By NOELA EBOB BISONG
The weight of the Anglophone crisis has fallen upon the Ngarbuh village, in Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region in Cameroon, following reports which The SUN gathered on the killing of some 32 civilians. The sad incident, allegedly committed by the Cameroon Defence Forces is said to have taken place on Friday, February 14, 2020.
Reports hold that the incident follows a supposed joint operation comprising the military, Mbororos and some ex-combatants of the “Ambazonian restoration forces”. The soldiers according to eye-witness reports were five in number including three ex-combatants, and a couple of Mbororos.
For what appeared to be rumours is now currently receiving widespread condemnation by many Cameroonians, who continue to question the sense, in the senseless war claiming the lives of their population, especially the youth.
While it is still unclear the circumstances surrounding the attack, many are weeping over the fact that those killed were principally civilians comprised of mostly women and children.
The SUN has gathered that a UN fact-finding team reportedly arrived the area to probe into the situation.
Reacting to the incident on Sunday, February 16, 2020, Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor who was himself a frontline activist when the crisis was born in late 2016, took to social media to condemn the act, calling for investigations. He wrote that “The gruesome murder of 27 civilians including women and children by the State Defense Forces on 14 February 2020 in Ngarbuh, Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region in Cameroon must be investigated and the perpetrators of such egregious crimes brought to justice.”
A local source is quoted to have narrated that “I do not know the exact time they came and cannot tell which of the armed forces were present because there is always what they call a joint force, I was at Ntumbaw and these people entered there in the night that is why I cannot say exactly what time they came. What made me know exactly the number was that they came up to Ntumbaw and addressed the population, giving the people of Ngarbuh three days to leave or they should be waiting for the worst…As for the population, it was very difficult for them to flee because they came in the night and some were sleeping but some few managed to run away.
They came to Ngarbuh and killed exactly 23, which is about 3 men, 6 women, and 14 children. They were three cases in the hospital, one gave up the ghost this morning and others are still being treated. There were three children below three years. Out of the 14 children, 11 were of primary school-going ages, three were still suckling. Some even said to a few people who were not killed that, that is just the beginning. Some were burnt and those who struggled to run were shot. As for the burial, as the military left, some villagers helped by some combatants buried the victims.”
At press time, there was yet no reaction from the Defence boss.