Sahel creates permeability for weapons.

In reaction to the allegation on the French government equipping the terrorist group, Dr. Chris Fomunyoh cast doubts as to why a Western government will support a movement whose prime objectives or ideology is to attack the West and undermine its civilization. He added that, "it will be counterproductive that a government will fund a movement that will kill its own citizens and undermine its own existence". The NDI official also shed light on the situation of refugees and internally displaced person in the conflict zone. He maintained that a number of families had moved to other villages while others had resettled in other communities and had been accepted as such thanks to our African sense of hospitality. He elatedly announced that there is now an effort underway championed by a development institute based in Yaoundé to identify the number of internally displaced persons and help feed into discussion on the how to cater for their needs.

These among other issues were handled by Dr. Chris Fomunyoh as he was put on the spot for over an hour by the pressmen and women in Bamenda. During his sojourn in the three Northern Regions of Cameroon, Dr. Chris Fomunyoh met with government officials, held working sessions with experts on regional security issues.

He also visited internally displaced persons notably the "Institution camerounaise de L'Enfance" an orphanage that plays hosts to close to a hundred of children recovered by the Cameroon Army from a Boko Haram indoctrination camp, not leaving out book donation to some institutions of learning. According to the President of The Fomunyoh Foundation, his charity organization is planning nationwide concerts with Idy Oulo, Northern-born, France-based artiste. Proceeds will be managed exclusively by The Fomunyoh Foundation for the lone purpose of providing additional material assistance to affected communities and internally displaced persons in the Extreme North Region of Cameroon.

Landze Verla