Following the crisis in the Northwest and South West regions of Cameroon, which has gradually morphed into an armed conflict, some English speaking citizens from these two regions have found themselves in a crossfire between the military and Ambazonia separatist fighters.

Security forces have been indiscriminately arresting Anglophone activists and suspected wealthy elite. Sources say the arrested persons are being unlawfully detained under deplorable and inhumane conditions. Some have reportedly died in detention, and some disappeared with their whereabouts yet unknown.

These have caused many of them to flee into hiding and the whereabouts of many are not known. With the insurgence of the crisis, some villagers in some communities have been forced to escape into the forest for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

The separatist fighters have also been torturing and killing those who are suspected of sharing information with the military or are unwilling to support their struggle like Ngwasoh Jonathan, Elisabeth Ndip Ekwet epouse TabiTabe, Emmanuel Ekembe and 2 others.

A case in point of those who have recently been accused and targeted last week are Elisabeth Ndip Ekwet epse TabiTabe, a senior worker at a commercial bank in Douala whose life is in danger, and Jonathan Ngwasoh, a Business Consultant. They are both on the run.

The threats by separatist fighters, we gathered, came after the aforementioned persons outrightly refused to support their struggle financially. The separatist fighters have stated that they will kidnap Elizabeth Ndip and Jonathan Ngwasoh and kill both of them  if they find them in their villages or anywhere in the country.

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Ndip has also been trailed by the military since she built a house for her parents in the village at a time many have been fleeing to safety. The military suspects that this could only have been possible for anyone supporting the separatists.

Unfortunately, people who have been arrested by the military under such circumstances in the past are tried in a military tribunal under the anti-terrorism law whose maximum punishment is death penalty. That is if they are not killed outrightly, like many others who have been victims of extrajudicial killings.

Origin of crisis

It is also worth recalling that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over recently, when Common Law Lawyers in the North West and South West regions went on strike. They were demanding for the return of the federal system of government, redeployment of Civil Law Magistrates back to Civil Law Courts in French Cameroon, among other grievances. Not long after, teachers in the North West and South West regions also went on strike, demanding for the redress of several issues concerning the English system of education.

Things, however, got worst when Anglophones in both regions, who had been fed up with the unfavourable political and economic situation of the country, the use of French as the dominant and official language, and the marginalisation of the Anglophones, joined the strike.

The crisis has left thousands, both civilians and security and defence forces dead, others internally displaced with some living in bushes while over 30,000 have fled to neighbouring Nigeria where they are living as refugees.

Many houses, and even whole villages, have been burnt down in the crisis-hit regions.

The separatist leader of the self-declared Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, and eight other close associates of his, who were arrested in Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon, are currently serving life sentences at the Kondengui maximum security prison in Yaounde. Many other activists such as Mancho Bibixy, Penn Terrence, Tsi Conrad among others are also serving jail terms at the Kondengui prison.

While the Anglophone crisis continues to escalate, international organisations and other western powers have called on the government to address the root cause through genuine and inclusive dialogue.

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For over four years now the arm conflict in the North West and South West Regions have been raging on as separatist fighters and secessionist are still demanding for the restoration or total Independence of the former British Southern Cameroon and for a new country to be known as Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

As the war rages on unabatted, the government of Cameroon has made multiple efforts to fish out the perpetrators of the arm conflict both at home and abroad.

Parents and family members of suspected activists and frontline members of those abroad  clamouring for the creation of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia back home are constantly been brutalised, molested , tortured and detained under inhumane condition, in order for them to cause the extradition of their relatives abroad.

Reports hold that many suspected activists abroad who have visited Cameroon  since the Anglophone crisis metamorphosed into an arm conflict with separatist fighters and government forces involved in frequent sporadic cross fire at the detriment of innocent civilians, have been arrested and prosecuted at the military court on frame terrorism related offences.

Rights organisations have documented many evidence indicating that Cameroon is no longer a safe heaven in the Centre Africa Sub Region  as was the case 8 years ago.

Amongst the many activists abroad whose relatives at home are finding it difficult to escape constant military harassment, brutality  and detention is Nymbuh Neba Ericshu’s uncle Bana Nji.

Reports say because of the role played by Nymbuh Neba abroad in line with the Anglophone crisis, his uncle Bana Nji is reported to have escaped to the bush for safety. The military say he is one of the middlemen between Ericshu and the Separatist fighters.

