BY ASHU TIDINGS
The government of Cameroon is still finding it difficult to arrest the current impasse rocking the country’s North West and South West regions. After the Major National Dialogue that took place in Yaounde from September 30 to October 4, 2019 to resolve the Anglophone crisis that has been rocking the North West and South West regions since October 2016, things seem to have worsened.
The armed conflict between separatist fighters and state forces still rage on with multiple deaths being recorded on both sides, houses razed, villages burnt down with impunity and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, on the increase as the government is sparing no effort at tracking down those it considers agents of destruction. Despite repeated calls for all protagonists to embrace peace for a better and new Cameroon.
Cameroon which was once internationally praised as one of the most peaceful countries in the world is now struggling to cope with untold causalities from what many qualify as an unrelenting and insidious conflict.
Reports say more and more businessmen within the crisis-stricken Anglophone regions of Cameroon have resorted to going underground after surviving arrests, torture, harsh detention conditions from the military for allegedly siding and collaborating with separatist fighters, commonly known as ‘Amba Boys’ who have picked up arms against the State of Cameroon in request for separation and the restoration of the Independence and statehood of former British Southern Cameroons termed Ambazonia.
Apart from businessmen other Anglophone activists including those of other professions like Teaching, Medical Personnel, Journalists, Drivers and Technicians in varied fields have equally gone underground for fear of military reprisals.
Fotsing Tada Simeon is a Cameroonian businessman who has had his own fair share of the troubles. Though a native of Melong in the Littoral Region of Cameroon, his case is very pathetic. He was carrying out food supplies in crisis-torn regions. Being a prosperous businessman, state forces accused him of meddling in the affairs of Ambazonia separatist fighters and supporting their cause. This landed him in trouble as he suffered several detentions, arrest and was incarcerated in prison custody for sympathizing with the cause of the non-state armed groups. Military sources allege that Fotsing was supplying foodstuff and other essential provisions to thé militiamen. Without evidence to substantiate their claims, he was freed. But his persistence in doing business in the restive regions of the North West and South West subjected him to repeated arrests, torture and detention in very inhumane conditions on the instructions of local administrative authorities and law enforcement officers.
Fotsing Tada Simeon, like many other youths, businessmen and activists found himself helpless. He could not understand how his rights will be violated by the same state forces and authorities charged with protecting human rights.
With local administrative and security officials suspicious of his dealings, Fotsing has since gone underground for fear of the unknown. By Press time family sources hinted that Fotsing Tada Simeon is at large and his whereabouts remains cloudy as security operatives keep making rounds around their neighbourhood to apprehend him.
The same is true for Odette Feter Kongnyuy who has been under security searchlights ever since she went underground in 2022 and has been declared wanted by the regime, shortly after she was recruited by Integrated Circuit Co.LTD Tokyo.
The Law graduate attached to Crown Law Chambers in Bamenda, sources say, had tough times with security operatives. As Executive Officer of Cameroon Relief Organisation, a Kumba based NonGovernmental Oganisation, working in the domain of providing medical and financial assistance to Internally Displaced Persons for both those living in refugee camps in Nigeria and in the bushes in Cameroon affected by the current Anglophone arm conflict, her situation was more complicated because this initiative did not go down well with government and consequently attracted frequent attacks on her and her institution by the military.
In January 2022, we gathered that following the brutal killing of a military officer in Bamenda , by separatist fighters, the military raided their Bamenda residential area, after a tip off that a separatist fighter was hiding there. The military stormed their residence and accused her family for siding with separatists by providing them financial and medical assistance. In the course of the military raid, Odette had fortunately had stepped out. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law and two cousins were severely beaten by the military until they went unconscious.
Following the brutal killing of a businessman whose name we got as Joe Esua at Market Street Bamenda on February 15, 2022, the military in retaliation stormed the entire neighbourhood and arrested many innocent civilians. The military, we gathered, without a warrant but with instructions from above, stormed the Law Office where Odette Feter Kongnyuy was under taking her pupilage, that the office was sponsoring the Anglophone movement, instigating violence and separation thus she was seriously molested as she struggled to resist the activity of the military in their office.
Despite a complaint she addressed to the Legal Department about the military atrocities in their office and on her person, the Legal Department gave a deaf ear to it. Family sources told THE SUN that Odette Kongnyuy was finally a victim of circumstance amidst the ongoing arm conflict in the two Anglophone restive regions. On March 8, 2022 while returning with some friends from the celebration of International Women’s Day she was rough-handled by two plain cloth security operatives until she was rushed to the hospital. Recalling that sometimes in August 20, 2018, Barrister Forkwang Norbert was attacked and wounded in front of his chambers by the military for respecting lockdowns declared by the separatist fighters, Odette became so concerned about her safety and that of her family. At press time, the family compound of Odette in Bamenda had been razed to the ground by the military for backing the struggle with accusing fingers pointing on Odette for financing from her hideouts abroad and her cousin Tardzenyuy has been shot to death by the military for being a spy for the separatist fighters.
It should be recalled that Common Law Lawyers went on strike in October 2016 to protest government attempts to annihilate the common law practice in a constitutionally bilingual and bi-jural Cameroon. Anglophone teachers in the Country joined the strike on November 21, 2016 to uphold Anglo-Saxon values under threat in Cameroon’s two English speaking regions.
Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, looting, shooting, torture, molestation, using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters,.
According to the International crisis group, and Amnesty International, in 2019 about 3000 people died, at least 500000 were declared Internally Displaced Persons, IDP’s, and about 40000 being refugees in neighbouring Nigeria with close to 700000 children deprived of schooling.