BY SANDRA LUM
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 and collaborating with separatist fighters and to a greater extent financing the separatist fighters, especially those living abroad.
Majority 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 the Cameroon Defense Forces with frequent sporadic gun exchange being the order of the day.
It should be recalled that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over in 2016, when Common Law Lawyers in the North West and South West regions went on strike. They were demanding for the return of the federal system of government, redeployment of Civil Law Magistrates back to Civil Law Courts in French Cameroon, among other grievances. Not long after, teachers in the North West and South West regions also went on strike, demanding for the redress of several issues concerning the English system of education.
Things, however, got worst when Anglophones in both regions, who had been fed up with the unfavourable political and economic situation of the country, the use of French as the dominant and official language, and the marginalisation of the Anglophones, joined the strike.
Schools, houses and villages have been razed to the ground by both the military and separatist fighters. Ghost towns and lockdowns imposed by the separatist fighters, and the frequent calls from the separatist fighters for school boycotts is the order of the day across the two regions.
In the face of all these, youths and innocent civilians are the ones bearing the brunt of the unending crisis. Many have been declared wanted. The military and other security operatives have established both search and arrest warrants for the apprehension of many alleged Anglophone activists all over the national territory, suspected to be siding with separatist fighters as the ongoing armed conflict rages on.
The alleged activists have been considered dangerous and threat to the public and declared wanted. The population has equally been urged to be vigilant and report to the closest gendarmerie or police stations is the have information about those declared wanted.
Those who have successfully escaped to countries where the respect of human rights is prime for protections, their names are still in the military database pending arrest and prosecution, while their names equally future in the blackleg list of the separatists.
The case of Marinus Enow Mayu Anja, just as many others, is extremely pathetic. Family sources say his whereabouts remains cloudy ever since he went underground in February 2023 and has been declared wanted.
As we went to press, the military keeps making impromptu checks at their residential area in Mamfe, Manyu Division of the South West Region, to arrest and prosecute him. Family sources have hinted that they are constantly harassed and molested for them to disclose his whereabouts, which, unfortunately, remains cloudy.
It should be recalled that Marinus Enow Mayu Anja’s first bitter encounter with government forces was in October 2014 as a fresh university student in Buea. He was arrested alongside many other students by the police, during a peaceful demonstration against the Biya government. They were incarcerated and treated inhumanely and Marinus was released after money allegedly exchanged hands with the police authorities. He immediately relocated to Mamfe to join his uncle, Simon, to work for him in his store.
Both Marinus and his uncle have faced constant threats from the Ambazonia fighters and the Biya regime from 2013 to 2021. While the government agents are suspecting him and his uncle, Simon, for siding and collaborating with separatist fighters, separatist fighters, on the other hand, are accusing them for not supporting the secessionist movement, especially as Anglophones, thus placing their lives in danger.
For fear of the unknown, since the situation was so tense, Marinus’ uncle decided to send him out of the country to complete his studies in September 2021 and he returned to the country in January 2023 and joined his uncle in his store.
Reports say a customer placed a command for the supply of 300 T-shirts which they did and after delivery, their store was raided by security operatives and immediately accused his uncle for siding with separatist fighters, and when he resisted arrest he was shot and killed.
The military then arrested Marinus and his friend and whisked them to Mamfe Police Station and detained them in a deplorable condition. While in detention, they were informed that the T-shirts were supplied to Ambazonia supporters.
They were later transferred to Buea and Marinus was finally released on February 2, 2023 after having signed an undertaking to avoid supporting the Ambazonian Movement. Reports say Marinus, after his release, returned to Mamfe and discovered that the military was watching him from a distance and during a raid by the military in their neighbourhood Marinus immediately went underground and finally went to an unknown destination.