BY Lucy Lima
As the crisis in the North West and South West regions, which has escalated into an armed conflict, rages on, many people including businessmen and women, have been bearing the brunt.
Some Businessmen have found themselves caught between accusations from the defence and security forces and the Ambazonia separatist fighters.
Businessmen who are accused by the military of sympathising with separatists are arrested, tortured and detained under deplorable conditions. Some have reported died in detention under unclear circumstances.
Meanwhile, those who are accused by the separatist fighters have been killed by the Amba boys.
It should be noted that as the armed conflict rages on, several deaths have been recorded on both sides, houses razed, villages burnt down with impunity and many persons Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
Cameroon, which was once internationally praised as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, is now struggling to cope with untold causalities from what many qualify as an unrelenting and insidious conflict.
Reports say more and more businessmen within the crisis-stricken Anglophone regions of Cameroon have resorted to going underground after surviving arrests, torture, harsh detention conditions from the military for allegedly siding and collaborating with separatist fighters, commonly known as ‘Amba Boys’ who have picked up arms against the State of Cameroon in request for separation and the restoration of the independence and statehood of former British Southern Cameroons into a country they have named Ambazonia.
Apart from businessmen, other Anglophone activists including those of other professions like teacher, medical personnel, journalists, drivers and technicians in varied fields have equally gone underground for fear of military reprisals.
Kelly Anglama Ankang is a Cameroonian businessman who has had his own fair share of the troubles. Though a native of Melong in the Littoral Region of Cameroon, his case is very pathetic. He was carrying out food supplies in crisis-torn regions. Being a prosperous businessman, state forces accused him of meddling in the affairs of Ambazonia separatist fighters and supporting their cause. This landed him in trouble as he suffered several detentions, arrest and was incarcerated in prison custody for sympathising with the cause of the non-state armed groups. Military sources allege that Anglama was supplying foodstuff and other essential provisions to the militiamen. Without evidence to substantiate their claims, he was freed. But his persistence in doing business in the restive regions of the North West and South West subjected him to repeated arrests, torture and detention in very inhumane conditions on the instructions of local administrative authorities and law enforcement officers.
Kelly Anglama Ankang, like many other youths, businessmen and activists found himself helpless. He could not understand how his rights will be violated by the same state forces and authorities charged with protecting human rights.
With local administrative and security officials suspicious of his dealings, Anglama has since gone underground for fear of the unknown. By Press time family sources hinted that Kelly Anglama Ankang is at large and his whereabouts remains cloudy as security operatives keep making rounds around their neighbourhood to apprehend him.
If arrested, Kelly Anglama Ankang will be tried in a military tribunal, under the anti-terrorism law, whose maximum punishment is the death sentence. That is if he is not killed outright like many others who have suffered from extrajudicial killings within the context of the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions.
It should be recalled that Common Law Lawyers went on strike in October 2016 to protest government attempts to annihilate the Common Law practice in a constitutionally bilingual and bi-jural Cameroon. Anglophone teachers in the Country joined the strike on November 21, 2016 to uphold Anglo-Saxon values under threat in Cameroon’s two English speaking regions.
Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, looting, shooting, torture, molestation, using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters.
The crisis has left many dead, including civilians, defence and security forces and separatists fighters. Many have also been displaced with thousands living in neighbouring Nigeria as refugees.
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.