A laboratory technician who works for Pamol Plantations, the agro-industrial giant that specializes in palm oil is reported to have been killed by suspected separatist fighters in Kitta junction, a locality in Ekondo Titi, Ndian Division of the restive South West region of Cameroon.
The population of Ekondo Titi in Cameroon’s South West region are yet to forget the killing of one of theirs, a certain Paul Akale, Laboratory technician with Pamol, the agro-industrial company that grows palm oil and rubber as its main products, Wednesday September 15.
According to reports, gunmen believed to be separatist fighters murdered the victim in cold blood.
Paul Akale is just one out of the many workers of Pamol plantations who have died in such circumstances with their lone crime being working for the agro-industrial company.
A similar incident happened this year in January. A certain Erik Biaka, the Plantation Manager of Pamol Lipenja Barombi was reportedly kidnapped but suspected Ambazonia fighters during working hours at the plantation and killed the following day along Masore road leading to Mundemba.
The same separatists reportedly chopped off fingers of Pamol farmers in another attack.
Such attacks recorded in the area which threatens the lives of other workers as the Anglophone crisis escalates are said to have greatly paralysed the company’s activities to the extent that Pamol who used to enjoy a labour force of over 2000 before the crisis is presently at about 584 with salary arrears owed workers and unpaid social insurance contributions.
According to CRTV’s Albert Njie Mbonde examining the impact of insecurity on Pamol on the 3pm news, the company now operates at 42% of its real potential. He adds that what is produced suffers from evacuation by sea due to insecurity by road, an option that costs a lot to the company.
The journalist revealed that the Government has been providing financial assistance that unfortunately cannot carry the entire burden of Pamol.
That notwithstanding, the General Manager, Solomon Tapea Mbile who took office almost a year ago is positive that things will change for the better.
“Each time a worker dies in active service, I gather the others and remind them of our realities. I tell them that the worker paid the ultimate price. He died trying to serve the company, serve the community and the nation as a whole. If we turn our backs and run away, the others who have died would have shed their blood in vain…”
As far as Pamol is concerned, production in Lobe is very crucial. Compared to this time last year, we are up to about 42% though we are still under 50% exploitation on the capacity of the estate. We are carrying on a couple of operations in Ndian so much so that come next season we should be able to be at about 60-70%. We are now into fields that have not been harvested since 2018, so I think there is hope.”
Ariane Foguem
Some 40 journalists of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ have been schooled on the importance of upholding historical facts while reporting on the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West regions of the country.
This was during an intensive one-day capacity-building workshop held last Saturday September 11 at the Mountain hotel in Buea organized by CAMASEJ. The training focused on understanding Cameroon History for better reporting of the crisis in these two regions and covering the COVID-19 pandemic in the two troubled regions.
One of the facilitators at the workshop, renowned University don and historian, Prof Julius Victor Ngoh traced Cameroon’s History from 1953 until date, while focusing on important historical facts that journalists and the public often get wrong which in one way or the other escalates the crisis.
A typical example is the 1972 referendum on which Prof. Ngoh took timeout to correct. To him, the widely held view that there were only two ballots “Oui” and “Yes” (the same thing) is inaccurate and false. He stated that there were actually two ballot papers, the white for the “Yes” translated as “Oui” and the black for the “No” translated as “Non” though he indicated the latter were few in number.
The former Registrar of the University of Buea further stated that Southern Cameroons was never an independent State before it joined La Republique as claimed and advanced by those who want separation.
Prof Julius Ngoh
“I have heard several people say that Southern Cameroons had independence before October 1961 and they say we are fighting for the restoration of our independence. No, you cannot say you want something to be restored when you did not have it. Southern Cameroons had independence upon joining the Republic of Cameroon. It is important to know the history,” Prof Ngoh said.
“Not knowing the history and telling the history the way it was, there is the tendency of misinterpreting and aggravating the situation. Some of those who have taken up arms did so believing that what they are doing is correct,” he added.
He stated historical facts establishing that though Southern Cameroons was rich in mineral resources, it was not economically viable to stand on its own, reason why back then the separate State option was very unpopular.
The historian regretted that after marriage between Southern Cameroon’s and La Republique was consumed, the latter’s political decisions, miss management and poor governance with deliberate moves to wipe the identity of English-speaking Cameroonians slowly but surely led the country into the current mess.
