By TERRY SANDRA
A Douala based employer from Bui division in the North West region was arrested along side over 30 young men from a construction site in Bonamousadi Douala on Wednesday September 21, 2022 at around 7:30 am.
Mme EVELINE KONGLA we are told is an Anglophone business woman with businesses in a number of francophone cities around Cameroon. We gathered that a mixed battalion of the police, army and gendarmes stormed her construction site where most of the boys arrested were staying in part of the uncompleted structure.
“They were surrounded at about 5:00am and some military men who were well armed and ready for combat went into the uncompleted building section where the workers were staying and started pulling them out while kicking them with their boots and hitting some with buts of their guns.” A witness and security guard in the area who watched the process narrated to the SUN Newspaper correspondent.
“At least 30 boys were arrested and dragged to the military van packed just at the entrance to the construction site. Some had just singlets and boxers on while others had just their boxers on. They were definitely still enjoying their sleep when the military stormed the building. I could hear the military shout at them referring to them as les Ambazoniens” Our source narrated.
“The process lasted about two hours. It would appear the military were searching the building for something I can’t say what it was. From the questions I aoverheard them ask some of the young boys, It seems the military suspected that there were some arms being hidden in the building.” Michael, another witness and inhabitant of the locality shared with the SUN.
“I know the woman who owns the construction site. It appears they are building a school from the nature of the building. She came that morning in her car at about 7:30 am and as soon as she stopped her car at the entrance to the site, some military men rushed to her car and pulled her out. Some of them slapped her a couple of times and pulled her violently to one of the military vans.” Michal added.
Talking to some family members of Mme Eviline Kongla a week after the arrest, they told the SUN she was released about three days after her arrest after haven been tortured in military custody. Family members say she was accused of bringing the boys arrested from her construction site from the village in preparation for the celebration of the Ambazonia Independence day on November 1.
Cameroon’s government have remained very vigilant and have continued to go after Southern Cameroons activist who over the years have continued to clamor for an independent Southern Cameroons, the area that covers the English speaking regions of the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, in armed conflict for over seven years now.
Kongla Eviline is just one of many whose businesses and activities in the French Speaking regions are being surveilled by the government due to her activism in the Southern Cameroons struggle in the past.