Since the start of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, civilians are frequently accused by both armed separatist groups and state authorities of supporting opposing sides.

The case of Nkemjimoh Bate Asongfor, an Anglophone teacher from Bole, Kumba, Meme Division of the South West Region, illustrates how such accusations can expose individuals to sustained and nationwide risk. Bate Has been put in a perplexed situation described by many as being in between the devil and deep blue sea, with no option than to run for safety.

Reports say Nkemjimoh Bate Asongfor’s bitter ordeal with the separatist fighters, dates back in 2019 when he started his teaching career and in 2020 when he was supervising the written part of the General Certificate of Education, GCE, exams.

In May 2024, family sources have hinted that Bate was kidnapped by separatist fighters, also known as Amba Boys, at the sidelines of the National Day celebration and while in Amba Boys’ captivity for three weeks he was coerced through social media videos posting,  to put on their attire, announce his resignation as a civil servant, name and shame the activities of the military and stating how he kill soldiers. Bate’s videos on social media while in captivity went viral and the military is reported to have raided the Amba Boys’ camp, killed some of them while others ran away.

THE SUN gathered that Bate was picked up by the military after the cross-fire with the separatist fighters and whisked to a military base in Kumba. He was accused of being a separatist and was showed the footage that was posted on social media with him castigating the government while he was in Amba captivity for three weeks.

Reports say Nkemjimoh Bate Asongfor, detained incommunicado, went through hell in the hands of the military with cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment meted on him until he miraculously escaped from military custody after nine days and his whereabouts by press time remained cloudy.

This case is not isolated. Since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in late 2016, human rights organisations and independent monitors have documented thousands of arrests, detentions, and enforced disappearances in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions. Many detainees have reportedly been accused of separatist links without formal charge, while civilians perceived as insufficiently supportive of separatist groups have faced abduction, killing, and forced displacement. Numerous individuals named on wanted lists are reported to have gone into hiding or fled into exile, with family homes are repeatedly raided by security forces.

The case of Nkemjimoh Bate Asongfor reflects this broader pattern, in which civilians perceived as non-aligned face serious harm from both state and non-state actors, and where effective state protection or safe internal relocation remains largely unavailable.

Anglophone crisis began in 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 educational systems.

Extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests of innocent Anglophones, burning down of houses, villages allegedly by the military and sporadic exchange of guns between the military and separatist fighters and the imposition of ghost towns, lockdowns on businessmen by separatist fighters are now the order of the day.  This has left the population under crossfire with many fleeing for safe havens, causing untold suffering and pains on the population.

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As the crisis in the North West and South West regions, which has morphed into an armed conflict, rages on, residents in some localities in the conflict-hit regions have been caught between atrocities committed by Ambazonia separatist fighters and government’s clampdown on suspected separatists and sympathisers of the Anglophone cause with the use of defence and security forces.

Security operatives have been indiscriminately arresting Anglophone activists and suspected activists while innocent youths are bearing the brunt of the unending armed struggle in the hands of both military and separatist fighters. These innocent youths are usually caught in the web of military officers and separatist fighters. They are either kidnapped for ransom by separatist fighters, taken to their respective camps, molested, tortured in an inhumane manner, while the military are involved in extrajudicial killings of innocent youths.

Lockdowns and ghost towns being the order of the day causing, there is untold hardship as places at times remain closed for several weeks, making it difficult for people to purchase food stuff for the family.

In the face of all these, the defence and security forces have established both search and arrest warrants for the apprehension against many youths and alleged Anglophone activists all over the national territory, suspected to be siding with separatist fighters as the armed conflict rages on.

These alleged activists are being considered dangerous and threats to the public and have been declared wanted. The population has equally been urged to be vigilant and report them to the closest gendarmerie or police stations.

It is against this backdrop that unanswered questions have been raised about the whereabouts of many Anglophones who have disappeared amidst the ongoing armed conflict.