A view supported by Dr Vitalis Munja, another facilitator at the workshop. He and Prof Julius Ngoh are unanimous on the fact that the fighting and killings currently going on in the two regions will never solve the situation nor draw the attention of the international community as wished.
“We are orphans. No diplomatic service has been able to recognize or table this before the UN Security Council…The people who started this, teachers and lawyers are back at work, so others should think twice…” Dr Munja said.
Participants at the workshop
He challenged journalists to be truthful, impartial, fair, base their write-ups on historical facts and above all put the interest of the people first as they report the ongoing Anglophone crisis that is entering into its fifth year.
It is worth mentioning that as the crisis continues to rock the North West and South West regions, journalists in the said regions remain targets in their day-to-day reporting. Some of them have been victims of abductions and others received stray bullets in the course of reporting on the conflict.
In a bid to have its members safe in such a hostile environment, CAMASEJ thought it wise to include a training on staying safe in a hostile environment presented by Amindeh Blaise Atabong, an international freelance and award-winning journalist.
The journalist outlined tips on how to stay on alert to guarantee ones protection while reporting in conflict zones.
CAMASEJ national President, Jude Viban
The workshop, organized with the financial support from the Prime Minister’s Office and UNESCO had as objective to drill CAMASEJ journalists on some important historical facts and equip them with the necessary tips to accurately report during pandemics and in hostile areas.
“We realized that the crisis that has been going on for more than four years now is based on the history of our country. We as reporters need to know and master the history and master the facts because as journalists ours is to report the fact…” Jude Viban, CAMASEJ national President said.
“When we noticed that in most of the conversations online, there are a lot of deliberate lies about our common history that sometimes find a soft landing with journalists who do not know what the real facts are, we decided to provide those facts to trigger the minds of journalists to go for further reading, further investigations that will help them better report the conflict…” He added.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Jude Viban promised to organize more training sessions to empower members on other aspects where there is a knowledge gap for a better reporting of issues of the time.
Ariane Foguem
The population of Mayo Binka in Nkambe, Donga-Mantung Division, one of the most hard-hit areas by the Anglophone crisis in the troubled North West region of Cameroon have been challenged to resist the fear brought about by news of soldiers leaving the area amid separatist excesses.
In a video that has gone viral, a local authority is spotted begging the population, (some of whom are children in uniforms who were probably removed from classes by their parents) to stay strong, believe that together they shall overcome and return to their normal activities in pidgin English.
“Population, we represent our own security. Those in the bushes are our children, our brothers. We cannot accept that they come and destroy our village. We will stand strong and protect our children, let them go back to school. This situation should not instil fear and panic in you…”
“Whether the military is there or not, we will not allow our village for terrorists to come and destroy it. We will stand firm. Before the military came, we stood strong…”
“I therefore call on the population to be calm, school children to go back to their various classes and continue their lessons. Parents who went and removed their kids from school should go back with them.”
After alleged news of soldiers leaving Nkambe in the Donga-Mantung, one of the Divisions in the North West region that has recorded several cases of separatists and military attacks, the panic-stricken Mayo Binka population rushed to schools that have been the target of Ambazonia fighters lately to remove their children.
Others are reported to have packed their things to leave the village and move over to neighbouring villages, which according to them would be more secured compared to Binka.
Ariane Foguem
A 22-year-old girl on board a public transport bus is reported to have lost her life after gunmen believed to be separatist fighters opened fire on the vehicle as it plied the Buea-Kumba highway in the restive South West region of Cameroon Tuesday September 14.
According to local sources, the vehicle was caught in the middle of a gun battle between soldiers and Ambazonia fighters around Mbalangi, a village along the Muyuka-Kumba highway.
The victim whose only name Agence Cameroun Presse got as Vanessa was unlucky enough as a bullet missed its way through their vehicle and hit her fatally. Meanwhile four other passengers on board the transport bus sustained injuries.
It is reported that Vanessa had left Limbe to attend the funeral service of her friend's Dad in Kumba before the unfortunate incident.
This sad incident occurred a day before the start of a rumoured lockdown announced by one of Ambazonia Interim Governments, led by Sako Ikome in the North West and South West regions.
