By Atia Tilarious Azohnwi
Presidential elections in Cameroon are scheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2018 with campaigns to start on September 22. But in the country’s North West and South West Regions, it may be elections without electors as the towns are emptying into the French-speaking parts. Denizens fear that clashes between the military and armed separatists could soar during the period leading to the elections.
Officials of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM as well as administrative and security officials have given assurances that voting will take place in all the 10 regions of the country. But recent events in the North West and South West Regions may not be playing in favour of the elections.
First, South West elites on August 25 called on government to increase the number of foot soldiers in the troubled region to combat armed separatists that have since perturbed the peace of the region. Separatists would then call for prolonged days of ghost town from September 25 to October 10. Within this period, they swore to stop movements of any sort, in a calculated bid to frustrate election campaigns and voting.
As if to match their threats with actions, separatists who have declared for themselves a virtual state called Ambazonia (supposedly the North West and South West regions of Cameroon) moved to launch a scary attack along the Bamenda-Akum road on Saturday, September 8.
They would further their quest by paralyzing traffic along the entrance to Buea at Mile 16 on Tuesday, September 11. They armed men blocked traffic, burnt cars and sent the population running home to safety. It was hardly dawn before they launched hostilities.
The Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR, an elite corps of Cameroon’s military responded swiftly before restoring traffic. But the damage had been done; fear had been implanted in the hearts of the people. These recent events add to many others and threats that have since kept the masses on the edge. They have now decided to flee in droves; they have been quick to dismiss assurances that soldiers and other security forces will protect them. They are yet to forget incidents of excesses perpetrated by the defence forces.
At the Mile 17 Motor Park in Buea, hundreds of people seek to travel out of the South West Region. It is a similar scenario in Bamenda, North West Region. Ask those flees with entire families, furniture, pots among others and they will tell you they fear for their security as elections near.
“Muea is no longer safe. We cannot continue to live there. We just sit and soldiers open your door with the head of a gun. It is scary because anything can happen,” a fleeing father of four, Eki John tells The SUN.
Many others say the military has been carrying out raids, even arresting those who are in possession of their national ID cards. The same cry is echoed by those fleeing the North West Region.
Both governors would then step in to stem the tides – Governor Lele L’Afrique Adolf of the North West and Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard of the South West.
In a friendly tone on a September 14 outing, Lele L’Afrique called on those in the diaspora to stop misleading the population but rather accompany the government in activities that can bring about nation building. He challenged them to promote socioeconomic development and education which helped in making them who they are today.
The governor used the press outing to assure the population of measures taken to secure them. He called on parents to talk their child to leaving the bushes and surrender their arms to any administrative, security or religious leader and be psychologically helped to move on with their lives. Lele L’Afrique told the North West population to remain peace loving, law abiding and God fearing and to stop listening to those who are trying to destabilize the peace of the region.
September 15 was the turn of South West Governor Okalia who after granting a press conference moved to the Mile 17 Motor Park to talk reason to his fleeing population.
While there, he assured the population and transporters of maximum security, protection and safety and told them not to abandon their homes because the state is there to protect them. The governor dismissed social media rumours that a travel ban had been enforced. He encouraged those running to go back to their homes, and send their children to school.
In a fatherly demeanour, Governor Okalia gave a listening ear to many of those he met about to travel out of the region. They raised concerns about being victims of stray bullets or excesses of soldiers and the fears they have seeing very heavy military firepower and masked soldiers parade the streets.
Amidst all the fears, worries and concerns, the governor reassured them all of their maximum protection and security. He said the military are there to instead protect civilians and not scare them away.
“It is instead the terrorist who are planning to launch an attack and the army is there to neutralize the attacks. There is a lot of mass exodus in the region, people are running out which is not good, leaving and abandoning their homes, going with their children who are supposed to go to school. Where are they going to? How will they do with the children?” the governor asked as to appeal to the reason of the people. He has called on the public to remain law abiding and go about their routine activities without fear.
With a sizeable number of potential voters internally displaced, in bushes, and in neighbouring Nigeria, it would be a bad omen if the remaining voters were to flee their places of abode.