BY CELINE ANNIE
The government of Cameroon is still finding it difficult to end the current impasse rocking the North West and South West regions of the country.
After the Major National Dialogue that took place in Yaounde from September 30, to October 2019 to resolve the Anglophone crisis that has been rocking the North West and South West regions for over five years and counting, things seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Gun battles between the separatist fighters and the defence and security forces still rage on with multiple deaths still recorded on both sides, houses razed to the ground, villages burnt down with impunity and Internal Displaced Persons, IDPs, on the increase. Meanwhile, the government is sparing no effort at tracking down those it considers agents of destruction.
This is despite repeated calls for all protagonists to embrace peace for a better and new Cameroon. The country, which was once internationally praised as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, is now struggling to cope with untold causalities from what many qualify as an unrelenting and insidious conflict.
Reports say more and more businessmen within the crisis-stricken Anglophone regions have restored to going underground after surviving arrest, torture, harsh detention conditions from the military for allegedly siding and collaborating with separatist fighters, commonly known as ‘Amba Boys’ who have picked up arms against the State in request for separation or the restoration of the independence of the statehood of former British Southern Cameroons, into a state they have termed Ambazonia. Many of innocent Anglophones are caught in the web of both the separatists and the military with many of them paying huge amount as ransom when they are either kidnapped or their goods are seized by the separatists.
Apart from businessmen, other alleged Anglophone activists including those of other professions like teaching, medical personnel, journalists, drivers and technicians have equally gone underground for fear of military reprisals and separatists threats.
Reports from Bole Bakundu, a locality in Mbonge Subdivision, Meme Division of the South West Region say the whereabouts of 32-year-old Balemba Marie Elema, a popular trader, still remains cloudy after she went underground due to threats on her life and maltreatment by the military.
THE SUN gathered that Balemba had a relationship with one of the separatist pseudo Generals with whom she had a child. This is reported to have caused her to be siding with the separatists.
Balemba Marie Elema, sources said, used to spread separatist fighters’ lockdown and ghost town propaganda messages to women in the market and prepared food and deliver to the separatist fighters.
The military is said to have got this information about this and raided their residence in Bole Bakundu. During the raid, reports said Balemba’s father and the Amba General with whom she had a child were killed. Due to the trauma, she had a miscarriage, and was whisked to the Kumba Police Station where she was detained under cruel and inhumane detention condition and sexually assaulted.
Reports say Balemba miraculously escaped from detention and till date her whereabouts remains unknwn. Family sources say despite the fact that Balemba’s whereabouts still remains cloudy after she went underground, the military keeps making impromptu checks around their neighbourhood in search of her.
At press time Balemba Marie Elema and many more alleged Anglophone activists in the likes of Alemawung Nkafu, Maccolins Ewonkap Sylvie Keafo-on and Nyugha Melvis Nahbum, had been declared wanted by the military.
It should be recalled that Common Law Lawyers went on strike in October 2016 to protest government attempts to annihilate the Common law practice in a constitutionally bilingual and bi-jural Cameroon. The strike lasted for over a year. Anglophone teachers in the Country joined the strike on November 21, 2016 to uphold Anglo-Saxon values under threat in Cameroon’s two English speaking regions. The Common Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers strike finally became the Anglophone crisis which later metamorphosed into an armed conflict.
Government forces have engaged in extrajudicial killings, random looting, shooting, torture, molestation using disproportionate and discriminating force, abusing and arresting protesters,.
As the armed conflict rages on, many more killings by the military are still being documented by rights organisations. The government has launched a manhunt for those alleged to be fanning the crisis both at home and abroad. Terrorism charges hang over them if arrested as they have been declared wanted.