Few hours after this announcement, members of the Ambazonia Defence Forces led by Ayaba Cho Lucas took to social media to denounce it, qualifying the decision as punishment on the population of the regions.
In a statement, the Interim Government said the only lockdown that remains in place is that of Monday. “As a Government, the safety and security of our people in ground zero is our utmost priority and your Interim Government would always consult with our self-defence heroes before making public announcement that affect the lives of our people in ground zero…” Part of the statement read.
In many of such instances, separatist leaders openly displayed their disagreement over the management of affairs in the North West and South West regions that have been suffering from an over four years long socio-political crisis.
Rumours about this said lockdown is reported to have scared some Bamenda city-dwellers. The Guardian Post in its Wednesday September 15 edition reports that most families rushed to the market yesterday to buy foodstuff, meanwhile hundreds of others were spotted scrambling to buy tickets at major bus stations to get out of town.
The same phenomenon was reportedly observed in Kumba, South West region where the streets this Wednesday are deserted.
Ariane Foguem
About fourteen people including a civilian, soldiers and separatist fighters have reportedly been killed in Cameroon’s restive North West region in less than 24 hours.
The killings occurred Sunday September 12, following the detonation of an improvised explosive device targeting soldiers on the one hand and gun exchanges between soldiers and separatist fighters on the other hand.
The explosive device implanted in Kikaikelahki, a locality in Bui Division detonated when a military armoured vehicle on board seven elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR stepped on it, killing the seven soldiers on the spot as the armoured vehicle shattered into pieces.
The shattered vehicle reports say was among others in a military convoy returning from Ndu in neighbouring Donga Mantung Division where they had retrieved the corpses of two of their colleagues killed in Chounghe, Mesaje subdivision a day before.
Cameroon News Agency had it that their movements were monitored as they made the first stop at a Total Filling Station in Ndu to repair a deflated tyre. Those that perished were three Sergeants, three master Corporals, and one 2nd Class grade element. Many others were injured, and backup came by air as they were lifted by helicopter.
Later in the day, gun exchanges between soldiers and separatist fighters reportedly led to the death of one civilians.
Early Monday morning, the population in Bamenda woke up to discover four corpses lined up at the Finance Junction. Three other corpses were discovered not far from the Finance Junction. It was alleged that the victims are separatist fighters killed and dumped there by soldiers. The military is yet to react to this information.
Meanwhile this Tuseday September 14, Bamenda city dwellers woke up to disturbing scenes. Reports from the area say coffins and charms have been displaced at major road junctions of Mulang, Rendezvous, Old simplicity Ntarinkon and city chemist.
Ambazonia fighters who suffered heavy human losses over the weekend are believed to have displaced the above-mentioned objects in what has been described as mysticism to revenge the killing of their fellow fighters.
Ariane Foguem
A heated debate has been on on social media platforms, especially Facebook on whether or not military men are qualified enough and supposed to give lessons to kids in the troubled regions of the country while carrying guns along.
This comes after images of an element of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, popularly known as BIR carrying a gun while giving Mathematics lectures to kids visibly less than ten-year-old went viral.
Commenting the pictures, some internet users held the view that most of the soldiers are “school drop outs” and as such cannot offer quality education to the children. Others have advanced security reasons to denounce the action, indicating that no kid is supposed to study in an unsecured environment, where the same military men teaching parade with guns all around.
“How much pedagogy do these guys master. Besides, most of them were recruited on the fact that they were successful in the physical and medical tests. You have friends or relatives in the BIR, we both know that some of them are school dropouts. So what are they teaching to the children, brutality I suppose…” An internet user drooped as comment.
“This is arrant nonsense. You cannot go parading in a class carrying a gun saying you are teaching. Teaching what? Just see those kids. Very innocent…” Another one bounced in.
Contrary to the above, others believe military men are more than fit for such a job in an environment that compels teachers to stay home. “We have medical doctors, teachers, philosophers, mechanics, engineers, lawyers, nurses, business tycoons and so many in the BIR and military. This image is super cool for not any kind of human is given a calk.” One road
“I don’t know what the poster is thinking but this is the best thing I have seen on Facebook concerning the Cameroon crisis. Respect to the BIR.” “All is see is happy kids in a classroom. Very happy to be in school. Period!” “Isn’t it good? Instead, for our children to be at home and become rebels, illiterates…this is good. I applaud the BIR” Three others added.
