The Vicar General of the Diocese of Mamfe in Manyu Division, South West region of Cameroon, Rev. Fr Julius Agbortoko Agbor has been set free. He was released late Tuesday August 31 without the payment of the FCFA 20 million ransom demanded by his abductors.
The Chancellor of the Mamfe Diocese, Fr Sebastine Sinju, who earlier announced the kidnap of Vicar General, Rev. Fr Julius Agbortoko Agbor has announced he has been released.
In a release issued Tuesday August 31, 2021, the Chancellor says the Vicar General of the Mamfe Diocese was released without the payment of the FCFA 20 million ransom that had earlier been demanded by his kidnappers, allegedly separatist fighters.
“We thank God for his release, we thank all those who joined us to pray for his unconditional release and for us in these turbulent days. We thank all our priests, the faithful and Father’s biological family for their firm faith in God. We appreciate the assistance of everyone who showed concern…” The release partly reads.
Rev. Fr Julius Agbortoko was released after three days in captivity. He was taken away Sunday August 29 by gunmen who identified themselves as separatist fighters at the Bishop’s compound while on a pastoral visitation to Kokobuma, a locality in the Meme Division, South West region and the inauguration of the Presbytery of the parish.
The target of the said gunmen was the Bishop Emeritus Lysinge, but upon seeing a much stronger and younger prelate, they decided to take him away instead of the ‘frail’ Bishop.
After news of his abduction went round, voices raised up to ask for his unconditional release and a halt on attacks on the church and God’s men, with many including Hon. Cabral Libii describing the order of things in the English-speaking regions as more of criminality than fighting for the independence of Anglophones.
Ariane Foguem
The reconstruction of the regions badly hit by crisis especially the North West and South West with the Anglophone crisis and the Far North with Boko Haram insurgencies will be given special attention during the preparation of the 2022 State Budget.
The information was disclosed by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya in a circular outlining the general budget policy guidelines as well as practical measures for preparing the State budget for the 2022 financial year, signed Monday August 30.
The reconstruction of the North West, South West and Far North regions of Cameroon are projects that feature in the country’s economic, social and cultural development policy, underpinned by the 2020-2030 National Development Strategy (NDS30) which operationalizes the second phase of Vision 2035.
As such, the preparation of the State budget for the 2022 financial year appears as a continuation of the implementation of the nation’s development policy.
Boko Haram insurgency and its consequences
As far as reconstructing the Far North – Cameroon’s poorest region is concerned, the biggest challenge remains the persistent and recurrent deadly attacks from the Boko Haram Islamic sect. Cameroon has been officially at war with Boko Haram since May 2014. The fight has exacerbated the already-delicate economic situation and placed under strain traditional socio-economic roles.
More than 3,000 civilians and soldiers have been killed, in addition to the more than 1,000 people kidnapped in the region and huge sums of money demanded as ransoms to secure their release. Houses, schools and other important infrastructures have equally been destroyed in the course of the crisis.
The Anglophone crisis
As for the North West and South West regions, the Anglophone crisis has wreaked havoc in these two regions for over four years. Starting as a low-scale insurgency, the conflict spread to most parts of the Anglophone regions within a year. By the summer of 2019, the government controlled the major cities and parts of the countryside, while the Ambazonian nationalists held parts of the countryside and regularly appeared in the major cities. A year later, clearly-defined frontlines had emerged, sometimes with a tacit mutual understanding between the belligerents on who controls which areas; while Cameroon would raid separatist-controlled towns and villages, it would not seek to outright recapture them, focusing instead on securing the major urban areas.
Over 4,000 people have been killed and 765,000 displaced, of whom 60,000 are refugees in Nigeria. According to the UN, three of the Anglophone regions’ four million people are affected by the humanitarian crisis while about 800,000 children are out of school as a good number of school infrastructures have been reduced to nothing.
The crisis has equally dealt with the country’s local economy. In June 2018, Cameroon Development Corporation, the State-owned company with 22,000 employees, declared the conflict could lead to the loss of 5,000 jobs on the short term. In July 2018, Cameroonian NGO Human Is Right reported that the war had caused a 70 percent increase in unemployment in the agricultural sector. The palm oil and cocoa sectors in South West region had taken a severe blow, with State-owned company Pamol abandoning plantations in some areas. The private company Telcar Cocoa reported that the cocoa production had fallen 80 percent. The NGO suggested that companies make deals with the separatists in order to safeguard their facilities. By 2019, annual tax revenues in the Anglophone regions had dropped from US$800,000 to US$1,000, and by 2020 almost all tax officials had fled their crossing posts on the Nigerian border.
Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West regions
In an attempt to appease the anger of some English-speaking Cameroonians, the Head of State put in place a plan to rebuild the two crisis-hit regions in what was coined as the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South regions.
The initiative that is spearheaded by Minister Paul Tasong seeks to rebuild houses, villages, infrastructures, bridges, farmlands amongst others destroyed in the course of the Anglophone crisis.
The plan was highly acclaimed but owing to the persistent climate of insecurity that reigns parts of both regions, its fruits are yet to be seen.
Ariane Foguem
Twenty-three internally displaced school-going children from the crisis-hit North West and South West regions have received didactic material donated to them by the Cameroon Association of English-speaking journalists, CAMASEJ Douala branch.
The handing over of the material including books, bags, pens and pencils took place Saturday August 28 at the Kuwait neighbourhood in Douala II subdivision, where the beneficiaries reside since their migration to the country's economic capital.