It should be recalled that with the outbreak of the crisis, Nymbuh Neba Ericshu, joined others in the diaspora in September 2017  to  clamour for the total Independence of the people of former British Southern Cameroon. His name alongside others went into records when  a delegation of some Cameroon cabinet Minister’s led by Minister of Justice Laurent  Esso visited Europe to dialogue with Southern Cameroon/ Ambazonia community and were disgraced by the disgruntled Ambazonia community. Thi incident placed him and many others under security searchlight within the national territory.

Another Cameroonian who is facing tough times with the military is Kumba based Businessman, Simo Kameni Vincent. He has constantly been accused  by security operatives for sympathising with Anglophone Separatists.

He was arrested by the military after been  accused of using his nephew Touko Steve Loic who is abroad, for providing finance and logistics to the English speaking diaspora fueling the armed conflict in Cameroon.

Ever since the arrest of Touko Steve’s uncle, Simo Kameni  following the October 2020 attacked on a school in Kumba where several students were killed and others servely inqured, nothing has been heard about him and his whereabout remains cloudy.

Family sources have hinted that Touko is a target in the hands of the military since he regularly visits his uncle Simo, on vacation. His attorney  hinted that Touko is currently under military search light and will be persecuted and prosecuted if arrested within the national territory.

what is now known as the Anglophone crisis that started with the demands from Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers urging the government for shun the  marginalisation of Anglophone Cameroon by La Republique du Cameroun for a better Cameroon have  taken a different twist. For about five years now, the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon have remained restive.

The crisis has  metamophorsed into an arm conflict, with the emergency of Separatist fighters commonly known as ” Amba Boys” who have taken up   arms against the state in demand for the complete independence of former British  Southern Cameroon.

This move by the separatist fighters, met serious reprisals from government forces, and the death toll has been on the increase, with Businessmen, medicial professionals, politicians,  students and a cross section of individuals in different works of life bearing the greatest brunt.

Houses and villages have been burnt. suspected individuals, linked to separatist fighters and activists of the anglophone course have been arrested, molested, tortured by government forces, and some detained in very horrible inhumane detention conditions.  Others  have gone underground to unknown destination and  are currently  placed  under security searchlight. Government has openly declared them wanted, and will be persecuted and prosecuted any time they are arrested.

It should  be noted that Human Rights groups have in one voice condemned the extrajudicial killings by mostly on innocent civilians, including pregnant women and burning of houses and villages. Reports indicate that the about  4000 civilians’ lives have been claimed by the arm conflict and about 750000 person displaced, with many living in horrible conditions in  neighbouring Nigeria.

International organisations and Western powers have called on the government to address the root cause of the crisis through dialogue. French President Emmanuel Macron have recently promised to exert ” maximum pressure” on the President Paul Biya of Cameroon , to end Cameroon’s  intolerable Human Rights Violations. Many how ever  hold that Cameroon is unsafe for anglophone activists  home and abroad.

Cameroon that used to be a peaceful country in turbulence CEMAC zone is now engulfed by war in the North West and South West Regions and the hope for peace to return is only when they will be a meaningful, genuine  and inclusive dialogue.

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Factions of English-speaking Cameroonians came out last Friday October 1, 2021 commemorating the supposed restoration of their independent state, Ambazonia. The said statehood restoration was declared October 1, 2017, by the self-proclaimed president, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, who is currently serving a life jail term alongside nine other separatist leaders who were arrested in Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon in January 2018, before being sentenced for charges like secession and hostilities against the state.

Hitherto celebrated by Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) and involving mostly older men and women, who were usually placed under house arrest prior to the supposed Independence Day or arrested to released only after October, the dynamics have changed since October 2017. Separatists leaders and fighters, who took up arms to consolidate their independence some 4 years ago following the declaration of war by President Paul Biya, are now the ones setting the pace on how the supposed independence day is celebrated. While they have resorted to declaring weeks of lockdown before and after the Independence Day, the Cameroon Government uses this period to intensify crackdowns on separatist fighters, activists, and leaders.

Ahead of this year’s celebration of the event, some factions of the Ambazonia leadership abroad, declared a-2-week lockdown, an action which according to Paul Nilong of the Ambazonia Interim Government, was necessary to tell the Yaoundé Government that they are in control. The government on its part, deployed troops and sophisticated weapons to crackdown on activists and fighters, they term ‘terrorists’.

