BY SANDRA LUM
More and more businessmen within the crisis-stricken Anglophone regions of Cameroon have resorted to going underground after surviving arrest, torture, harsh detention conditions from the military for allegedly siding and collaborating with separatist fighters, commonly known as ‘Amba Boys’.
The separatist fighters picked up arms against the state of Cameroon in quest for separation and fighting for the restoration of the independence and statehood of former British Southern Cameroons, which they have christened Ambazonia. Most of them, including those of other professions like teaching, medical personnel, journalists, drivers and technicians have equally gone underground for fear of military reprisals.
The crisis, which started in 2016 with a strike action by Common Law lawyers and Anglophone teachers against marginalization of Anglophones, has escalated into an armed conflict with Anglophones from all walks of life, including Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, members, businessmen, youths and clergy being killed in cross-fire between security forces and separatist fighters. Meanwhile, others are either termed blacklegs by Amba Boys and molested/kidnapped for ransom or arrested by the military, tortured and tried at the military tribunal with life jail terms for allegedly taking sides with the separatists.
Reports say this situation has caused many to migrate to French-speaking towns and the cities in Cameroon, while others have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees.
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 government of Cameroon, for over five years now, been battling to arrest the situation but tension continues to intensify with the civilian population in the North West and South West Regions in peril, panic and pandemonium. Due to this confusion and fear of the unknown, many youths and businessmen continue to go underground.
The whereabouts of a Buea-based businessman, Tabe Bessem Daniel, for example, remains unknown since June 2023, according to family sources.
Reports say Tabe Bessem Daniel and his wife jointly operate a popular drinking spot “meeting point” where people usually come to have fun and socialize. Unfortunately, in early May 2023, at about 9p.m. the military stormed the spot and arrested everyone including Tabe on grounds that separatists were drinking there.
Unfortunately for Tabe, he was taken to his residence, tortured and verbally assaulted for siding with separatists, and that the separatists were hiding dangerous explosives at his drinking spot. While at the police station for further interrogations, it was brought to his notice that because he just returned from Dubai, he is supplying money and weapons to the separatists.
Tabe Daniel Bessem was finally granted conditional bail five days after a horrifying and inhumane treatment in detention.
THE SUN has it on good when Tabe reported to the police station in respect of his bail conditions, he was seriously molested, and detained and requested to bribe his way out of detention with huge amount of money which he did and decided never to respect the police rendezvous.
Tabe Daniel had no other option than to go underground for fear of the unknown. Family sources say his whereabouts remains cloudy.
The war 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. Terrorism charges hang over them if arrested as they have been declared wanted.
It should be recalled that a Kumba-based business guru, whose name THE SUN got as Victorine Njenja Moki, before going underground for fear of both military and separatist fighters’ reprisals since December 2022 still remains pathetic as we went to press. Family sources revealed that Victorine Njenja Moki, whose whereabouts remains cloudy, was doing well in her small scale import and export business along the Cameroon- Nigeria corridor passing through Ekok, until 2020 when the Anglophone crisis affected her.
Victorine Njenja Moki became a victim of circumstances and was caught in the web of both the separatists and military. Just like many other businessmen and women whom the separatist fighters accused of not ‘supporting’ them with huge funds to buy weapons to better fight to the independence of what is now known as the “Federal Republic of Ambazonia”, she suffered severe harassments, molestation , torture, threat of life, kidnap from the hands of the separatist fighters.
Her shop was raze and during in one of her business trips, the Amba Boys burnt down the vehicle transporting her goods along the highway, and even tagged her a blackleg.
Despite all these Victorine Njenja, according to dependable sources, contacted local authorities and the police for protection, but was given a deaf ear for, according to the police, individual protection was impossible due to the thousands of similar cases and complaint.
Victorine Njenja Moki’s sad and bitter experience was when she, amongst others, was kidnapped, taken to an unknown location, and they had to spend about 41 days in Amba Boys’ captivity. She was only released after she paid huge ransom.
THE SUN gathered that Victorine Njenga, for fear of constant harassments, threats, molestation torture and subsequent kidnapped from the Separatists and knowing that the police cannot provide for individual protection, relocated to Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon for safety.
The Douala experience was more unbearable. Victorine Njenja Moki received several threats from neighbours, accusing her of being a spy working with the separatists. Security operatives, taking advantage of her situation, made frequent sexual advances at her, threatening to arrest her as a separatist if she does not accept their sexual proposals. All this was traumatising and Victorine Njenja Moki, who was now caught in the web of both the separatists and security operatives, had no other option than to go underground.
One of her neighbours in Douala, who pleaded not to be name, disclosed that security operatives have launched a manhunt for Victorine Njenja Moki and are promising to arrest, persecute and prosecute her if she is arrested. The security operatives keep on making impromptu checks in their Douala neighbourhood.
There are several calls and pressure from many international organisations for the government to stage yet another major national dialogue which should be frank and inclusive with stakeholders involved, with no topic on the table for discussion being considered as taboo. This, according to them, might bring a lasting solution to the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon with regrettable consequences.
According to Amnesty International, in 2019 about 3,000 people died, at least 500,000 were declared Internally Displaced Persons, IDP’s, and about 40,000 being refugees in neighbouring Nigeria with close to 700,000 children deprived of schooling. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported in July 2019 that about 1.3million people in Anglophone Regions urgently needed humanitarian aid.