UNITED NATIONS Distr. TRUSTEESHIP LIMITED T/PET.4/L.125 COUNCIL 28 March 1961 . ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

PETITION F~nM MR• S.E. NYENTI ON BE.HALF OF THE $ COMMONERS CONGRESS CON:.:;.21.··uNG THE CP-~ROONS UNDER UNITED KINGDOM ADMINISTPATION . (Circulated in accordance with rule 85, paragraph 2 of the rules of procedure of the Trusteeship Council) ·

Otir.Ref .ccc/12/61. National Secretciat, Cl:l;llleroons Cc1'.:lfilon(~rs Congress, c/o P.O. Box 119, , Southern , 14th Feb.1961. The Secretar-J-General, United Nations, Neviyork, fhrough Dr. Abdoh, U.N.Plebiscite Commissioner, .

· Conduct of the Plebiscite Sir, I am directed by the elllergency executive committee meeting of the Cameroons Cozmnoners Congress, which has just met here in Kumba., to inform you tha.t the conduct of the Southern Cameroons plebiscite has not been satisfactory and is therefore questionable. In taking this decision, the committee noted with regret the following anomalies. l. That the period for registration for the plebiscite was rather too short. 2. That the entire population of the Southern Cameroons was not fully enlightened of the implications;of the two alternatives. 3. That the people of the Southern Cameroons voted on one part for the second alternative with the understanding that the questions did not rule out a period of separate Independence for the Southern Cameroons. 4. Others voted for the first alternative with the understanding that they were still to be under trusteeship and ultimately having separate L~dependence someday when developed. 5. That there was extreme outside influence both from the Republic of Cameroun on one part and on the other part. 61-08602 / ... T/PET.4/L.125 English Page 2

6. That the people were under duress. Before making any suggestions and or aey resolutions taken, I wish to make clear the points raised above. On the first point I wish to say that the period for registration commenced from October 26th. to November 22nd. 1960. While we appreciated the tidious responsibility which was placed on the U.K. plebiscite administrators, you must also agree that it was not also possible, that the mass illetrates would in two weeks of lectures, understand the great importance to register for the plebiscite. The population of the Southern Cameroons is 89% illetrates. I am sure the plebiscite Administrator received many letters asking for extension of time for registration for the plebiscite. The U.K. plebiscite Administrators used two weeks in their first enlightenment campaign lectures in October, 1960 using about 5 to 10 mins. in each village in each meeting. The major political parties, the KNDP and CPNC, which were mainly concerned with the plebiscite did not begin campaigns until January, 1961. Earlier in October, 1960, Mr. Foncba had held several meeting with his party and members made to understand that the two question for the plebiscite did not rule out a :period for separate Independence for the Southern Cameroons. Mr. Foncha re-affirmed this when he informed the Colonial Secretary Mr. Iain McCleod in November London Conference in which the opposition in the Southern Cameroons House of Assembly were invited, even though the Colonial Secretary did not agree with his interpretation. Mr. Foncha 1s acceptance of the Colonial Secretary's interpretation of the questions was not made known to the people of the Southern Cameroons after. They went to the polls with the first impression that there will be a period of separate Independence for the Southern Cameroons. Generally, the people have voted for separate Southern Cameroons Independence. If there is doubt in this, the CCC as a party strongly urges the dissolution of the Southern Cameroons House of Assembly and order a fresh election not latter than Yay, 1961, allowing Mr. Foncha his Unification propaganda and the c$c.c. left with the Separate Independence propaganda.

