BY CYNTHIA BIH
As the Anglophone crisis, which has metamorphosed into an armed conflict since 2017 rages on, many alleged Anglophone activists who are caught under the web of the military and separatists have all gone underground for fear of military reprisals.
Reports from across the two restive Regions of the North West and South West Regions say many are caught in the web of the crisis. They are either kidnapped by separatist fighters for ransom on one hand or are arrested by the military on grounds that they are siding with separatist fighters.
On the run
Many students and pupils have been forced to drop out from school for fear of their lives as the two restive regions have been the battle ground between separatist fighters and defence and security forces with frequent gun exchanges being the order of the day.
The government of the Republic of Cameroon, through the military, is currently targeting Anglophones alleged to be activists and have consequently launched a manhunt and declared them wanted. They have established both search and arrests warrants for the apprehension against many alleged activists all over the national territory. They are suspected to be siding with separatist fighters as the ongoing armed conflict rages on.
It should be noted many of the Cameroonians abroad risking deportation will face prosecution and even death if they return home. These include those who are wanted by security operatives because of their activism, political opinions or involvement in the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions.
In Ekombe, a village along the Kumba–Mbonge highways in Mbonge Subdivision, Meme Division South West Region, the case of Christopher Batumani is being considered as pure witch-hunting. Reports say he is on the run and has been declared wanted by the security and defence forces.
THE SUN gathered Christopher Batumani is a victim of circumstance amidst the armed conflict as his family suffered enormous loss, their house razed to the ground during a military raid in Ekombe village after getting hint of the presence of separatist fighters.
His situation is further worsened by the fact that his brother, Mukete Paul, whose whereabouts is unknown and even presumed death alongside his late father, had been on the military wanted list for supporting the separatist fighters. This caused the military to conclude that Christopher Batumani is a suspect in the eyes of the authorities as it is rumoured that separatist fighters had tried to recruit him in vain.
As we went to press, the military was reported to have been making impromptu checks at Batumani’s residential area in Ekombe just to arrest and prosecute him. Family sources hinted that they are constantly harassed and molested for them to disclose his whereabouts, which unfortunately remains cloudy.
According to the Cameroon Penal code if arrested Batumani will face charge of acts of terrorism, insurrection, hostilities against the state, and failure to report.
The Anglophone crisis began 2016 with teachers and lawyers strikes which later attracted the people of the two English-speaking regions of the country, as they said their accumulated grievances emanated from marginalisation by the majority French-speaking part of Cameroon, inequality in employment, adulterations of the judicial and sub educational systems.