It should be noted that this is not the first time images of the military in Cameroon’s troubled regions offering lectures go viral. Ever since separatist fighters began using threats to keep children and teachers away from classrooms, the military has been substituting itself to ensure those who brave insecurity and get to school are educated.
Reports from the two troubled regions have it that this year, the situation is much more different as a good number of schools that had had their doors closed for the past three to five years welcomed students as some of the rebels, for the first time, have indicated the children should be spared from the close to five years conflict.
Ariane Foguem
Two female Government teachers are reported to be currently in Amba captivity in Nkambe, a locality in Donga Mantung Division, troubled North West region of Cameroon. The latter are asking for the sum of FCFA 6 million to release them.
The families of two female Government technical teachers in Nkambe have been without news on their whereabouts since Friday September 10 when they were reportedly abducted by gunmen believed to be Ambazonia fighters.
According to Cameroon News Agency, the two women were allegedly kidnapped for going to school to teach. Their abductors we learned are demanding FCFA 6 million to release them.
One of the two teachers is a nursing mother of a four months old. Reports say before her abduction, she had her matriculation number suspended for not showing up in school.
Since the crisis in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon became violent, kidnappings have been the order of the day in some parts of those two regions. Teachers have been victims of this. Some were released and others killed in captivity.
Last year, eleven of them were kidnapped from a school in Kumbo, in the Bui Division of the North West region after gunmen raided the area. After spending two days in the hands of their captors, the kidnapped teachers regained their freedom.
The kidnapping came days after the murder of seven schoolchildren in Kumba, South West Region by gunmen four of whom were recently slammed death penalty by the Court in Buea.
This violence on teachers and students have been described by many as way to scare parents from sending their children to school in the regions as non-State armed groups continue to battle with Government forces to obtain the independence of the regions.
The regions have been marred by protests and violence since 2017, with residents saying they have been marginalized for decades by the Government and the French-speaking majority.
The violence over the last three years has claimed an estimated 3,000 lives and caused the displacement of over 730,000 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch.
That notwithstanding, back to school in the two regions this year is said to have witnessed some great positive changes.
Ariane Foguelm
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church Cameroon, PCC, the Rt Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba has appealed to God to reward Ambazonia fighters in Bali accordingly to the "disgrace" brought to the Church by banning its activities in that part of the country.
“Enough is enough! We don’t have to pamper anybody at this time” That was the phrase used by the PCC Moderator while concluding his discourse Sunday September 05 in reaction to separatist fighters’ ban on activities of the Church in Bali Nyonga, Mezam Division of the North West region of Cameroon.
The PCC boss who appeared calm at the beginning of his declaration became fast adopted a serious tone while expressing discontentment with the order of things in the Anglophone regions and more precisely the current fate of the PCC in Bali.
“If the Gospel in the land of Bali cannot be preached by the PCC, we can move out of Bali quietly and let the other churches continue to grow the Church of God and to nurture the people of Bali. We should not be discouraged. Christianity has not been wiped out of Bali, just the PC that has been stooped…” Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba told his PC Christians.
If he is okay with moving out of Bali reported to have been the headquarters of the Basel Mission in Cameroon, whose departure led to the birth of the Presbyterian Church Cameroon, the Rt Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba is far from having swallowed the bitter pill of the disgrace brought about by the ban on the Church activities. The man of God has appealed to God to leave room for his wrath to befall the separatists behind the ban.
“The disgrace the Bali boys have brought to this Church; I leave them all to God because vengeance is the Lord’s…” He said with a stern tone and a loud voice that belied his usual caring appearance.
As to what could possibly lead to a way out of the Anglophone crisis that is at the origin of the problem, the Moderator of the PCC has for the umpteenth time appealed for a ceasefire.
“There should be a ceasefire in this country as far as this problem is concerned. The Government of Cameroon thought that in a few days they would crush Anglophone Cameroon and stop the crisis. We are getting to the fifth year. The barrel of a gun will not solve this problem until we sit down as a family and sort out our problem we will not solve this problem…”
The Anglophone crisis, which started as a street protest by teachers’ trade unions and lawyers associations, will enter the fifth year this November. Hostilities between Government forces and separatists have led to thousands of deaths and chased hundreds of thousands away from their comfort zone.
