By TALLA AGHA CHRISTOPHER
As tensions in the North West and South West Regions rage unabated, government has embarked on a protracted mission to fish out sympathisers and activists backing what has become known as the “Anglophone crisis”. The government have already considered them terrorists and numerous trump up charges against them such as propagation of false information, rebellion, revolution, secession insurrection and non -possession of National Identity card. For fear of the unknown, considering the jail term waiting suspected activists, many have relocated to unknown destinations after having been declared wanted by the Yaoundé regime.
Confronted with escalating tempers, a total breakdown of law and order, and worsening socio-political conditions, government has now taken to trail those considered as masterminds of the unrest. This move represents one in a series of measures that has been employed by the administration to calm the troubled waters amid a deteriorating security condition and other concerns.
This hunt is in a bid to bring activists before the military tribunal for adjudication, as was the case with the likes of Mancho Bibixy, Tsi Conrad, and Penn Terence, who, upon their arrest in January 2017, subsequently stood trial before the military tribunal to bear the brunt of a failed system. They were each slammed maximum jail sentence to serve at the Kondengui maximum security prison, while others in the likes of Franklin Vegah Law, Akondi Nkerh Rawlings (whose father is currently in detention in Yaounde), Menyele Charles Mosima, Bukwere Gaëlle, Genarine Mechane Ndille and Kogendille Frankline Metuge had since fled.
Leaders of the virtual state of Ambazonia (otherwise known as Southern Cameroons); Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Tassang Wilfred, Barrister Eyambe ,Nfor Ngala Nfor and others, were then extradited from Nigeria and placed incommunicado for close to a year. They are presently standing trial at the Yaounde military court on charges of terrorism, secession, propagation of false news, insurrection, non-possession of National Identity Card and rebellion against the state.
The war in the two Anglophone Regions of Cameroon referred to by activists as Southern Cameroons or “Ambazonian” is in its third year with no end in sight. The number of shootings, abductions and arrests keep soaring.
Youths dying, fleeing as blood flows unabated
With the military finding it difficult to differentiate between innocent civilians and separatist fighters, many young people have been caught in the web. They have either been taken by stray bullets or mistaken for members of the gun-carrying-militia and killed in cold blood.
Life for many living in the restive regions is a miracle given that each new day comes with its own. Today, many homes in the two restive regions have been broken with women left to drown in their tears. The have been looking for their husbands and sons who are either missing or dead. The outskirts of towns like Buea, Kumba, Bamenda, Kumbo, Mamfe have been the hardest hit by the crisis. Many have fled in order to provide a level field for the smoking guns to rattle.
Recent statistics by civil society organizations reflect the extent of the damage with horrific numbers. The death toll is on a perpetual rise while there are claims that about 120 villages have been burnt down in the two regions, and some 11.000 people remain internally displaced. A majority of who are taking refuge in the bushes and forests. This is in addition to the more than 45.000 English speaking Cameroonians that have assumed the status of refugees in Nigeria.
Several activists both home and abroad have been earmarked for arrest with regional, national and international warrants issued against them. Photos declaring them ‘Wanted’ have been placed with security forces.
The tale of Kogendille Franklin Metuge, Menyele Charles Mosima and Akanji Adeline Ameck caught our attention as we seek to document the ordeals of youth caught in a war for no fault of theirs over issues relating to the Anglophone cause. Kogendille Frankline Metuge, Menyele Charles Mosima, Akanji Adeline Ameck and others have become persons of interest in Cameroon. The regime has set its sight on them like many others with intent to prosecute and incarcerate them based on charges for acts of treason, terrorism, and secession, propagation of fake news, rebellion against the state and sponsoring of the Anglophone crisis.
The Sun gathered that Kogendille Frankline Metuge, former President of the Department of Law, University of Buea ,in charge of Student Mobilisation, and a member of the University of Buea Student Union, UBSU, a pressure group clamouring for better conditions in school, whose where about is still a mistery since November 2018,was amongst those who in 2016 staged peaceful protest on campus in defence of their rights finally turned sour as security forces cracked down on the protesting students, tortured raped and arrested most of them. The Sun gathered the military later ransacked the student residential areas to arrest all those who masterminded the protest. This forced Kogendille Frankline Metuge to relocate to Douala in the Littoral Region. However, Kogendille Frankline Metuge, continued, through social media, maintained communication with the school activities. After having enrolled for a Master’s program in Douala, Kogendille Frankline Metuge, reports say while on a family visit to Bafoussam was arrested and placed in custody under inhumane conditions at the Bafoussam Prison
because materials and information patterning to the propagation of information for the Restoration of the Statehood of Southern Cameroons, Ambazonian, was seen in his phone. Kogendille Frankline, however was released thanks to the intervention of his uncle a retired military personnel. Till date, family sources hold that, his where about remains a misery. Just like Kogendille Frankline, another University of Buea student, Bukwere Gaëlle who equally went through the same ordeal, family sources attest that her where about is unknown as she was arrested and detained under inhumane condition on her way for a family visit in Bamenda. Though whisked off from prison custody thanks to some family relatives she, just like other suspected activists has been declared wanted by the regime.
For Akanji Adeline Ameck, who is equally in the police search light, since 2017,her problem kick started after she participated in a protest march called by the Ambazonian governing Council in September and October 2017 for the Restoration of the Southern Cameroon, Ambazonian Statehood that led to mass arrest and detention and killings of many protesters by security operatives. Her situation is even more complicated because she was the one who held the Ambazonian flag during the protest march. Having been declared wanted by the regime as one of the Ambazonian leaders, her house in Kwa-Kwa village, Mbonge Sub Division in Meme Division, South West Region, was razed to the ground by the military and her children are currently being displaced with the bushes being a “safer” place for them.
Another pathetic ordeal is that of Menyele Charles Mosima, a businessman from Marumba II, Mbonge Sub Division, Meme Division, in the South West Region was equally arrested and detained under horrible condition in November 2018, by the military for about two weeks for his alleged involvement in the Anglophone Crisis, Menyele Charles Mosima managed to escape to an unknown destination from custody. Family sources told THE SUN that, Menyele Charles Mosima, was regarded by the Ambazonian Defence Force as, ADF, as a spy to the government reason being that he resisted all attempts and calls by the Separatist Fighters to join them in the fight against the Yaoundé Regime in order to restore the Statehood of Southern Cameroon hasand the government was equally pointing accusing fingers to him as a member of the Ambazonian Defence Force. Earmarked for arrest by both the government and Separatist fighters, Menyele Charles Mosima residence in Marumba II village was razed to the ground by the military and ever since this incident his family has been restless due to impromptu checks by the military and the Ambazonian Defence Forces to fish him out in for persecution
With government tightening the noose on separatists and their sympathisers, the future promises to be pregnant.