BY ALICE NJI
The military and other security operatives have established both search and arrest warrants for the apprehension against many alleged Anglophone activists and separatist fighters all over the national territory as the ongoing armed conflict that started about nine years rages on. The alleged activists, both home and abroad, have been considered as dangerous and threats to the public and declared wanted.
Government repression, manhunt for these alleged activists and youths has intensified as the Anglophone crisis that started in 2016 and later on metamorphosed to an armed conflict lingers.
Most have been listed for prosecution for instigating violence and inciting insurrection against the state of Cameroon after organising peaceful protests on the streets of Buea, Bamenda and other major towns across the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon like Kumba, Mamfe, Kumbo, Tiko, Batibo and Fundong. The population has equally been urged to be vigilant and report to the closest gendarmerie or police stations.
Declared wanted amidst armed- conflict
Reports say most youths out of frustration decided to join the Ambazonia or separatist fighters to revenge the atrocities inflicted by the defense and security forces on their respective family members and relations.
As we went to press, the case of many of such persons including Mengot Emmanuel Ebot of Mbinjong, who joined the Ambazonia fighters to revenge, is in every lip in the restive North West and South West Regions as the military has launched fresh pursuit for their arrest and declared them wanted. Before his final escape to an unknown destination in August 2025 after being declared wanted, Mengot Emmanuel Ebot is reported to have joined the camp of Amazonia pseudo–General Obi sometime in February 2019 after the military raided their village, Mbinjong in Manyu Division of South West Region a stronghold of Ambazonia fighters in search of Ambazonia fighters. Sources say since the soldiers could not locate the hideout of the fighters, out of frustration, they opened fire on many innocent civilians.
Unfortunately for Mengot, his mother was shot dead and their home razed to the ground, while other villagers ran to the forest for safety. This incident, according to sources, provoked Mengot who was in Kumba, Meme Division of the South West Region, to rush to the village to ascertain the magnitude of the situation.
While in the Village, Mengot Emmanuel Ebot, out of frustration and pains, decided to join Ambazonia fighters of ‘General’ Obi to revenge the killing of his mother.
THE SUN learnt that Mengot Emmanuel Ebot finally abandoned the struggle with the Ambazonia fighters sometime in March 2020 and escaped to Nigeria when ‘General’ Obi was killed by the military along the Kumba –Mamfe highway.
Sources from Mbinjong village say Mengot Emmanuel Ebot returned from Nigeria and went underground in Ayong village, but finally escaped to an unknown destination when a fresh list surfaced about the imminent arrest and prosecution of many civilians and separatist fighters.
The government crackdown on alleged Anglophone activists and politicians, more especially youths, has since intensified with arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture and extra-judicial killings becoming the new normal, human rights groups have said.
Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, random looting, shooting, torture, molestation using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters, burning more than 200 villages, 500 houses, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians, attacking hospitals, beating and raping women and girls.
The armed conflict still rages on and many more killings by the military are still being documented by rights organisations. The government has launched a manhunt for those alleged to be fanning the crisis both at home and abroad as they have been declared wanted.