Ariane Foguem
Separatist fighters in Bali Nyonga, a locality in the North West region of Cameroon, hard-hit by the Anglophone crisis have placed a ban on the activities of the Presbyterian Church Cameroon (PCC) in that part of the country after accusing the Moderator, the Rt Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba of failing to indict Governmen forces for the deadly attack at the PCC Ntanfuang on August 22 that left Rev. Voma Simon Montoh injured and Grace Titalabit death. They have asked for the Moderator and pastor Montoh's resignation.
Activities of the PCC Bali have been on a standstill for days following a restriction placed by separatist fighters.
In an audio circulating on social media, a representative of self-styled Ambazonia General Grand Pa said the Rt Rev. and the pastor of PCC Ntanfoang betrayed the mission of the church, that is to uphold the virtues of justice and truth at all times, by refusing to decline the identities of those respeonsible for the attack on the house of God. According to them, just like some Christians indicated, the military is responsible and the Church ought to have pointed that out.
“The PCC Moderator lied that he doesn’t know who killed Ma Grace Numvi. The pastor, Rev. Voma Simon Montoh who was shot in the arm says he too is not in the know as to who shot him and Grace. Christians say, the know those behind the shootings and that, it was the Cameroon military,” the voice said.
“The church is supposed to be the epitome of Justice and Truth but has been proven otherwise by the leaders who have resorted to lies telling. Because of this, we have decided to ban the activities of the Presbyterian Church in Bali until the Moderator and Pastor Numvi Simon resign. Christians can go to other churches, not the PCC.” It added.
Reacting to the ban, the PCC Moderator, Rt Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba said the Church would not report anything contrary until a clear report of an investigation into the attack is made available.
He added that the doors of the Churches in Bali would remain closed and asked PCC Christians to worship in sister churches, to the greatest surprise of some who took to social media to condemn the “coward decision”, quoting bible verses.
“PCC Bali Nyonga shouldn’t be such a weakling, bowing to terrorist threats. Cowards won’t make Heaven – Rev 21: 8” “by succumbing to terrorist threats, the PCC Moderator has denied Jesus 3 times before the cock crowed” “Jesus said in Matthew 16: 18 that even the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church. Why is the PCC afraid of ambazonia” Frankline Njume, popular Anglophone web influencer posted on Facebook.
Nonetheless, this view is not shared by all as others have indicated that respecting the decision of separatist fighters is much better than having Christians killed in the course of attacks.
Ariane Foguem
The Government of Cameroon through the voice of the Governor of the North West region, badly hit by the Anglophone crisis for close to five years has promised to beef up security around schools to ensure an effective kick-off of the 2021/2022 academic year come September 6 in that part of the country.
Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique made the promise Tuesday August 31 during the sector conference of the secondary education sector in the North West region.
He told the education stakeholders that tight security measures will be put in place in schools across the North West region ahead of the 2021/2022 academic year.
For such a move to be successful, Adolphe Lele Lafrique said the population must play their role that of supporting efforts put in place by the Government to guarantee the effective start of classes from September 6.
“All measures will be taken to ease class resumption but we are hoping that the population should mobilize to accompany the administration, stakeholders, and security services in that regard”, Governor Adolphe Lele Afrique said.
The education stakeholders on their part revealed that apart from security concerns, all is almost set for the start of the academic year. Last academic year, 177 schools were operational out of 555 in the secondary education sector in the region.
The fate of Education in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon
The Anglophone regions of Cameroon have since late 2016 witnessed a socio-political crisis that has deteriorated overtime and led to violent clashes between armed forces, loss of lives and property, internal and external displacement and a growing climate of fear and uncertainty.
The current crisis has its roots in grievances that date back to the early 1960s. Recent events led to the escalation of violence and armed confrontations between government forces and non-state armed groups who want the total independence of the two English-speaking regions.
Education has been one of the greatest victims as much of this violence is targeted at schools, with pupils and teachers frequently facing attacks. Armed groups have regularly attacked schools, in the course of which many including pupils and teachers lost their lives and others survived with severe trauma.
Government has been battling hard to reassure families on effective security in schools at the start of academic years since 2017. Separatists fighting the adopted a school boycott/disruption strategy to put pressure on government. This has had a severe impact on children’s ability to attend school and learn in a normal atmosphere.
Ariane Foguem