Despite the heavy militarization of the Anglophone regions, amateur images still emerged on the social media with the blue and white flag flying at some strategic spots in the regions, alongside videos of separatist fighters marching and singing freedom songs in some parts of the regions. This show of bravery undoubtedly provoked the Cameroon defense forces leading to a number of clashes. Reports hold that there was a serious battle between the Government forces and Ambazonia restoration forces in Nkambe, North West Region of Cameroon with two soldiers and two separatist fighters said to have been killed.

Then SUN also gathered that the day was characterized with random home-to-home search, arrest and torture of suspected ambazonia supporters and activists. Most of the homes visited where either those located in close proximity to where the Ambazonia flag was hoisted or belonging to activists on the “Wanted List” of the Cameroon Government. The SUN has it on good record that the arm-to-teeth government forces visited the home of a UK-based newly elected SCNC Chairman, Robert Tamanji, alongside other members like: Ivo Kuka, Catherine Yambo, Omawah Elenor Charlotte Oyebog, Alain Bougan, and Meulla Kamgang Armand.

In Ekondo Titi of the Ndian Division of Cameroon, there were report of fierce clashes between Government forces and separatist fighters. The Sun gathered that, after these clashes, the military set out in mad search of a certain 29-year old Noel Sangu Jato, believed to be the one sponsoring separatist activities given that their family house at the periphery of Ekondo Titi has been usurped by separatist fighters as host. The SUN gathered that the arm-to-the-teeth security forces visited the main family residence of Noel Sangu Jato, who has since 2019 been declared wanted by the military and had left the country under unclear circumstances, leaving behind his mother and siblings who are said to be seeking refuge in Nigeria. Clashes between the military and separatists fighters in the Ndian Division has been very rife since the start of the Anglophone crisis, and has led to the death of  Pa Jato.

As we went to Press, family sources hinted that government forces, who came looking for Noel Sangu last Friday October 1, 2021, vowed to spare no efforts at tracking him down. Apart from the few clashes between separatists fighters and government forces, and crackdown, the general atmosphere in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon during this Independence Day was calm, with ghosted streets as many remained indoors for fear of the unknown.

The 2021 edition of the Ambazonia Independence Day has come and gone but there are no signs of the arm conflict ending soon. While the Cameroon Government has intensified the deployment of the military and heavy weapons, the separatists are bent on consolidating their independence come what may.

Meanwhile, Cameroon is now considered unsafe by many Anglophones in the diaspora who fear arrest or death if they return to the country. While the Anglophone crisis continues to escalate, International Organisations and other Western powers have called on the Government to address the root cause of the crisis through dialogue. Also, prominent Anglophone lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, has called on the Government to dialogue, and to release all Anglophones unlawfully detained and imprisoned. Recently French President Emmanuel Macron promised to exert “maximum pressure” on President Paul Biya of Cameroon, to end Cameroon’s intolerable Human Rights violations.

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The North West and South West Regions of Cameroon have remained restive since 2017 following what is now known as the Anglophone crisis. The crisis started with the demands from Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers urging the Government to shun the marginalisation of Anglophone Cameroon by La Republique du Cameroun for a better Cameroon. It has metamorphosed into an arm conflict, with the emergence of Separatist fighters commonly known as ” Amba Boys”, who have taken up arms against the state in demand for the independence of former British Southern Cameroon.

This move by the Separatist fighters, met serious reprisals from government forces, and the death toll has been on the increase especially from the innocent civilian population, with Businessmen, medical professionals, politicians, students and a cross section of individuals of different walks of life.

Houses and villages have been burnt, while suspected individuals linked to Separatist fighters and activists of the Anglophone course have seen themselves arrested, molested and tortured by government forces, with some detained in very horrible inhumane detention conditions. Others have gone underground to an unknown destination and are currently under security searchlight as the Government has openly declared them wanted, and will have them persecuted and prosecuted any time they are arrested.

Latest statistics from national and international rights bodies indicate that over 4000 civilians’ have been killed with about 800,000 displaced, beside many living horrible lives in neighbouring Nigeria due to the arm conflict.

One of such dreadful incidents was on February 14, 2020, when the military, with the assistance of about 30 armed Fulani militiamen, stormed the village of Ngarbuh, in the North West Region, and killed, 21 civilians’, including 13 children and a pregnant woman. This sad incident received widespread condemnation across the board including the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Union, the USA, UK, France, and the Nobel Women’s Initiative. Despite documented compelling evidence published by New York Times Journal, and corroborated by Human Rights Watch accusing the Cameroon Military for the massacre, the government formally denied her responsibility for the killings in Ngarbuh but later admitted after several criticisms and independent investigations.