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With outside influence, Nigeria had indirectly influenced the plebiscite by sending through its ally, adv~ating for Union with Nigeria, the C.P.N.C. sufficient money well over £13,000 and propaganda vans. From the Cameroun Republic, there was also a lot of money sent to the Southern Cameroons through the K.:N.D.P. ~rid O.K. flowing money in the streets like Christmas greeting cards. From the Republic ot Cameroun, the following were a number of vans reported by the Secretary-General himself to have been parading Kumba, and road area during the O.K. and K.N.D.P. campaigns. Latter in December, 1960, the opposition members in the Cameroun Republic bad spent their Christmas with Mr. Foncba to foster their plebiscite plans. Also in January, 1961, Pi·ince Ndumbe Doula's brother whos name I cannot ramember,. campaigned all along with Mr. Foucha particularly in the Ba!ros~i area. of Kumba Division. The cars which pare,ded KUMBA, Tombel and Mbonge areas during the campaigns were: 9303-04; 7070.04; 9234-C4; 3042-C4; 4126-C4; 6872-C4; 9901-Ch. People in many areas were made to swear native jujus, to enable them all vote for the white box and according to tradition, even though it was not their wish to vote for the white box. ' I hope to bring to the next General Assembly, a full text of my report with '. documents substantiating some of the facts herein contained. A few of the villages that gave oath to the voters are, Ngolo-Eolo, Kombone, Dik~me and Ngbanji, There a.re several others, which reports have not reached me yet before writing this letter. That in Kumba North-East plebiscite District, registration cards got lost, numbering about 300 during registration, and the plebiscite supervisor in the area Mr. J. Earlet did nothing. This also gave rise to some of the anomalies where in certain area, people possessed registration cards without their names in the register and were allowed to vote. I had earlier mentioned this both to the plebiscite Administrator and the U.N. observer in that area. Serious note should be taken of this for transmission to the General Assembly.

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At the time of writing, a report from states here that, one lady had died about 4 months before polling day, and another lady was allowed both by the polling and presiding Officers to vote for her name. This happened in the Tiko N.A. School polling station. To conclude, I wish to make it clear that the people of the Southern Cameroons did not vote to join the Cameroun Republic but for a separate Southern Cameroons Independence. The voters also voted for the white box as a final vote to secede from Nigeria, not necessary to join the Cameroun Republic. Beuolution: Whereas the people of the Southern Cameroons have wrongly indicated their method of final secession from Nigeria, described and called as a plebiscite, and Whereas there was no need for a plebiscite in the Southern Cameroons other than the Northern Cameroons, and Whereas the United Nations have vilated the U.N. Charter and the Trusteeship Agreement, and Whereas what has been described as a plebiscite had two alternatives which implications were to be made known to the people before voting, and W'aereas the implications of the second alternative were not made known to the people of the Southern Cameroons, BE IT RESOLVED AIID IT WAS RESOLVED THAT, "THE CAMEROONS COMXONERS CONGRESS, EMERGENCY EXEClJ'TIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HOLDEN IN KtJMBA ON FEB. 14th. 1961, REQUESTS THE UNATIONS ASK ADMINISTERING AUTHORITIES CONDUCT A GENEFAL ELECTION IN SOTJ.rHERij CAMEROONS NOT IATER MAY 1961, DISSOLVE SOiJI'BERN CAMEROONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY FORI'HWITH AND ELECTOFATES BE ASK.ED WHETHER THEY WISH TO JOIN CAMEROUN REPUBLIC OR HAVE SEPARATE INDEPENDENCE AND EXPIAINING IMPLICA'I·IONS OF JOINING THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROUN. ALSO RESOLVE THAT ANY Fli'TURE MEETING OF FONCHA' S-AHIDJOS SONSTITUTION ON WF..AT IS DESCRIBED AS FEDEFAL KAM.ERON CONSTITlJrION COMPRISE ALL SHADES OF OPINION AND NOT ONLY THOSE REPRESENTED IN LEGISIATURE.

/ ... T/PET.4/L.125 English Page 5 copy to:- Mr. Ia1.n McC].ecd, Colonial Secretary-, Colonial 0:f:fice, London. Colonel Tufton Beamish, MC, MP, House of Commons, London. Mr. E. Child, Plebiscite Administrator, Buea.

I am, Sir, Yours faithfully, for and on behalf of CCC, (Sgd.) S.E. Iff.ENTI (Sgd.) E.M.A. EPIE (E.M.A. Epie) Central President (CCC) Secretary-General (CCC) National Secret;ariat (CCC) E~AE. c/o P.O. Box 119, Kumba