SNWOT:New Leadership, Same Mission, Fresh Approach

By Raymond Dingana

The Southwest, Northwest Women's Task Force(SNWOT) now has a new team to pilot its affairs in its quest to see peace bounce back in the two restive regions of Cameroon. 

The new exco with Sarah-Derval Ephosi Lifanda at the helm was voted in to office during an Elective General Assembly of the Task Force that held in Douala recently. She replaces Sally Mboumein who occupied the office for two years.

SNWOT's mission has been to call for dialogue, cease fire and to ensure that women and girls are safe in the crisis hit Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

The new exco is coming at a time when peace is still being seen as a rare commodity in the two troubled regions of Cameroon with many asking what the new squad is bringing in to achieve same goal which is Peace.

SNWOT New Exco 

Though the office of the General Coordinator said  it was not yet time to release the cat out of the bag, they however confirmed that many things will be done differently,

" We do have the desire to take on board new strategies towards our calls for dailogue, cease fire and an end to hostilities. Eventhough we have been having new approaches in terms of how we want to achieve our objectives, basically we will be doing the samething which is Peace for everyone in the Northwest and Southwest regions of the Cameroon." 

As to why the wives of government officials who have a great potential to impact change have not yet bonded with SNWOT, the reply was,

"Our stand is apolitical and we know that politics sometimes blurs issues and makes people to lose sight of what is real. It is difficult to say that we identify wifes of these officials and bring them onboard because of the nuances of their positions that would be perceived  in the task force."

Furthermore, " if they are coming as independent women who have a vision of theirs and not in the same political parties as their husbands, then it will be good for them to come onboard. We encourage them to speak in spaces within the spheres of influence to which their husbands belong on issues regarding peace in the NW/SW regions," the Coodinator's office indicated.

We also gathered from the General Coordinator's office that their members are mostly women from rural areas whose only objective is adding their voices to those trumpeting the call for Peace.Those willing to join the constructive fight for peace where ever they are also welcome onboard.

SNWOT has often come under fire for what many described as selective condemnation, something the Coordinator's office debunked, 

"It is not all the times that our outings are taken to the media, sometimes we work underground, study the environment because a lot is going on in the areas of killings, kidnappings, financial extortion and so we also have to be responsible about the kind of information that we send out."

It is worth noting that SNWOT is also very much in the area of Humanitarian action and Capacity building.

The new exco under the leadership of  Sarah-Derval Ephosi Lifanda as president looks like this:

 Gladys Foncham as Secretary General,

Delphine Mbongue, Chief Financial Officer, and

Mankah Tabuwe Akwo, head of Communication and Advocacy Lead.

The Northwest and Southwest regions conducted independent elections prior to the National elections. 

 Clotilda Andiensa retained her position as the Northwest Regional Coordinator while Emily Miki was voted to occupy same office in the Southwest region.

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