All these have made life in the two restive regions unsafe. Amidst all these, the Government is said to have launched a fresh hunt to bring to book all those suspected to be linked to or facilitating the activities of separatist fighters both at home or abroad.

Ekondo Titi in tears

As the crisis rages on, the population of Bekora Barombi, a locality in Ekondo- Titi Sub Division, Ndian Division, South West Region of Cameroon, are still to come to terms with the untimely death of 67 – year-old Monica Esengoe, in a local hospital, following a military brutality on her and other locals on August 29, 2021.

Reports say Monica who succeeded to relocate to a suburb around Buea, was arrested during a raid and while in detention, it was discovered that she was from Bekora village and had escaped when the village was raided after the killing of some soliders there. After several days in detention under inhumane conditions and torture, locals disclosed that she fell seriously sick and for fear that she could die in detention, they moved her to a local hospital where she died.

It should be recalled that Monica Esengoe’s two sons Ival Rawlings Ngabe and Enone Ngabe Kingsley’s where about remain cloudy since September 2018 following a military raid in Bekora Barombi, considered a strong hold of Separatist fighters.

The military raid according to reports resulted from the killing of some military personnel by separatist fighters. As a result, several youths and older men and women were arrested, with some killed. Houses were razed to the ground and many alongside Monica and her two sons; Rawlings and Kingsley escaped to the bush for safety.

As we went to Press, mourners at the funeral of Monica. Esengoe regretted the fact that, Monica was interred without Rawlings and Kingsley, who have not been seen since September 2018. Like several other villagers, denizens are still uncertain of the where about of these two siblings.

It should be noted that those arrested in connection with the Anglophone crisis, are tried in the military tribunal under the terrorism law, with death penalty as maximum sentence. The case of the Ambazonia Leaders that is Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Eyambe Elias Ebai, Tassang Wilfred and 5 others, and many other Anglophones is still fresh. Recently, the military tribunal in Buea sentenced some Anglophones linked to the killing of some pupils of the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy, Kumba in October 2020 to death, and Ival and Kinsley might obviously face the same fate if ever found or arrested by the security forces of Cameroon.

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The Cameroon Government is having sleepless nights following the kidnapping six divisional delegate for Ndian Division, one of the restive areas in the South West Region. The divisional delegates were kidnapped June 15, 2021,by alleged separatist fighters, commonly referred to as Amba Boys, according to government sources. Theses delegates include; Mabia John Modika, of Economy, Planning and Regional Development who unfortunately was slain by the Amba Boys, Mambe Elvis Ebaku of State Property, Felicia Ndong of Housing and Urban Development, Elad Emmanuel of Water and Energy, Mbida Armand Christian of Small and Medium Size Enterprises and Agbor Stephen Nyenti, the Chief of Service for Survey.

The kidnaping and killing of one the delegates by separatist fighters has caused panic within the government circle, given that the killing of about seven pupils of Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy Fiango-Kumba, South West Region by amba Boys is still fresh. It is against this backdrop that the Government has intensified hunt for separatist fighters home and abroad for terrorism related offences such as hostilities against the fatherland, secession, revolution, propagation of false news, and Rape.

Many Anglophone youths who were suspected and tagged as secessionist have been arrested, tortured detained under inhumane condition, and their Rights given a deaf ear by government forces. Most of these youths are human rights activists who have been very vocal about Government’s handling of the 5-year-old Anglophone crisis rocking the North West and South West Regions.

34 year- old Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor is one of the few youths who have suffered the highest in the hands of the Cameroon Government as they intensify search. The Litigation Officer of the Center for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy in Cameroon, HURIDAC, and a member of the Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC, was arrested following his participation on a debate programme on Equinox TV wherein he blamed government for mishandling the crisis in the two regions that has metamorphosed into an arm conflict. Reports say Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor, was only released after about two weeks of torture and molestation under inhumane detention condition when he endorsed an undertaking to stop any form of sensitisation.

Not long Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor couldn’t resist the temptation of been mute as mentioned in the undertaking as summary killings, arrests detention and gross violation of Human Rights was the order of the day as the arm conflict raged on. Family sources hinted that Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor sent out information on the atrocities of the military on Anglophones to many media houses both in and out of Cameroon. He was arrested and for going against the undertaking, he endorsed. After several months of detention, torture and molestations by the military, he was tagged alongside other youths who were in detention for aiding secessionist activities in Cameroon and will be charged in the Mfoundi High court for terrorism related offences.

