BY CYNTHIA AKUM
The North West and South West Regions of Cameroon have remained restive since 2017, following what is now known as the Anglophone crisis, which started with Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone teachers urging the Government for shun the marginalisation of Anglophone Cameroon by La Republique du Cameroun for a better Cameroon.
The crisis has metamophorsed into an arm conflict, with the emergence of Separatist fighters commonly known as ” Amba Boys” who have taken up arms against the state in demand for the complete independence of Southern Cameroons for the creation of a new Country, “the Federal Republic of Ambazonia”.
This move by the Separatist fighters, met serious reprisals from government forces, and the death toll has been increasing especially from the innocent civilian population. Businessmen, medical professionals, politicians, students and a cross section of individuals in different works of life are increasingly facing the brunt of the crisis.
Houses and villages have been burnt, and suspected individuals linked to Separatist fighters and activists of the anglophone course arrested, molested, and tortured by government forces. Some have detained in very horrible and inhumane detention conditions, while others have gone underground to unknown destination and are currently under security searchlight. Government have openly declared them wanted, and will be persecuted and prosecuted any time they are arrested.
Latest statistics from National and International Rights bodies indicate that, over 4000 civilians’ have been killed with about 800000 displaced, beside many living horrible lives in neighbouring Nigeria due to the arm conflict.
One of such was on February 14, 2020, when the military, with the assistance of about 30 armed Fulani militiamen, stormed the village of Ngarbuh in the North West Region and killed 21 civilians including 13 children and a pregnant woman. This sad incident received widespread condemnation across the board including the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Union, the USA, UK France, and the Nobel Women’s Initiative. Despite, documented compelling evidence published by New York Times Journal, and corroborated by Human Rights Watch accusing the Cameroon Military for the massacre, the government formally denied responsibility for the killings in Ngarbuh.
These have made life in the two restive regions, unsafe. Amidst all these, the Government is said to have launched a fresh hunt to bring to book all those suspected to be linked or facilitating the activities of Separatist fighters both at home and abroad.
To this effect, a long list of these persons, reports say, is in circulation. Amongst those in the list include a popular businessman in Kumba, one of the restive towns in the two restive regions, Nguefeu Ngioko Claude Bernes, Joseph Itoe and Zacheus Sakwe. The SUN gathered that just like many other civilians in the regions, who are suspected to have a link with the separatist fighters, Nguefeu whose family have confirmed that his where-about remains cloudy, since October 2020, had one of the most bitter experience with the military. The businessman, just like others, was arrested at a mix military control check point in Mambanda, while returning from a business trip in neighbouring Nigeria. As the only Anglophone in the vehicle, the military immediately concluded that he was a middle man who buys goods from Nigeria and supply to the Separatist fighters in the bushes. Despite all attempts by Claude to refuse the allegations, sources say his goods were confiscated, and he was detained for some days at the Kumba Central Police Station.
Ngioko was released on bail but trapped in sporadic gun shot between Separatist fighters and the military on the eve of October 1, a day considered by separatists as Independence Day. Reports say Claude Bernes had gone to the Kumba main market to warn his sales boys not to go the market on that day. In the midst of these confrontations, one of his sales boy was shot to death. While many were rushing for safety, Nguefeu was arrested alongside many youths by the military. Claude, according to sources sneaked in to bush alongside some of them who were arrested and still date his where-about remains cloudy.
As we went to press, Claude’s family members disclosed that the search for him by the military has intensified, as his provision store at the Kumba main market is under military surveillance. Meanwhile, his family residence in Ekombe, a neighbouring village to Kumba has been razed to the ground by the military. Some of his family relations have equally been killed, just because Nguefeu Ngioko’s where-about is unknown, and military has declared him wanted just like many innocent youths.
It should be noted that those arrested in connection with the Anglophone crisis are tried in the military tribunal under the terrorism law whose maximum sentence is death penalty. The case of the Ambazonia leaders like Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Eyambe Elias Ebai, Tassang Wilfred, and 5 others and many other Anglophones is still fresh.