BY TALLA AGHAA CHRISTOPHER
The government of Cameroon has intensified the search against activists of the outlawed Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, a secessionist pressure group clamouring for the independence of Southern Cameroons.
Southern Cameroons, it should be noted, is the then West Cameroon, today the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon otherwise known as Anglophone Cameroon.
Following the ongoing Anglophone crisis that started in 2016 with Teachers of the English Sub-System of Education and Common Law Lawyers decrying the marginalization of West Cameroonians, SCNC activists added their voice to what has been termed by many as the Anglophone Struggle thus causing the government to have sleepless nights with accusing fingers to all Anglophone activists at home and abroad.
The government has gone a long way to reiterated on several instances that all Anglophone activists, as well as SCNC activists, shall have no rest in Cameroon as long as the struggle continues.
Human Rights Organisations in Cameroon have equally indicated that the lives of activists of Anglophone extraction is now in danger.
Many of the activists have been arrested and placed under degrading human conditions in maximum security detention facilities across the country.
Many have relocated to unknown destinations as their family homes and neighbourhoods have been on constant check by security operatives seeking to apprehend them due to their perceived anti-government opinions.
On the strength of untold human rights violations perpetuated by security forces, these collectives of Human Rights Organisations are recommending that people of goodwill should accord maximum security to any Anglophone activist who is on the run for fear of government persecution.
As tensions in the North West and South West Regions rage unabated, government has embarked on a protracted mission to fish out sympathisers and activists backing the now termed “Anglophone Crisis”.
The government has already considered them terrorists and numerous trumped up charges have been levelled against them such as propagation of false information, rebellion, revolution, secession, insurrection and non- possession of National Identity Card.
Residences of suspected activists whose whereabouts remain a mystery are under police search lights while some have been razed to the ground.
The case of 26-year- old Atemnkeng Tendem Derick who joined the SCNC sometimes in 2016 is very pathetic.
Reports hold that the whereabout of Atemnkeng Tendem Derick who is currently under security operatives search light has remained cloudy since April 2019.
According to sources close to Atemnkeng, after having been arrested and detained at the Kumba Police Station incommunicado for about two weeks under draconian conditions due to his involvement in the distribution of anti-reunification flyers and T-shirts and a total boycott of the manifestations which usually comes up every May 20th, was released though without any offence preferred against him thanks to the intervention of his Attorney.
Reports say before Atemnkeng Tendem relocated to Small Ekombe, a locality in Meme Division to join his parents he received medical attention due to the inhumane treatment at the police cells and a medical certificate issued indicating 29 days incapacity on him.
While in Small Ekombe, Atemnkeng was voted Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, PTA of Government High School, GHS Ekombe and immediately added his voice to the Teachers plight, strike and protest He equally supported and encouraged ghost towns, lockdown and school boycotts in the area.
This Reporter gathered that all these made Atemnkeng to be a target for the military and stormed their residence in Small Ekombe and unfortunately razed it to the ground when the military realised that Atemnkeng Tendem Derick had sneaked out of the village following news about the intention of the military to kill him.
Though family sources hinted that Atemnkeng smuggled himself to Yaounde for safety, the military will come looking for him at the sidelines of his civil status marriage in early April 8, 2019 at the celebration ground. Unfortunately for the military Atemnkeng Tendem Derick had left the ceremonial ground. News of his search by the military caused family members to advise him to leave the country for fear of been arrested and subsequent persecution by the Yaounde regime.
It should be recalled that many Anglophones have been apprehended in various military police checkpoints after their phones were searched and discovered therein messages, videos, pictures and images of the killings of Cameroon of Military by Ambazonian Defence Forces, ADF, forward as received not leaving out vehicles and placed incommunicado in draconian inhumane detention conditions.
Recent statistics by civil society organizations reflect the extent of the damage with horrific numbers. The death toll is on a perpetual rise while there are claims that about 300 villages have been burnt down in two regions and some 500,000 people remain internally displaced with a majority of English speaking Cameroonians that have assumed the status of refugees in Nigeria.