Despite all attempts to secure his release, Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor, and other youths linked to the Anglophone crisis were only granted bail when news filtered that some Human Rights Organisations and International Red Cross Society were to visit various detention centers in Yaounde. This was because the Government never wanted the international community to uncover the Human Rights abuses meted on

Anglophones innocent youths in detention. This is how Evaritus Ngetsop Takafor alongside other youths who were granted bail from the dreaded detention prisons sneaked himself out of the country to an unknown destination.

It should be noted that those arrested in connection with the Anglophone crisis are tried in the military tribunal and high courts under the terrorism law whose maximum sentence is death penalty. The case of the Ambazonia Leaders that is Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Eyambe Elias Ebai, Tassang Wilfred, and 5 others and many other Anglophones is still fresh.

It should be recalled that Human Rights groups have in one voice condemned the extrajudicial killings by mostly on innocent civilians, including pregnant women and burning of houses and villages. Reports indicate that the about 4000 civilians’ lives have been claimed by the arm conflict and about 750000 person displaced, with many living in horrible conditions in neighboring Nigeria.

International organisations and Western powers have called on the government to address the root cause of the crisis through dialogue. French President Emmanuel Macron have recently promised to exert “maximum pressure” on the President Paul Biya of Cameroon, to end Cameroon’s intolerable Human Rights Violations. Many however, hold that Cameroon is unsafe for anglophone activists home and abroad.

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Since the Anglophone crisis, which started in 2016 with a strike action by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers against marginalization metamorphosed into an arm conflict between security forces and separatist fighters, the Cameroon Government has been intensifying efforts to cut down logistic supply to separatist fighters.
Many suspected sponsors of the separatist fighters, commonly called the Amba Boys, have been arrested and placed under dehumanizing conditions in different detention facilities across the country, while some have abandoned their families, businesses and homes and are on the run.
A case in point is that of a supposed oil mill operator, David Nsuh Tangwin, based in Bekora-Ndian Division, South West Region of Cameroon, a village of 5000 to 7000 inhabitants, which has almost been completely razed due to repeated clashes between security forces and Amba Boys.
Report has it that, last December 2018, some separatist fighters attacked a military post in the Bekora village, wounded some security forces and vanished to an unknown destination. In response, security forces, who have more or less transformed the village into a military camp, came out and burnt hundreds of houses, as villagers fled for their lives. As if this was not enough, they launched a man-hunt for alleged sponsors of separatist fighters; arresting, molesting and transferring them to dreadful detention centres across the country from where they are levied charges related to terrorism and insurrection.
The SUN has it on good record that Mr. Nsuh Tangwin, whose name was on the list of suspected sponsors of the separatist fighters, was hinted by a military friend and he disappeared to an unknown destination leaving behind his family. It later filtered from family sources that David Nsuh’s oil mill was burnt down by irate military men, who have been touring the area almost every other day hoping to lay hands on him. David Nsuh Tangwin’s where about remains a guess work with many divulging that he possibly smuggled himself into Nigeria.
Meanwhile recent statistics place the death toll, since the crisis started in 2016, at over 3000 persons with thousands of houses and over 300 villages razed, 530000 persons identified as Internally Displaced persons, and over 35000 as refugees in Nigeria. It’s unclear if all those who have either left the country or their villages, shall ever go back.

