World maps may seem different in a few years, adding more national identities and differing country borders to the existing diagrams. Many movements for national sovereignty have surged within the past few months, especially in Iraq, Cameroon, and Spain.
While the call for an independent Kurdistan has been apparent for over a decade with a referendum taking place in 2005, Israel has just recently openly supported the idea, legitimizing its plea for independence. Even though 92.7% of voters within the Kurdish northern region of Iraq supported annexation, the rest of the Middle East opposes an independent Kurdistan, especially to those nations with a large Kurdish population, including Turkey, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. The majority of opposition relates to a concern of the large oil deposits where Kurdistan would be located. Additionally, validating Kurdistan in Iraq allows for other Kurds to substantiate secession from their respective countries. Facing extreme opposition, the future of an independent Kurdish nation looks wary; however the resilient will of the Kurdish people shines brighter with hope than it ever has.
The most televised referendum occurred recently in the Spanish state of Catalonia. Though the Spanish government claims that the demonstration was illegal, 2.3 of the total 5.3 million citizens within the state of Catalonia voted, and just under 90% of them backed Catalonian independence. The Spanish government tried to intervene, injuring 844 people and closing off 319 of the 2,300 polling stations in the process. While the Spanish government claims the vote to be illegal, the extent to which they opposed it seems questionable: At what point does separatism allow violent conflict by government-sanctioned police?
The most explosive and yet least covered calls for independence happened within the last week in Cameroon. Over the past decades, conflicts between the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions with the French-speaking eastern regions. Last year, protests flared up with the national imposition of regulated French-taught schools. Within the last week, calls for independence from Cameroon have been violently throttled, resulting in 30 deaths, 50 wounded, and more than 200 arrested. The government has even sanctioned the restriction of internet use within the western regions in order to silence the separatists.
Rather than administer to the interests of the separatist groups, the national governments of Iraq, Spain, and Cameroon are completely disregarding the struggles of their constituents. This conflict of independence or national unity is larger than simply the idea of freedom and concerns existing economic ties, religious sects, GDP contribution, and political majority. However, government efforts to address minorities’ struggles seem virtually nonexistent, harming national unity, which is evident in how fervently these separatists are fighting to claim independence.
If you would like to learn more of the latest news on any of these situations, read the articles below:
Iraq: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iraq-rouhani-turkey-erdogan-meeting-1.4327874
Spain: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41503429
Cameroon: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cameroon-politics-separatists
This article was written by Cameron, a SJPJC Intern.