BY CYNTHIA BIH
More and more youths caught in the web of the ongoing armed conflict in the North West and South West are fleeing to safe havens and most especially where the respect of human rights is prime as political witch-hunting and scores-settling have taken centre stage.
Security operatives have been indiscriminately arresting innocent Anglophone youths and suspected activists. Sources say the arrested persons are being detained under deplorable and inhuman conditions. Some have reportedly died in detention.
In the face of all this, youths, activists are bearing the brunt of the unending Anglophone crisis and remain scapegoats. They are at the crossroad between the military and separatist fighters.
On the run , declared wanted by the military
They have been considered as dangerous and threats to the public and declared wanted. The population has equally been urged to be vigilant and report to the closest gendarmerie or police stations. Those who have successfully escaped to countries where the respect of Human Rights is prime for protections, their names are still in the military database pending arrest and prosecution.
The case of Sinju Dickson Ngalia, just like many others, is extremely pathetic. Family sources say his whereabouts remains cloudy ever since he went underground in December 2024 and has been declared wanted.
THE SUN learnt that Sinju Dickson Ngalia, a poultry farmer resident in Ekombe, a village in Mbonge Subdivision, Meme Division of the South West Region and a driver plying the Ekondo- Titi – Buea highways is a victim of circumstances amidst the ongoing armed conflict that has cost many lives and many are now Internal Displaced Persons, IDPs.
In an effort to fish out separatist fighters in Mbonge Subdivision who have been causing havoc in the area, the military on May 15, 2024 intercepted Sinju at Ekombe and took his vehicle while he was transporting passengers to Buea from Ekondo –Titi. Sinju, just like any other denizen in the area, only got information that the vehicle was used to go and attack separatist fighters. Reports say on September 29, 2024 on the eve of the celebration of the supposed independence of the former British Southern Cameroons usually celebrated every October 1, separatist fighters, at gunpoint intercepted Sinju at Kwa –Kwa, Mbonge, took his vehicle went and attacked the military and abandoned the vehicle along the road.
We learnt that Sinju later on took his vehicle and continued with his daily routine until December 14, 2024 when his wife called him while he was in his farm, telling him that the military had raided their house, molested and torture the entire family including children and in an unfriendly tone are looking him.
For fear of the unknown, Sinju Dickson Ngalia decided to flee the country to an unknown destination. Since December 2024 his name remains the talk of the day within Cameroon Security Operatives. He has been declared wanted by the military and for fear of the unknown his whereabouts remains cloudy and the military keeps making impromptu checks around their neighbourhood in search of him.
As we went to press, the military had launched fresh pursuit for his arrest alongside many others for them to be prosecuted at the Yaounde Military Tribunal on charges of terrorism-related offences.
Reports say the crisis has caused many in the English-speaking regions to migrate to French-speaking towns and the cities in Cameroon, while others have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees. Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, random looting, shooting, torture, molestation using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters, burning more than 200 villages, 500 houses, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians, attacking hospitals beating and raping women and girls.
According to the Cameroon Penal Code if arrested Sinju will face charges of acts of terrorism, insurrection, hostilities against the state, and failure to report.
The Anglophone crisis began 2016 with the teachers’ and lawyers’ strikes, which later attracted the people of the two English-speaking regions of the country, as they said their accumulated grievances emanated from marginalisation by the majority French-speaking part of Cameroon, inequality in employment, adulterations of the judicial and sub educational systems.