While thecrisis that has been rocking the North West and South West regions, which has spiraled into an armed conflict, rages on, the government has stepped up its crackdown on all those suspected to be activists or sympathisers to the Anglophone cause.

The government has also been cracking down on those suspected of aiding the separatists in their fight for the independence of a country they have christened Ambazonia.

In this light, security operatives have been indiscriminately arresting Anglophone activists and suspected activists and their symperthisers. Sources say the arrested persons are being detained under deplorable and inhuman conditions. Some have reported died in detention.

This has caused many of them to flee into hiding and the whereabouts of many is not known. Meanwhile, as the gun battles between the military and separatist fighters increase, whole villagers have been burnt down, forcing villagers in some communities to escape into the forest, for fear of being caught the crossfire.

Many suspects have been going through hard times in the hands of the military. One case is that of a trader of fresh and canned food,Magdaline Ngu Esse, who was accused of feeding and making available food to separatist fighters. But Magdaline Ngu Esse refuted the accusation. Fearing for her life, she is said to have gone into hiding.

Magdaline Ngu’s ordeal worsen when it came to the knowledge of the military that her husband was a teacher. This is because the crisis in the North West and South West regions began with a strike of Common Law lawyers and teachers in the English-speaking regions.

Meanwhile, sometime in August 2018, the military is said to have stormed Magdaline Ngu’s family residence in Owe Road, Muyuka in Fako division of the South West region. The military is said to have fired shots randomly. However, her family members had been tipped of the imminent raid by the military and had escaped.

When Magdaline Ngu or her family members were not found in the residence, the soldiers then went ahead to burn down the house.

Since the macabre incident, Magdaline Ngu Esse’s whereabouts in not known. She is suspected to have escaped out of the country. If arrested, she will be tried in a military tribunal under the anti-terrorism law, whose maximum punishment is the death penalty. That is if she will not be killed outright like many others who have been victims of extra-judicial killings.

It should be noted that businessmen and women have been bearing the brunt of the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions. Not long ago a businessman in Belo Boyo division of the North West region, popularly known as Sam Sawyer, was killed and beheaded, allegedly by the military.

Meanwhile, we gathered that the government recently released a list of wanted persons in connection to the armed conflict. The list included names such as Enow Agbor Peter, James Che Ngwa, Jude Funui Achuo, Emile Fru Ambe and Stephen Lima Dingana among others.

Origin of crisis

It is also worth recalling that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over in 2016, when Common Law Lawyers in the North West and South West regions went on strike. They were demanding for the return of the federal system of government, redeployment of Civil Law Magistrates back to Civil Law Courts in French Cameroon, among other grievances. Not long after, teachers in the North West and South West regions also went on strike, demanding for the redress of several issues concerning the English system of education.

Things, however, got worst when Anglophones in both regions, who had been fed up with the unfavourable political and economic situation of the country, the use of French as the dominant and official language, and the marginalisation of the Anglophones, joined the strike.

The armed conflict has caused the deaths of thousands. Thousands more internally displaced with some living in bushes while several other thousands have fled to neighbouring Nigeria, where they are living as refugees.

Separatist leader, Sissiku Ayuk Tabe, and nine others who were arrested in Nigeria and later extradited to Cameroon are currently Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde, from where they have been attending trial at the military tribunal.

While the Anglophone crisis continues to escalate, international organisations and other western powers have called on the government to address the root cause through dialogue.

The post Many flee as gov’t steps up crackdown on suspected separatists, sympathisers appeared first on THE SUN NEWSPAPER CAMEROON.

Many villages and homes across the South West Region in Cameroon in the past days have been set ablaze following clashes between separatist fighters and government forces.
Reports say gun battles between defence forces and Ambazonia fighters have been the order of the day in villages and homes in Muyuka, Kumba and Mamfe Sub Divisions and hundreds of troops have been stationed in these localities in a bid to create a serene atmosphere, following the recent attacks from the Ambazonia fighters.
The population of these villages that have been at the centre of violence throughout the week have vanished into thin air as the totally deserted areas are occupied solely by the military. Security forces are said to have shot on sight at any person who was found at the villages. Hundreds of houses were razed, allegedly by the military.
According to one of the villagers, houses of those who were suspected to be activists and family members of known activists abroad were particularly targeted.
He cited the case of the family residence of 68-year-old Sona Magdaline Fende, at Mbonge road, Kumba I Sub Division, Meme Division of the South West Region that was razed to the ground during the violent confrontation.

According to reliable sources, while Sona Magdaline Fende, who is currently abroad on the invitation of her daughter, her son, who had been missing for several months resurfaced and was living in the residence alone. With frequent attacks on the military by Ambazonia fighters around Mbonge Road in Kumba, several houses were blacklisted as hideouts of Ambazonia Defence Forces including the residence of Sona Magdaline Fende.
During last week’s confrontation between separatist fighters and government forces, the residence of Sona Magdaline Fende, amongst others homes in the area, were razed, allegedly by the military. Several other villagers escaped to neighbouring towns and localities and some to the bushes for fear of the unknown.
Denizens of the affected villages and towns where homes have been razed by the military have launched a clarion call for good Samaritans who are hosting these homeless families to take courage for it will take years for affected families to have a home of theirs.
The situation of Sona Magdaline Fende is even more complicated taking into consideration that she is ageing and a mother of five and many grand children whose residence was their only comfort zone and last hope. Sona Magdaline Fende and her large family shall remain homeless for many years to come.
It should be recalled that the Anglophone regions of the country have been restive for almost a year now after lawyers and teachers of the North West and South West regions took to the streets in protest of what they termed the assimilation of the Anglo-Saxon culture by their French counterparts.

The post Villages, homes, set ablaze as separatist fighters, gov’t forces clash in SW appeared first on THE SUN NEWSPAPER CAMEROON.