BY Evelyn Kubu
As the crisis in the North West and South West regions, which has morphed into an armed conflict, rages on, residents in some localities in the conflict-hit regions have been caught between atrocities committed by Ambazonia separatist fighters and government’s clampdown on suspected separatists and sympathisers of the Anglophone cause with the use of defence and security forces.
Security operatives have been indiscriminately arresting Anglophone activists and suspected activists. Sources say the arrested persons are being detained under deplorable and inhuman conditions. Some have reportedly 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, some villagers in some communities have been forced to escape into the forest, for fear of being caught in the crossfire.
The separatist fighters have also been torturing and killing those whom they suspect are giving information to the military. They have also been forcefully recruiting young men and women to join in their fight for independence of what they have named Republic of Ambazonia.
One of those who have been caught between the Ambazonia fighters and the military is Sakwe Oliver Itoe, a businessman who was living in Kumba before his escape. Sakwe Oliver Itoe’s ordeal began sometimes in December 2019 when he was arrested by the military in Kumba on grounds that he had been financially supporting armed separatist groups.
Sakwe, reports say, was detained for several days under deplorable conditions. He was later charged to court and in one of the court sessions, he succeeded to escape. Sources says both search and arrest warrants have been issued against Sakwe Oliver ever since he escaped. The government, as we went to press, had launched a manhunt for him as he is considered an enemy to the State.
Due to the worsening state of the crisis, recently in November 2023, armed separatists stormed the village of Egbejaw in Mamfe Manyu Division of the South West Region, and carried out one of the bloodiest massacres, leaving about 26 innocent civilians death and many others injured.
The government, in reaction to the Egbejaw incident, reignited the search for activists, separatist fighters and those believed to be financing the armed group and Sakwe Oliver’s name happens to be amongst those declared wanted all over the national territory. The government has declared in very strong terms that if those shortlisted like Sakwe Oliver Itoe are found they will be arrested, and tried before the military tribunal for terrorism-related offences and handed heavy jail sentences.
Origin of crisis
It is also worth recalling that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over recently, 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 crisis has left thousands, both civilians and security and defence forces dead, others internally displaced with some living in bushes while over 30,000 have fled to neighbouring Nigeria where they are living as refugees.
Many houses, and even whole villages, have been burnt down in the crisis-hit regions.
The separatist leader of the self-declared Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, and eight other close associates of his, who were arrested in Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon, are currently serving life sentences at the Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde. Many other activists such as Mancho Bibixy, Penn Terrence, Tsi Conrad, among others, are also serving jail terms at the Kondengui prison.
While the Anglophone crisis continues to escalate, international organisations and other western powers have called on the government to address the root cause through genuine and inclusive dialogue.