The Head of State Paul Biya is finally ready to dialogue with all parties in order to seek for lasting solutions to the crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute revealed yesterday as he began his visit to the North West region.

Dialogue, Yes! Separation, Secession, No! That is Paul Biya’s wish which was transmitted to the population of the North West region by the Prime Minister.

With Secession and Separation a ‘taboo’, Paul Biya is ready to talk peace, reconciliation, decentralisation and above all the ‘most dreaded Federalism’ which was first on the table when the crisis broke out in 2016.

Back then, the government team led by Paul Ghogomu Mingho after days of ‘negotiations’ with members of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CASC, after banning any talks on Federalism.

Leaders of the CASC were arrested and detained for eight months while others went into exile and immediately metamorphosed from federalists to separatists.

Since then, Federalism has ironically become a taboo topic for diehard separatist who want the restoration of a breakaway state which they call Ambazonia.

Paul Biya is finally caving in to calls for a dialogue and might be ready to talk federalism at a time when some of these activists had since moved from their federalist stance.

Finding a common ground for both parties is now the hard nut to crack and this presents the best opportunity for the Cardinal Tumi-led Anglophone General Conference to bring together the various Anglophone voices for a common position before the announced dialogue.

Is the Etoudi strongman too late to discuss Federalism? Only time will tell.