By Ayuketang Blessing
The Fon of Awing, HRM Fon Fozoh II, by tradition, is the protector of his people, the guarantor of the peace, customs and traditions of the land of Awing. Above all, he is the father of Awing. Administratively and as Cameroon is concerned, he is supposed to act as an auxiliary to the Government.
In exercising these onerous responsibilities or roles, the Fon is not, in any way, expected to compromise or sacrifice one for the other without any sound reason.
But since the onset of the Anglophone crisis where the Government forces in Cameroon have been battling against the pro-independence Ambazonia fighters in the Northwest and Southwest regions, the Fon of Awing, HRM Fon Fozoh II, is becoming increasingly worried, puzzled and, presently, finds his life even threatened.
The Fon, like many of his peers in other Fondoms and chiefdoms in these two regions, finds himself now in a dilemma. The war is sparing no one, not even the Fon. The Awing village today, like others in the Northwest, is under the siege of Government forces and Amba fighters, who, daily are battling and killing each other as well as villagers caught in the crossfire.
And as the war rages on, there are attacks every so often. Government forces, mostly Gendarmes, have been launching several attacks aimed at dislodging the Amba boys just as the Amba boys have been counter attacking Government forces.
These attacks have resulted in many deaths involving Gendarmerie officers, Amba boys, innocent villagers and displaced many persons or left many people’s property destroyed.
But the Fon has become increasingly worried because both camps are now hurling accusations on him for no just cause. The Amba boys have tended to accuse the Fon for siding with the Government while at the same time, the Government is accusing the Fon for having allowed the Amba Boys to pitch camp in the village from where they have been launching attacks against the Government.
Trapped in this delicate and troubling situation, the Fon of Awing is finding it difficult to appease one side without hurting the other.
The Fon now finds his life and that of his family under serious threats in the face of all these accusations. He has, for instance, already lost closed relatives, while other relatives have been kidnapped for ransom. For instance, his nephew, Afeseh Emmanuel, was, regrettably, shot and killed at the Market square.
The Fon’s cousin and brother, Ayafor, who was working as a guard at the Lake Awing Visitor’s Centre, was shot and killed supposedly by Government forces. Till date, all attempts to find even his corpse for burial have yielded no fruits. Additionally, the shops of Queens Delphine Kang and Ngwingteh Agnes in the main market were burnt down and the two were once kidnapped and only released after the Fon paid a heavy ransom.
The Fon’s cousins, too, who have lost their children in the war, have not helped matters. They are accusing the Fon for not having done enough to help their situation.
Thus, the weight of accusations on the Fon and the threats to his own life and that of his family are becoming unbearable. This notwithstanding, the Fon has been doing everything possible for peace to reign in Awing.
But, in the face of this insecurity situation where the regular Government forces are facing stiff resistance from the Amba fighters, it has become even more difficult for the Fon to be able to assert any kind of authority on either the Government forces or Amba fighters, without being victimized himself.
It is hoped that the current national dialogue that has been called by the Head of State, Paul Biya, and which has been scheduled for September 30 to October 4, 2019, should lead to a peaceful end to this war. And it is only a peaceful end that will end the circle of accusations and give way to the return of the atmosphere of peace, love and respect that existed between the Fon of Awing and his people before the war began.