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127  Chapter Nine Interpretation of Plebiscite Results Battle Shifts to the United Nations When the results of the plebiscite were announced, there was blind rejoicing by some, cautious jubilation by others, but there was a dreadful chill amongst the pro-Nigerian elements. It was the type of silence that accompanies desperation, that precedes an explosion. To the 97.741 men and women who had cast their vote in the green box, it was as if their world had ended. Had Cameroonians been a more turbulent race, this may have led to some unpleasant violence, or to movement of people as refugees. However Cameroonians displayed an astonishing capacity to resist and absorb the rudest shocks and stood this last endurance test. Though Cameroonians can indeed bear suffering and disappointment, we the leaders of the CPNC did not have an easy job in keeping our men from exploding. What could we do to make them swallow these results? What was in reality the interpretation of the results and what could be done to defuse the desperate tension in CPNC followers resembling a bottled volcano? The details of how to interpret the plebiscite results had not been defined by the United Nations. After all, the UNO also had its limitations in the matter. Its decisions had to depend’ on the will of the people concerned. An ingredient of democracy includes the consent of the governed not only the might of the majority. The UNO as a democratic institution was therefore bound to respect the will of the people in the silent point concerning interpretation of the plebiscite results. The CPNC, accordingly, put forward its idea of how those results were to be interpreted. x Since a plebiscite is not elections which are held from time to time so that the electorate always have a chance to correct themselves if they find they had made a mistake, x Since the Southern Cameroons itself had been created by European powers regardless of the people’s views or wishes, x Since the UNO had the opportunity more than the Berlin 128  Conference of 1884-1885, to obtain the most authentic opinion and views of the peoples concerned in respect of their future, The CPNC demanded that in the interpretation of the plebiscite results, the most authentic body to consult in the final analysis was not an artificial creation of the white man (named Cameroon), but the pure ethnic unit as nature created. In our opinion the tribe or clan constituted that unit, and it must be that unit that the UNO was to use in the final interpretation of the results. If any tribe indicated by majority where it wished to be, there it was to be allowed to go. If the effect of that choice was to last a thousand years, then that ethnic group (nature made) would have chosen its destiny by itself. The CPNC argued that since the errors of 1884-1885 include the fact that ethnic groups were split and placed under different powers against their will, the UNO would be repeating the same errors if it did not use the tribe as the ultimate unit to consult. Especially, bearing in mind age-long animosities between ethnic groups and the fact further that on the Cameroon/Nigeria border several ethnic groups lie on both sides, adjustment of the international boundary would serve to correct the errors of 1884-1885, and would be the best answer to our present dilemma. Convinced that this case of the CPNC deserved the attention of the United Nations Organisation, we gave notice to Britain as the Administering Authority that we were pressing our case of the interpretation of the Plebiscite Results, to the United Nations. TheLastBattleattheUNO(CPNCDelegationApril,1961) We decided on a big delegation. Each of the main ethnic groups constituting the CPNC backbone was to raise the cost for one delegate to the United Nations, while the CPNC itself was to bear the cost of sending the Leader and Deputy Leader. The Molongo of the Bakweris of Fako Division raised enough money to pay for two men, Mr. E.K. Martin and Mr. S.M.L. Endeley (Barrister). The Mokanya of the Orokos in Kumba Division financed one delegate Chief Sakwe Bokwe of Dikome Balue. At a single meeting held at Bole Bakundu, the Orokos raised two thousand pounds, enough and more to cover the cost of a round trip for Chief Bokwe from Tiko to New York, plus one month of his keep in the...

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