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The ongoing schism in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon between the Anglophone restoration forces, also known as Ambazonia fighters and government’s security forces seems to intensify in magnitude as days unfold, with growing concerns over serious human rights violations.
The crisis, which started in 2016 with a strike action by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers against marginalization, has metamorphosed into an arm conflict. Anglophones from all walks of life including Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC, members, the clergy have been killed in cross- fire between government security forces and separatist fighters, while others have been arrested by government security operatives and or kidnapped by separatist fighters. These attacked have been so alarming that human rights groups across the board have concluded that Cameroon is no longer safe.
At a time when the United Nations, UN, the United States of America, USA, and other international and national bodies are calling on the government to initiate a meaningful and inclusive dialogue to resolve the Anglophone problem, taking into consideration that the recommendation of the just concluded Major National Dialogue is still to be implemented, the latter has rather resorted to more sophisticated military operations to crackdown on Ambazonia fighters.
As the tensions intensify, the civilian population in these regions remains in peril, panic and pandemonium. While a cross section of the population has taken on mass exodus to French speaking towns and cities in Cameroon, others have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees. Reports published by human right groups, recently, indicate that over 3000 persons have so far been killed, hundreds kidnapped, thousands of houses and over 300 villages razed with over 530000 persons identified as Internally Displaced persons, IDP’s, with over 35000 as refugees in Nigeria. Some have been left in constant tears either for the demise of their loved ones or because their houses have been razed.
Such is the case of the Egbe’s family in Konye-Meme Division, South West Region. The dwelling of this family in Konye Subdivision was allegedly razed to ashes in February 2018 by government’s security forces. Just few days after the ordeal, the Egbe’s family has been seriously hit with the death of their daughter and sister Egbe Clara who was reportedly shot on October 7 ,2018 in Konye by security forces. The reasons and circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased are yet to be unraveled. Several sources however, hold that government forces believe there is strong collaboration between the deceased, and her siblings with the restoration movement. Even some 40 SCNC youths including Elume Ebou who flee the country in between 2011 and 2013 are reported to be under security operatives search light for propagating secession and restoration of Southern Cameroon Statehood.

Clergymen and women have equally been caught in the web of the crisis with many already tagged enemies to the regime.
Reverend Father Nyuykongmo Gerald Jumbam of the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon, priest of the Diocese of Kumbo, North West Region, is currently under security searchlight, reports say. The former Principal of St Rita’s Catholic Technical High School Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division who has been in Rome -Italy since 2013 for further studies has been declared an enemy of the Regime.
His publications and write -ups on the plight of the people of Southern Cameroons vis a vis the Independence of Southern Cameroon since 2017 have caused the government to tag him a secessionist. They have thus, declared him wanted. The one time vocal and outspoken correspondent of L’effort Camerounaise , a Catholic Journal, and Presenter of a political and religious debate program over Nkambe Community Radio, is likely stand trial at the Yaounde military tribunal and subsequently be handed heavy jail sentence, if found in Cameroon, reports hold. This means that he will be subjected to a similar plight like the Ambazonian leaders who were extradited from Nigeria in 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of terrorism, secession, propagation of false information and revolution.

Meanwhile, close aides to the Jumbam’s family have disclosed that the military keeps making impromptu visits to the family compound in Kumbo, even though his parents have long relocated out of the country. As the crisis intensifies, the military is reported to have razed the Jumbam family compound in one of their impromptu checks.
It should be recalled that many Clergymen and women are going through tough times amidst the crisis. They are either kidnapped or killed. The recent case was that of the arrest of Rev Father Paul Njokikang, Coordinator of the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, CARITAS, on Sunday October 20, 2019.

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The Cameroon government has vowed to hunt down and prosecute leaders of major strike actions that have rocked the country within the last two years as a way of deterring others from ever standing up against the state. The country has since 2006 been plagued by sporadic strike actions with the most prominent ones being the November 27, 2006 University of Buea strike action against the alleged manipulationof results of entrance examination into the institution’s medical school and the February 2008 strike action against hike in fuel prices, poor working conditions and the unlimited extension of presidential mandate.
With the instability and havoc which these strike actions brought to the state, the ring leaders have been arrested and placed under dehumanising conditions in different detention centres across Cameroon with trumped up charges levied against them, while many are reportedly on the run. A warrant of arrest has been issued against most of those on the run.
One of the most wanted strike leaders, more or less trapped in both the November 2006 university and February 2008 nation-wide strike actions is Ghang Jude Thaddeus.
Reports say after the 2006 University of Buea strike action, the then final year Law student, who was also Public Relation Officer of the University Students Representative Council, was arrested and detained in inhumane conditions at the Buea Central Prison alongside other leaders of the strike action. They were only released several weeks after the intervention of human right organisations.

In February 2008, Ghang Jude mobilized youths in Buea who took park in the non-violent strike action against poor working condition, extension of presidential mandate and increase in fuel prices that turned violent, The SUN gathered. Reports have it that shortly after the Head of State, Paul Biya, in a televised nationwide address, promised to hunt down and prosecute all those who spearheaded the strike action, the military swung into action arresting and detaining leaders of the strike action.
According to credible family sources, warrant of arrest was issued against Ghang Jude, who fled to Nigeria, and since then, his where about remains a speculation.
Observers have interpreted the recent move by the government to prosecute strike action leaders as a mechanism to deter Cameroonians from speaking out or every protesting again. Human right organisations have widely criticised the Cameroon government for its track record of violent suppression of strike actions and uprisings, which are mostly characterised by gross human right violation.

