By LUSY LIMA
Clergymen and Women in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon have been caught in the web since the Anglophone crisis that started in 2016 with strike actions by Cameroon Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone teachers against marginalistion metamorphosed into an arm conflict.Some have been killed in cross- fire between government security forces and separatist fighters while others have been arrested by government security operatives and or kidnapped by separatist fighters.
These attackshave been so alarming that human right groups across the board have drawn the attention of the Cameroon Government and separatist leaders to the fact that the Clergy are men and women of God have nothing to do with the crisis and shouldn’t be a target on both the security operatives and separatist fighters. Most right groups have even concluded their recent declarations that Cameroon is no longer a safe for Clergymen and Women.
Over 2000 persons have so far been killed,hundreds of others kidnapped, thousands of houses and over 300 villages razed, with over 45000 persons identified as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and over 3000 as refugees in Nigeria. Most men and women of God in these two restive regions of Cameroon consider being alive as a miracle as each day comes with one bad news or the other
The plight of Engonwei Mbazang Mirabel, a Pastor and business woman in Kumba, South West Region still remains a talking point in the town and media houses as her where about isnot known even by family members and Christians. Reports say Pastor Engonwei had been operating a prayer cell in her house in Kumba where she did deliverance and prophetic services. In November 16, 2018, she was caught in between security operatives and Separatist fighters gun while carrying out evangelism with her son, Chi Alex Stephan Takubang. This cross – fire resulted in the killing of Chi Alex Stephan Takubang while she was molested and tortured by the military claiming that she was a ” fake pastor” who supplies food stuff to the separatist fighters.
According to family sources, Pastor Engonwei Mbazang Mirabel was detained under horrendous conditions at a police station in Kumba for several days and was later granted bail after the intervention of some lawyers. Since then, her where about is unknown but she remains under security searchlight.
Another pathetic case is that of a Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon in Batibo, whose only name was gotten as Mary. She was killed in cross- fire between security forces and Separatist fighters in Widikum, Momo Division North West Region. Meanwhile a US Missionary Charles Wesco was on October 2018 shot and killed in Bamenda. Reports say he was killed about two weeks after settling there with his wife and eight children. Charles Wesco according to a statement from government was in a car with his wife, son and another missionary on their way to a market in Bamenda when he was shot following a cross – fire between the military and separatist fighters.
Apart from the killing of clergymen and women, countless cases of kidnapping have been recorded.
The Archbishop of Bamenda, His Lordship Cornelius Fontem Esua was on Tuesday June 25, 2019 kidnapped alongside his driver by separatist fighters around Njinikejem ,Boyo Division North West Region after armed separatists blocked the road. The Archbishop was only released the following day after spending a night in captivity.
Meanwhile just recently, there was widespread condemnations following the arrest of Rev Father Paul Njokikang, Coordinator for Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, Caritas. Reports say he was picked up in the morning of Sunday October 20, 2019 and taken to the Bafut Military airport and was released few day later.
Rev Father Wilfred Emeh, a friend of the arrested priest criticised security officers calling on them to release his colleague. He said “the arbitrary arrest and detention of Father Paul Njokikang , priest of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, is another example of how the Biya’s military in Cameroon is targeting the clergy and the church amidst the ongoing civil war that has caused the loss of over 3000 lives in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon and beyond”.
It should be noted that those arrested in connection with Anglophone crisis are tried in a military tribunal under the anti-terrorism law whose maximum sentence is death penalty.