By Cynthia Bih
The ongoing socio-political impasse in Cameroon, especially in the restive English-speaking North West and South West Regions is getting worse by the day, with human rights groups publishing reports highlighting deteriorating human rights situation.
The reports say about 5,000 civilians lives have been claimed by the armed conflict, and about 730,000 persons displaced with many living horrible lives in neigbouring Nigeria.
With the present situation of killings and burning down of houses in the North West and South West Regions, many consider the regions in particular and Cameroon in general unsafe for Anglophone activists and suspected separatists. Many of the activists and suspected separatists have been tried in the military tribunal in Yaounde on charges of terrorism, secession andpropagation of false information
The North West and South West regions have remained restive since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in 2017. Investigative findings and reports from many human rights groups and non-governmental organisations have condemned extrajudicial killings by mostly the military on innocent civilians, including children and pregnant women.
The Cameroon Government has, for over six years now, been battling to arrest the situation, but tensions continue to intensify with civilians in the North West and South West Regions living in peril, panic and pandemonium. Due to this confusion, and fear of the unknown, many youths and businessmen continue to go underground.
Government has equally launched a manhunt for alleged activists siding with separatists. The activists abound and a list bearing the names of these alleged activists is already making rounds in the hands of the military as they have been placed under military searchlight and declared wanted.
It is against this backdrop that unanswered questions have been raised about the whereabouts of many Anglophones who have disappeared amidst the ongoing armed conflict rocking the North West and South West Regions.
One of such is Makia John Egbe. His whereabouts remains cloudy since February 2023, family sources have hinted. Makia, a barber by profession, like many other youths in the North West and South West region, was well known in his college days in Kumba, South West Region of Cameroon, for his fight against marginalisation of Anglophones by the dominant Francophones.
As one of the members of the student union, he joined lawyers, teachers and Civil Society Organisations and took part in peaceful protests. This finally landed him in detention at the Kumba Central prison. As a victim of circumstances, Makia John Egbe violated calls from separatist fighters to observe lockdown in the North West and South West as regards to the celebration of National Youth Day and went for the celebration wearing Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, party T-Shirt.
The separatist fighters abducted him and he only gained freedom after he paid ransom thanks to family relations and friends.
For fear of the unknown, Makia fled Kumba to Bai Panya, a village in Mbonge Subdivision, Meme Division of the South West Region. While in Bai Panya, he was arrested in May 2022 by the military on grounds that he is a separatist fighter.
After serious torture and molestation by the military, he was released after he took an undertaking that he will henceforth take part in all National Youth Day celebrations, though the separatist fighters have prohibited such.
Reports say since Makia John Egbe, just like many other youths, did not take part in National Youth Day celebration in February 2023, he was summoned by the Kumba police but he didn’t so up at the police station.
This is how the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Meme Division, alongside the police and military conducted a patrol to crack down on all those who boycotted the National Youth Day Celebration. Makia John Egbe narrowly escaped the patrol team through the back door his barbershop. But the military went ahead to raid the shop, ransacked it and discovered Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, cards and lockdown flyers in the shop.
Sources have it that a family friend, a security official hinted them that Makia John Egbe has been declared wanted by the State Prosecutor for further interrogation on his alleged involvement in separatist activities. This how Makia, with this information from the State Prosecutor considering the manner in which innocent civilians are manhandled by the military, State security and judiciary in connection with separatist activities, decided to escape to an unknown destination.
As we went to press, reports said there was a search and arrest warrant for Makia John Egbe.
Meanwhile, we gathered that security operatives have launched a manhunt for the arrest and subsequent prosecution of Tabi Marivon Enow, a denizen of Ashum village, Upper Bayang Subdivision, Manyu Division of the South West Region.
Tabi Marivon is said to have been declared wanted for siding with separatist fighters by supplying them with food, assorted whisky to stimulate them to carry out their actions. She has also been accused of keeping bullets used by the separatist fighters. Reports say sometimes in August 2022, military men in uniform raided their village, molested and tortured innocent civilians and caused her mother limping.
According to reliable sources, a military officer, who felt pity for the denizens of the village, gave his contact to Tabi Marivon Enow, who later called him. The military officer, according to sources, is reported to have told Tabi Marivon Enow that they raided their village in search of separatist fighters and that her brother, Ayukenyang Felix Taku, is the “Commander” of the separatist fighters in her village.
THE SUN gathered that sometimes in September 2022 Tabi Marivon Enow got reliable information that the military was making plans to raid her village, arrest and kill her and her brother and raze their home to the ground. This, we gathered, was because one of the boys they arrested during the military last raid in the village had disclosed that her brother, Ayukenyang Felix Taku, is the separatist fighter.
Tabi Marivon Enow and other family relations decided to go underground but unfortunately her brother, Ayukenyang, was finally killed in an attempt to escape. Their home was razed to the ground when the military finally stormed the village.
The country is now considered unsafe by many Anglophones in the diaspora who fear arrest or death if they return home.
While the Anglophone crisis continues to escalate, international organisations and other western powers have called on the government to address the root cause of the crisis through dialogue.
Also, prominent Anglophone lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, has called on the Government to dialogue, and to release all Anglophones detained and imprisoned in connection to the Anglophone crisis.
As the armed conflict rages on, many more killings are being carried out by both the military and separatist fighters. The government has also launched a manhunt for those alleged to be fanning the crisis both at home and abroad.