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The regime of Paul Biya has launched a crackdown on activists of the Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC as the Anglophone crisis deepens in the North West and South West regions.

Many have relocated to unknown destination 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 activists who are on the run for fear of government persecution.

The government has already considered them terrorists and numerous charges have been levelled against them such as propagation of false information, rebellion, revolution, secession, insurrection, non- possession of National Identity card and sponsor of the crisis.

Residences of suspected activists whose whereabouts remain unknown are under police searchlights while some have been razed to the ground.

Such is the case with KUTA Celdrick Ndze, an Alumni of Yaoundé 1 University who fought strongly for the rights of the Anglophone Students’ Union in a French institution amongst other SCNC members in March 2019 who, out of the country, have been blacklisted for arrest as government believes they help to sponsor and promote separatist movement activities.

Kuta Celrick Ndze and 2 other SCNC activists’ homes were burned down last September 14, 2019 by Cameroon soldiers.

This comes as US and allies blast National Dialogue as civilians death toll keep rising to 60 killed daily including the razing of homes and villages by Cameroon soldiers in worst genocide than that of Rwanda.

Reports hold that the whereabouts of KUTA Celdrick Ndze who is currently under security operatives’ searchlight, has remained cloudy since then as the government of Cameroon, through judicial authorities, has ordered for proceedings in the various military courts against all those arrested within the context of the Anglophone crisis.

They were taken to the police station and detained under inhumane conditions. Those detained at the police station including Ntemgwa Constance were later whisked away to Buea and placed under detention in degrading and inhumane conditions for about six months before their conditional release on bail.

Reports say during their incarceration they had no access to family members and their lawyers. They were equally told that they could have access to family relations and lawyers only when taken to court. After their release, Ntemgwa Constance Ngossong is reported to have gone underground, family sources have said.

It should be recalled that many Anglophones have been apprehended in various military police checkpoints after their phones had been searched and messages, videos, pictures and images of the killings of Cameroon military by Ambazonian Defence Forces, ADF, discovered therein.

Recent statistics by civil society organisations reflect the extent of the damage with horrific numbers. The death toll is on the 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 hundreds of thousands having fled to neighbouring Nigeria where they are living as refugees.

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Pani Lavoisire Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa are two youths who are paying dearly for the October 1, 2017 demonstration in Buea, chief town of the South West region of Cameroon. The demonstration, which was geared towards denouncing Cameroon government’s marginalization of citizens of the country’s English-speaking regions (North West and South West regions) and to press towards obtaining independence for the afore-mentioned regions known as ‘Southern Cameroons”, did become violent, though it was programmed to be a peaceful protest.
However, when tension increased across the streets of Buea that fateful day, many, including protesters, on-lookers and ordinary citizens began running helter-skelter for their lives. The commotion was indeed intense as gunshots filled the air.
Though many found safety then, some have continued to pay the price two years after. Such is the case of two youths; Pani Lavoisire Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa, both Limbe residents who were part of the Buea demonstrations.
Both were accused of four charges, including unlawful public meeting, riot, escape and propagation of false information. According to one Njie Stanley Etoke who stood as witness against Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa, he (Njie) was on his way for a delivery that fateful day with his goods (bags of rice, tomatoes etc) to his clients, when Robert Molokwa, running towards his direction forcefully pushed him to the floor with his goods destroyed and spread to the ground, with Pani Lavoisire Ekema Muambo being his accomplice. According to Njie, he tried to get a hold of Molokwa to no avail. Njie told the Limbe Court of First Instance that he found himself in a difficult condition and sustained bodily injuries and loss of goods. He went ahead to present a medical certificate to attest the bodily injury and a list of articles reportedly lost. Njie therefore claimed FCFA 8 million for the loss and injuries suffered.

Following Njie’s claims, the accused, Ekema Muambo and Robert Molokwa were arrested and detained at the police station where they spent four days and later reportedly escaped to an unknown destination.
In abstentia, they have been found guilty on all four charges, and will each suffer at least seven years imprisonment with fines of at least FCFA 2million.
Their whereabouts however, still remain unknown.

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