The Colbert Factor:
Muteff/Abuh Speak to Israel on the Gaza Strip Deadly Conflict
Colbert Gwain
Borderly Muteff and Abuh may be little-known local village kaleidoscopes situated off the jaws of Laikom (the traditional seat of the Kom Kingdom in the district of Fundong in the Boyo Division of the North West Region of Cameroon), but what happens there usually has unimaginable global ramifications.
During the 60s and 70s when the fratricidal conflict divided families, relatives, and friends as Muteff fought tooth and nail to gain independence from mainland Abuh, belligerents were bent on adopting only strategies that respected the rights of women, girls, and children, as well as their fundamental right to health, education, and nutrition. Although Muteff originally opted for the boycott of schools in Abuh as a strategy, they soon realized it was going to become another major source of the marginalization of the Muteff community in the future and quickly shied away from the strategy.
By the 80s when Muteff achieved its autonomy, the major bone of contention that was likely to re-escalate the conflict, was that of redrawing the maps of the two villages. Although as per the foundational and constitutive documents, Muteff village had already been recognized by the Fon and the Fundong administration, Abuh continued to insist on the fact that the Ngwah River (Juangwah), would be the deciding factor in determining the boundary between Muteff and Abuh. This was going to be the real beginning of the bloodiest conflict as Muteff on their part argued that if that were to be the case, Muteff would occupy Abuh territories lying on the Abuh slope and right down to the boundary with ngwah village. With enlightened leadership and with the hardliners on both sides facing out, the all-too powerful Abuh village had to recalibrate their ambitions and to accept that Muteff could keep the farmlands right across to Juangvin. This, with the understanding that both communities could farm across borders so as to feed their loved ones. This is the lesson that Israel must learn from Abuh over the deadly escalating senseless conflict that is taking the lives of thousands of innocent and defenseless civilians.
If Abuh decided to doggedly insist on expanding its territories across Juangviyn, however genuine its reasons, there would have continued to be canon fire further in the two brotherly communities. Just like Israel has a right to exist, so too does Palestine. The fact that Hamas senselessly launched some rockets into Israel that killed over 1400 innocent civilians does not begin to justify in any way the deadly onslaught on equally innocent 8.800 Palestinians who only want to live freely in their territory.
As a solution-oriented journalism platform, The Colbert Factor urges Israel to emulate the Abuh example and immediately stop its expansionist policy as it makes it impossible for even the finest geographer in the world to accurately draw the map of Israel as it inches into Palestinian territory every passing day.
We join the open call for an immediate ceasefire to end the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza, to halt a humanitarian catastrophe, and to prevent further loss of innocent lives in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and beyond. We further call on governments, international institutions, tech companies, and other international stakeholders to take responsibility for their actions which have enabled and abetted Israel’s unrestrained and indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Gaza and to now take the necessary steps to help achieve an immediate ceasefire and more lasting peace. The most ultimately include the immediate implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 on a two-state solution that respects the 1967 boundaries and Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. It would also include upholding a “digital ceasefire” to bring an immediate end to online attacks targeting Palestinians around the world.
The ongoing atrocities, including the repeated attacks against health facilities and personnel, have led to unfathomable destruction, trauma, and loss of civilian life. This continuous escalation of violence comes on top of an illegal and inhumane blockade on Gaza depriving millions of people of basic needs, including food, water, medicine, and electricity.
The people of Gaza — who have lived under military occupation, and injustice for 56 years in what is now understood as a system of apartheid — are also experiencing a near-complete communications blackout. Information has become scarce and the capacity to document atrocities perpetrated on the ground is severely hindered. The disruption of internet access and targeting of telecommunications infrastructure is helping to fuel the dissemination of disinformation campaigns and war propaganda on social media platforms and across mainstream media, as it becomes harder to access and verify first-hand information or conduct independent investigations into atrocities committed on the ground.
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