By LUSY LIMA
As the crisis in the North West and South West regions, which has escalated into an armed conflict, rages on, many people including businessmen and women, have been bearing the brunt.
These businessmen and women have found themselves caught between accusations from the defence and security forces and the Ambazonia separatist fighters.
Some of the businessmen and women who are accused by the military of sympathising with separatists are arrested, tortured and detained under deplorable conditions. Some have reported died in detention under unclear circumstances. Meanwhile, those who are accused by the separatist fighters have been killed by the Amba boys.
One of such who has gone through the ordeal is Alobwede Donald Ebong, a university graduate who had engaged in business.
After obtaining a degree in Banking and Finance, Alobwede began a petty business in his village in Kupe-Muanenguba Division of the South West Region. He bought items in Loum, Moungo Division of the Littoral Region, which he then sold in Kupe-Muanenguba Division to make profit and earn a living.
Alobwede and other businessmen and women often bribed their way through checkpoints mounted by both the military and Ambazonia fighters along the road to and from Loum.
However, sometime after, the military along the Loum-Tombel road began accusing Alobwede and other businessmen and women of acting as spies for the separatist fighters, questioning how they went along the road with their goods and money without being abducted by the separatist fighters.
When separatist fighters launched an attack on October 1, 2021, Alobwede is said to have been traveling along that stretch of road. He and other business persons were arrested by soldiers. They were tortured and whisked to Loum, where they were detained under deplorable conditions. The businessmen and women, including Alobwede Donald Ebong, were accused of having been supporting separatist fighters financially and providing them information on military movements.
Nonetheless, Alobwede was later released under conditions that remain unclear.
But for fear of his life, Alobwede, shortly after, went underground. The military is said to have been searching for him. A summons is reported to have been sent to his father’s house, calling on him to report at the gendarmerie brigade for interrogation.
Meanwhile, on August 10, 2023, soldiers are said to have stormed his father’s house, looking for him. The soldiers are said to have said Alobwede is being accused of having been providing information and financial support to separatist fighters.
If arrested Alobwede Donald Ebong will be tried in a military tribunal under the anti-terrorism law, whose maximum punishment is the death sentence. That is if he is not killed outright, like many others who have been victims of extrajudicial killings.
It should be recalled that in September 2017 a businessman in Belo Sub-division, Boyo Division of the North West Region, popularly known as Sam Sawyer, who was crippled and on a wheelchair, was killed after the military stormed his premises. He had been accused of having separatist fighters at his shop.
The lifeless body of Sam Sawyer was later seen, beheaded, in videos and pictures that went viral on social media.
Meanwhile, on November 4, 2021 a businessman and contractor, Wara Eric, and two others had been killed in Bamenda by gunmen suspected to be Ambazonia fighters. The heavily armed gunmen had attacked and killed the businessman including two other people.
It was around midday when the gunmen stopped a car Wara and the others were in at Mbingfibie neighbourhood in Bamenda, fired bullets, ripping three of its occupants.
Wara Eric was the contractor who had just won a contract at the Bamenda II council. He also owned a bar in Bamenda.
“He had been warned several times by non-state armed groups to discontinue the contract and stop selling brewery products from Les Brasseries du Cameroun,” a source had been quoted as having said.
Another witness said, “no one can say for sure who shot them, but speculation is that they were killed by separatist fighters”.
Wara Eric was in the car with his younger brother and two others. His brother allegedly escaped with a bullet wound on his hand. Two others, one identified as welder, died. They are said to have gone to the Council to carry out estimates.
However, another source was quoted as having claimed: “Seeing what happened the last time in Below Foncha, it is believed that Government forces dressed in mufti carried out the attack. We know their modus operandi when an oncoming car approaches. But then we are all confused here in Bamenda. The situation is terrible”.
As the armed conflict continues, the populations of the two crisis-hit regions have been decrying atrocities reportedly committed by both the military and separatist fighters. International organisations and other western powers have called on the government to address the root cause through genuine and inclusive dialogue.