The Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) is a political organisation seeking the independence of the former anglophone Southern Cameroons from the predominantly francophone Republic of Cameroon (République du Cameroun). It is a non-violent organisation with the motto "The force of argument, not the argument of force." Because the SCNC advocates secession from Cameroon, it has been declared an illegal organisation by the government of Paul Biya. Security forces regularly interrupt SCNC meetings, arresting members and typically detaining them for several days before release. Creation After achieving independence in the 1960s, Cameroon took territorial control over the area of British Cameroons and adopted a federal structure giving some autonomy to the former British area. In 1972 President Ahmdou Ahidjo through a fraudulent referendum terminated the federal system, in favour of a unitary state. When Biya came to power in 1982, he continued centralising power and created a single-party state. In 1993, the All Anglophone Conference formed pushing for a return to the autonomy provided to the Southern Cameroons under the federal system. In 1994, the Bamenda Declaration of large members of the AAC decided to work toward secession rather than autonomy. This resulted the next year in the creation of the Southern Cameroon People's Conference (SCPC) formed as an umbrella organisation bringing together student, trade organisations, and political organisations committed to independence, rather than a return to autonomy. The Southern Cameroons National Council was the elected body in charge of organising SCPC efforts with the initial chairman being Sam Ekontang Elad. 1990s In 1995, the SCNC rose to political prominence with a host of efforts to push for secession of the anglophone Southern Cameroons from the country of Cameroon. The government of Cameroon was finishing its application to join the Commonwealth of Nations and the SCNC organised a number of publicity activities to oppose this inclusion. In August 1995, the SCNC petitioned the UN to intervene and mediate between them and the government of Cameroon warning that a lack of intervention would create "another Somalia". In October 1995, the SCNC publicised a plan schedule of work for an eventual declaration of independence. These political activities resulted in significant disruption by police and security forces. In 1996, Chair Elad resigned and was replaced by Henry Fossung. Activities were routinely disrupted by police and plans for independence were scuttled consistently. March 1997 produced the arrest of 200 supporters for a supposed attack on