By CYNTHIA BIH
Government crackdown on Anglophone activists in the form of arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and extra-judicial killings has intensified as the close to six years arm conflict rages on in Cameroon, with several youths caught in the web. What has become known as the Anglophone crisis, started in October 2016 with the Law Lawyers’ strike action against government’s 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. The fate of many has remained precarious since then as security forces battle with separatists.
President Paul Biya has since taken a tough position on the crisis in the two English speaking regions, with guns taking the place of dialogue and peace. Many human rights groups and nongovernmental organizations have in one voice condemned the extra-judicial killings by mostly the military on innocent civilians including children and pregnant women and burning of houses.
Reports indicate that about 5000 civilians’ lives have been claimed by the arm conflict and about 75000 persons displaced with many living in horrible conditions in Nigeria. Despite the successful Major National Dialogue that took place in Yaounde from September 30 to October 5, 2019 to resolve the Anglophone crisis, the resolutions taken seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Human Rights Watch including other bodies across the board have documented multiple abusive counter insurgency operations by the security forces in the North West and South West Regions since 2017. Its Centre Africa Director Lewis Mudge has never failed to condemn these abusive counter insurgency operations, especially the recent extrajudicial killings in Ngarbuh Village, North West Region where 21 civilians including 13 children and pregnant women were massacred and which he described as “ a prime example of impunity for the Cameroon security Forces”.
Despite the documented compelling evidence published by New York Times Journal and corroborated by human rights organizations, and the Catholic Church accusing the Cameroon army as responsible for all the massacre and extra-judicial killings, the Government has formally denied her responsibility for the atrocities. They have established a fresh list of alleged activists targeted for arrest. The list is reported to have been given to intelligence services for action.
Amongst the alleged activist who are on government black list and are target for arrest anytime they set feet in Cameroon are Canadian based Egbe Christabel Motack and UK-based newly elected Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC, Chairman Robert Tamanji Njie Philomen Efila, Nyambuh Neba Frankline and Soppo Mindo Pauline Stephanie.
Reports hold that before 28-old-year Soppo Mindo Pauline Stephanie, an executive member of the University of Buea Student Union, went underground in January 2022, she had suffered repeated arrest, torture, molestation and detention from the military for her advocacy role in the crisis. Family sources revealed that despite her constant release from detention, she never gave up advocating against the Anglophone marginalization. Just like most Anglophone youths arrested in connection with the crisis are considered as terrorists, Soppo found herself behind bars in October 2021 in Buea for “terrorism charges”. After serious negotiations, thanks to her Attorney, she was granted bail. With the understanding that those found guilty of terrorism offences are handed a maximum jail term of life imprisonment, she was advised to leave to the country to where the respect for human rights is prime.
As we went to Press, information filtered that Soppo’s mother, Sema Rose Yvette, has come under Police attack to disclose the where about of her daughter. Soppo’s father has long gone underground as he is also being hunted by the military for concealing the hiding place of her daughter. Neighbours to Soppo Mindo Pauline Stephanie have hinted that the military keep conducting impromptu patrol around their neighbourhood in search of her.
The name of 33-year- old Nyambuh Neba Frankline one of the frontline activists of the Separatists movements in Europe is now on the spotlight. The military has already declared him wanted and a man hunt for him has been launched all over the national territory. The search for Nyambuh Neba Frankline and many other supporters of the separatists’ movement has intensified following the killing of Oliver Lekeaka alias “Field Marshal” a dreaded ambazonia general by the Cameroon Defense forces in July 13, 2022.
General Field Marshal’s base was in Lebialem Division, South West Region, from where he coordinated separatist fighters’ operations in the South West Regions since 2017 and kept the military and government officials restless until his brutal killing. The military is aid to have retrieved vital information from his hide out, indicating that Field Marshal had direct contact through telephone numbers, screen shots, scripted notes email, and Facebook pages with fighters such as “General”
No Pity, “General” Ten Kobo, “General” Efang and some activists in the diaspora and on the ground such as Chris Anu, Dr.Sako Ikome, Prince J.Car,Nyambuh Neba Frankline, Tapong Ivo, Capo Daniel, Eric Tataw, Ayaba Cho Lucas, Afu Eugene, Akaba E., “ General die man, and Ekona Pikin. The fall of Field Marshal has boosted military hopes of arresting all the notorious separatists’ activists both home and abroad.
They are many other activists who may never be seen again as the conflict in the restive regions shows no sign of ending anytime soon”. The United States Department of States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour recently published a 45 page on Cameroon 2018 Human Rights Report wherein they highlighted the worsen Human Rights Situation in Cameroon as about 3000 civilians lives have been claimed, by the arm conflict, and about 730000 displaced with many living horrible lives in neigbouring Nigeria.