By Sandra Lum
For the past six years following the outbreak of the Anglophone Crisis in the North West and South West regions, investigative findings from many human rights groups, non-governmental organisations have condemned the extrajudicial killings and burning of houses by mostly the military on civilians including children, pregnant women.
Reports indicate that about 4,000 civilian lives have been claimed by the armed conflict and about 750,000 have been displaced with many living in horrible conditions.
Many youths have been indicted and accused of siding with separatist fighters otherwise known as Amba Boys in reinforcing schools shutdown, ghost towns, lockdowns, civil disobedience calls, propagating false information and supporting the restoration of the independence of the former British Southern Cameroons agenda or the creation of a new independent State, which they have named Federal Republic of Ambazonia.
The Cameroon Government has, for over the years since the Anglophone crisis metamorphosed into an armed conflict, been battling to arrest the situation, but tensions continue to intensify with civilian population in the crisis-hit regions living in peril, panic and pandemonium.
Many alleged activists have been arrested, tortured, detained for several days in cruel, degrading and harsh inhumane conditions. Many civilians in the two restive regions are caught in the web of both the military and the separatist fighters as most have been victims of harassment, torture and intimidation from both the Cameroon military operatives and the separatist fighters.
Due to this confusion and fear of the unknown, many youths, students, teachers, lawyers, health personnel, journalists and businessmen continue to go underground.
Government has equally launched a manhunt for alleged activists siding with separatists. The activists abound and lists bearing the names of these alleged activists are already making rounds in the hands of the military as the activists have been placed under military searchlight and declared wanted.
A case in point being that of Ndode Ebouele Junior whose whereabouts since July 2023 still remains cloudy as a manhunt has been launched against him by the military, family sources have confirmed.
According to reports, Ndode Ebouele Junior, after his university studies in Yaoundé where he bagged a Master’s degree in Common Law, relocated to Kumba and worked as a volunteer in a local book distribution company. His stay in the company was be short-lived due to the crisis as separatist fighters razed the company to the ground and he relocated to Yaoundé in 2017.
Ndode Ebouele Junior, just like any other Anglophone youths and innocent civilian, has suffered several arrests, molestations and detention under cruel, degrading and harsh inhumane conditions. He was arrested and detained alongside the Station Manager of a private Radio Station in Yaoundé on September 30, 2017, when he described the extrajudicial killings and atrocities meted on innocent civilians by the military in the two resistive Anglophone regions as genocide while on an interactive radio talk show programme. They were detained for a month and accused of propagating false information, inciting terrorism and calling for violent street demonstration in the two restive regions on October 1st, considered as Independence Day of Former British Southern Cameroons.
THE SUN gathered that while on a special assignment from Yaounde to market the vision of his new employer in Tombel in the South West Region, Ndode, alongside his senior secondary school mate, were again arrested and detained under inhumane conditions on February 11, 2021. Ndode Ebouele Junior had decided to pass the night with his senior secondary school mate when the unfortunate incident happened. They were linked with separatist fighters’ activities.
After three weeks in detention, family sources say Ndode was presented to the Tombel State Counsel who told him that his family is linked with separatists’ activities as they were spying and supplying them with weapons. He was, however, granted bail thanks to the intervention of a pro bono lawyer on conditions that Ndode Ebouele Junior will be coming for routine checks at the Tombel Legal Department since investigations were still ongoing.
Ndode was given 30 days rest in the hospital following trauma he developed from the various tortures and detention meted on him by the military.
For fear of the unknown, Ndode relocated to his uncle’s residence and lived a secluded life. Tension gripped the Ndode’s family when news filtered that a classmate and friend of Ndode Ebouele Junior had been shot dead by the military on his way home for allegedly supporting the Anglophone movement. This situation caused Ndode’s mother to look for means for him to escape out of the country, especially as he was already under the military searchlight and moreover as he is a serious victim of circumstance.
Family sources say the military keeps making impromptu checks around their neighbourhood in search of Ndode Ebouele Junior.
Another activist declared wanted
It should be noted that another alleged Anglophone activists, who has been declared wanted and is under military searchlight, is Kunyui Clovis Nunyui.
Even though his whereabouts remains unknown since 2019, his name has resurfaced in a list as one of those being hunted by the military for persecution, prosecution including imprisonment, torture, and potential assassination, given his active participation in the liberation movement of Southern Cameroons.
Reports say Kunyui, alongside his peers, due to the marginalisation, suffering of Southern Cameroonians, formed a movement for their liberation and distributed flyers, calling for an end of the marginalisation and assisted displaced Southern Cameroons in Nigeria. These moves attracted the attention of the military who vowed to apprehend him on grounds that he is siding with the separatist fighters.
THE SUN gathered that, in September 2019 Kunyui Clovis took to the streets for a peaceful protest demonstration that was violently disrupted by the military, resulting in torture, molestation and killings of many civilians.
Family sources hinted that following this incident, Kunyui narrowly escaped and the military raided their residence and out of frustration since they couldn’t find him, they brutally assaulted his mother and threatened to kill him if found.
Due to the numerous threats on Kunyui’s life from the military and for fear of the unknown, his family did everything for his to escape out of the country. Reports say the military is constantly making impromptu search in their neighbourhood just to apprehend him.
At press time Ndode Ebouele Junior and many more alleged Anglophone activists in the likes of Alemawung Nkafu, Maccolins Ewonkap, Sylvie Keafo-on and Nyugha Melvis Nahbum, Kunyui Clovis Nunyui had been declared wanted.
The war still rages on and many more killings by the military are still being documented by rights organisations. The government has launched a manhunt for those alleged to be fanning the crisis both at home and abroad. Terrorism charges hang over them if arrested.