BY SANDRA LUM
Tension is mounting within families of thousands innocent Anglophone youths whose whereabouts remains cloudy and have been declared wanted by the Cameroon defence forces.
Prosecution, extrajudicial killings, molestation and torture awaits them anytime they return to Cameroon.
As the crisis, which has metamorphosed into an armed conflict rages on, the government of the Republic of Cameroon, through the military, is currently targeting Anglophones alleged to be activists and have consequently launched a manhunt and declared them wanted. The government has established both search and arrest warrants for the apprehension of many alleged activists all over the national territory. They are suspected to be siding with separatist fighters as the ongoing armed conflict rages on.
It should be noted that many of the Cameroonians in the US, and Europe who risk deportation will face prosecution and even death if they return home. These include those who are wanted by Cameroon security operatives because of their activism, political opinions or involvement in the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions.
Some of such include Boris Tiamboh Forchia and Chostan Isse Mukete, alongside many others who have been declared wanted and their whereabouts remains cloudy. Their family members remain restless as the military keeps making impromptu patrols to their respective residences just to apprehend them.
Declared wanted amidst armed- conflict in NW, SW Regions of Cameroon
Before their escape out of the country, they were subjugated to arrests, torture, molestation and detention under harsh, degrading and inhumane detention conditions, because of their activism and political opinion, which the Yaounde regime that has been in power since 1982 didn’t take lightly.
If they return home, they will, like many other accused youth, be tried in the military tribunal under the 2014 anti-terrorism law, whose maximum punishment is death sentence. That is if they are not killed outright, like many others who have been victims of extrajudicial killings within the context of the armed conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon.
In the meantime, as the crisis rages on, the government, with the use of the military, has stepped up its crackdown on those suspected to be supporting and siding with the Ambazonia separatist fighters and others who are sympathizers to the Anglophone restoration of the Independence of the Former British Southern Cameroons course.
In this light, security and defence forces have been indiscriminately arresting all those suspected to be Anglophone activists. Sources say the arrested persons are being tortured and detained under inhumane conditions. Some are reported to have died in detention.
Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, random looting, shooting, torture, molestation, using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters. The military is also accused to have burnt more than 300 villages, 600 houses, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians, attacking hospitals, beating and raping women and girls.
The inhumane treatment meted on civilians amidst the crisis is alarming and international bodies have been called upon to intervene and mount pressure on the government to solve the situation and assist all those who have escaped the armed conflict.