The former South African president made the revelation during a podcast called ‘Power Talk’ aired on May 26, by South African radio host, politician and political activist, Dr. Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi.
Former South African president, Thabo Mbeki has publicly accused President Paul Biya of obstructing all efforts toward dialogue in the long-running Anglophone crisis that has gripped Cameroon since 2016. Speaking during a podcast hosted by a South African radio host, politician and political activist, Dr. Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi, Mbeki revealed that multiple mediation attempts made by the African Forum, a group of former African heads of state, were systematically ignored by the Biya administration. “We tried on several occasions to encourage President Biya to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Unfortunately, our efforts were not welcomed,” Mbeki said in the podcast which The National Post came across. The former South African leader who held office from 1999 to 2008, said that one emissary dispatched by the Forum was received in Yaoundé with full diplomatic honors and a luxurious welcome, a gesture he believes was intended to distract the emissary from its core mission which was to initiate peace talks with the Cameroonian leadership. Mbeki expressed deep frustration at the apparent unwillingness of President Biya to engage in constructive discussions that could bring an end to the escalating conflict.
A crisis that keeps deepening
The conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions began in 2016 with peaceful protests led by teachers and lawyers demanding better recognition of English-speaking citizens’ rights. Over time, the situation escalated into an armed struggle between separatist groups and state forces. The human toll has been devastating, with thousands of lives lost, entire villages destroyed, and over 700,000 people displaced internally or forced to flee abroad, according to reports from international bodies.
Despite repeated appeals from international organizations, religious leaders, and foreign governments for inclusive dialogue, efforts toward a lasting peace have largely stalled. According to Mbeki, Cameroon has missed multiple opportunities for effective mediation due to a lack of political will at the highest levels of government.
No official response yet
The Cameroonian government has yet to issue any statement in response to Mbeki’s allegations. President Biya, who has ruled the Cameroon since 1982, has often been criticized for his administration’s handling of the crisis, particularly the failure to implement sustainable conflict-resolution measures. The Major National Dialoguewas held in 2019 to that effect. But it failed to produce the lasting solutions many had hoped for. Since then, violence has continued in the North West and South West regions, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict.
Mbeki’s revelations now add a new layer to the growing calls for transparency and action. His remarks underline what many observers see as a key challenge in resolving the crisis: the absence of genuine political engagement from Cameroon’s leadership.