One of such is Allen Enoh Bate, whose whereabouts since the month of June 2017 is unknown. He has been declared wanted and the arrest warrant against him is still enforceable.

As we went to press, military sources hinted that Allen Enoh Bata’s name, amongst other youths, has appeared in the list of those to be prosecuted if arrested as they have been declared wanted.

THE SUN gathered that due to the lockdowns and ghost towns calls by separatist fighters leading to scarcity of food stuff in Enoh Bata’s Bunduma–Buea neighbourhood, he decided to muster courage to go and purchase food from a grocery. Sources say upon his return from the grocery, he, along other,s were intercepted by military officers who tortured and whisked them to their station where they were detained incommunicado for a week. This was on grounds that they were Ambazonia fighters who have taken up arms against the state. Allen Enoh Bate miraculously escaped from detention and immediately went underground.

Flashback of the crisis

It is also worth recalling that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over in 2016, 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.

The crisis has left thousands, both civilians and security and defence forces dead, others internally displaced with some living in bushes, while over 40,000 have fled to neighbouring Nigeria where they are living as refugees, houses as well as villages  razed to the ground with extrajudicial killings being a regular occurrence.

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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As the crisis in the North West and South West Regions, which long escalated into an armed conflict, continues to take new twists, the government, through the defence and security forces, has been cracking on civilians, carrying out raids on several communities.

The military has been storming communities within the crisis-hit regions, indiscriminately arresting persons. Sources say the arrested persons are being tortured and detained under inhumane conditions. Some are reported to have died in detention.

Meanwhile, there have also been reports of the military committing atrocities such as rape, torture of young people whom they arrest. Civil society organisations have condemned such actions carried out by the military.

A group of civil society organisations including Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA; Reach out Cameroon among others, recently condemned such atrocities. The national civil society organisations, along with international observers, have reported abuses by state security forces.

These reports include allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture, disappearances, rape, burning of villages, excessive force against protesters, among others.

International human rights groups and UN bodies have repeatedly echoed condemnations and called for investigations into the abuses.

Military raids Bambili, reportedly commits atrocities

It should be recalled that back in September 2020, the military had launched a raid on Bambili, Tubah Subdivision, Mezam Division of the North West Region. This was after the military had a confrontation with Ambazonia separatist fighters. There was mass arrests by military of about 30 people, amongst whom were young students, local businessmen and ladies.

The arrested persons were taken to unknown destinations and it was alleged that days later, they were whisked to a military camp. The arrested ladies are alleged to have been raped and tortured, leading to the death of some.

We gathered that the arrested persons included Eveline Sota, Bessin Tambong, Soba Athanasius, Kum Marcel, Megan Joyceline, Mefa John, Matilda Ngomou, Che Neba Carine, Tah Gilbert Tah, Missah Ruben Ngong, and a few unidentified others.

However, following pressure from civil society organisations and alleged payment of a huge sums of money as bribe to some military officers, the arrested persons were later released.

But for fear of their lives, they are said to have vamoosed and their whereabouts remains unknown. If rearrested, they may be tried in a military tribunal, under the 2014 anti-terrorism law, whose maximum punishment is the death sentence. That is if they are not killed outright, like many others who have been victims of extrajudicial killings within the context of the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions.

Flashback on origin Anglophone crisis

It should be recalled that the Anglophone crisis, something that pundits say had been brewing for several years, boiled over in 2016, 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 sub system of education.

Things, however, got worse 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 situation later escalated into an armed conflict when some Anglophones piked up arms, fighting for the independence of country they have named. Ambazonia.

The crisis has left thousands, both civilians and security and defence forces dead, some 700,000 displaced with some living in bushes while over 50,000 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 at the Kondengui maximum security prison where they are serving life sentences. They were sentenced by the Yaounde military tribunal in August 2019 on charges including terrorism and secession.

Many other activists such as Mancho Bibixy, Penn Terrence, Tsi Conrad, among others, are 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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