BY TALLA AGHAA CHRISTOPHER
The deadly and persistent conflict in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon has created a multitude of diverse casualties, including killings, rampant kidnappings, injuries, maiming, destruction of property, disruption of social life, economic stagnation, political uncertainty, a very fragile security situation, unprecedented mass displacements, and the spirit of mutual mistrust across communities that are ravaged by this bloody and traumatizing conflict.
According to Relief International, more than 430,000 people have been displaced from their communities and homes, since the pernicious conflict began.
Till date, there has been no measure with convincing realistic prospects for restoring sustainable peace and security in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.
Meanwhile, the toll of casualties continues to rise within the ranks of the Cameroon military, among separatist fighters and across the civilian population.
Among inhabitants,the most vivid and recurring adversities include: kidnappings for ransom, intimidation, ultimatums, loss of means of livelihood, conflict induced involuntary displacements, and a general sense of socio- political distress.
According to reports, panic has gripped the family of Yufanyi Moses, a Cameroonian military officer following his brutal killing by his colleagues while on a mission to the North West Regional Capital of Bamenda on June 20, 2019.
The military officer and father of three boys and a wife was among other military officers deployed to the North West Region to suppress the separatist fighters.
Reports indicate that while in the line of duty he wasn’t comfortable with the attitudes of his colleagues who were only interested in collecting bribes from the suppressed population and even killing the innocent ones during their patrols.
Because Yufanyi Moses was an opposition to such attitudes, his colleagues teamed up and in cross fire shot him to death on the pretext that he was a ” black leg” taking into consideration the fact that he was an Anglophone thus leaking out military secrets and information to the Separatist Fighters.
As if this wasn’t enough, the military further stormed late Yufanyi’s residence in Bamenda on June 21, 2019 and while his wife Yufanyi Caroline Shenne and her two children Demian Yufanyi and Hans Yufanyi including other neighbours were in their condolence mood, the military immediately arrested the two children and whisked them to Yaounde.
According to a family source, Hans Yufanyi and Demian Yufanyi who were whisked to Yaoundé were reportedly shot by the military and the whereabouts of the mother remains a misery.
This panic and consternation that has gripped the Yufanyi’s family has triggered the search of Tohmfem Martin Tufanyi whose where about remains cloudy according to family members.
News is already making rounds around their neighbourhood in Bamenda following frequent military impromptu visits to late Yufanyi’s residence that the family now remains a military target since they have been tagged by the military as ” black legs” just like their late father.
Calls have multiplied by Tohmfem Martin Yufanyi’s friends for him to continue in his hideout for there are fears that if he is found in Cameroon he shall be eliminated by the military just like his other brothers.
Despite the continuous accumulation of casualties from this lethargic conflict, there is no clear indication that the socio- political adversity is on course to complete cessation.
Many people are now calling for divine intervention in redeeming them from this agonising conflict.
Cameroon, which was once internationally praised as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, is now struggling to cope with untold casualties from what many qualify as an unrelenting and insidious conflict.