According to Maureen Ndi, current president of CAMASEJ Douala, the initiative falls within the association’s outreach programme dubbed CAMASEJ D education promotion drive- a humanitarian touch of the Douala-based English-speaking journalists to carter for the less privileged. The books and other school related material offered the children was partly provided by the CEO and founder of the United Action for the Underprivileged Foundation, former Member of Parliament Fritz Etoke.
After receiving the donation, the children thanked the Douala-based branch association for the material support. Some of them explained the extent to which it will be of help to them. "The money I was supposed to use in buying books, I will use it to purchase other school needs like sandals and more…” Nesla Ngong, one of the beneficiaries who recently passed the GCE ordinary level exams told CAMASEJ Douala members present.
The IDPs took the opportunity to voice some of the difficulties they face in their host city. Some mentioned constraints in affording school needs, high rents, lack of food items and shelter.
CAMASEJ Douala team on the ground through its president, Maureen Ndi used the occasion to school the female children on sex with focus on early pregnancies and the males on how to desist from becoming a delinquent or drug addict, societal ills that are very common with school-going children.
Maureen Ndi equally disclosed that the initiative will last. She and the members plan to extend similar help not only to distress internally displaced children in Douala but also to families who cannot meet up financially with the needs of their children and to orphans of a fallen former colleague, Jack Ekwe Kingue who died following an illness.
Many, especially colleagues have described the CAMASEJ Douala branch education promotion drive as one that is worthy of being applauded, given that it will in one way or the other reduce the burden of the parents and guardians of the first set of beneficiaries, few days to school reopening.
Ariane Foguem
A Catholic priest at the Mamfe diocese in Manyu Division, restive South West region of Cameroon has been kidnapped by a group of young men who 'identified themselves as separatists'. According to officials of the diocese, the boys are asking for a ransom of over 20 million FCFA.
The Vicar General of the Mamfe diocese, Mgr Julius Agbortoko Agbor is the latest victim of the ongoing over four-year long Anglophone crisis rocking the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon.
According to a statement issued by Fr Sebastian Sinju, Chancellor of the Mamfe diocese, the prelate was abducted Sunday August 29 while on a pastoral visitation to Kokobuma, a locality in the Meme Division, South West region by young men who 'identified themselves as separatist fighters'.
The said men are asking over 20 million FCFA to release the priest. Describing how his abduction happened, Fr Sebastian Sinju says in his statement that Mgr Julius Agbortoko was taken away 30 minutes upon his arrival at the Major Seminary compound.
He indicates that the fighters bumped into the said compound and made their way straight to the residence of the Bishop where they noticed the presence of the Vicar General. Considering him as much younger and stronger than the ‘frail’ Bishop Emeritus Lysinge, they took him away.
“I call on all of you to invoke the One Family Spirit and pray unanimously for his safety and his subsequent release…” Fr Sebastian wrote.
He has equally used the opportunity to denounce recurrent attacks on the Church in general and that of the Mamfe priest in particular and pleaded with stakeholders in the ongoing Anglophone crisis to ‘kindly’ exclude the church in their affairs ‘for God’s sake’.
This abduction is the latest in a series of abductions and attacks suffered by the Church in the course of the ongoing-armed conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon that has displaced more than 700,000 civilians and forced more than 60,000 across the border to Nigeria, according to a United Nations report of April 2021.
Ariane Foguem
A Red Cross worker identified as Diomede Nzobambona in his early sixties has succumbed to injuries sustained during an attack in Bamenda, chief town of the restive North West region of Cameroon, the aid international organization has said.
In a statement, the body says the Canadian delegate died on Monday August 23, following injuries he sustained the day before, during an attack in Bamenda.
“It is with great sadness that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirms that one of its staff died on August 23 following injuries he sustained the day before during an attack in Bamenda.” The statement partly reads.
“Words are not enough to express our immense sadness nor to soothe the grief of his family and loved ones. We send them our sincere condolences and the expression of our deepest sympathy.” Markus Brudermann, head of the delegation for the ICRC in Cameroon said in the statement.
The late Diomede Nzobambona was a Canadian delegate working in the fields of water and sanitation. He had worked for the ICRC since 2003 and had been under contract with the Canadian Red Cross between 2007 to 2012.
He was in Bamenda, chief town of Cameroon crisis-hit North West region to provide humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the over four years long Anglophone crisis rocking the region.
According to the statement from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the circumstances of his death have not been clarified and they cannot give any information. The aid organization maintained that its priority is to support those who have been affected by Diomede’s sudden death, especially his family, relatives and colleagues.
Diomede is not the first aid worker to die in Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis-hit regions. Few days ago, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Cameroon said four workers have been killed since 2019, meanwhile in the last 16 months, over 19 incidents of abductions involving humanitarians were reported in the said regions.
Unending insurgency in Anglophone regions
Ambazonia separatist militia groups have been waging an armed insurgency in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon to get the independence of both regions for close to five years now.
The latter have been battling with Government forces in attacks that have displaced more than 700,000 civilians and forced another 63,800 across the border to Nigeria, according to a United Nations report dated April 2021. Thousands have been reportedly killed in these attacks.
The latest killing was perpetrated in a church in Bali, in the Bui Division, North West region at the Presbyterian Church Ntafoang on Sunday August 22 during service. A female worshipper was shot dead and the Pastor on duty seriously injured when men dressed in military uniform fired bullets at the church.
An ambush by armed separatists in the same locality last month killed five police officers.
Last Friday August 20, a seven-year-old primary school pupil was killed in Kumbo during a cross fire between Government forces and separatists while she was attending a holiday class at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Primary School. One of her mates was equally injured.
Many Cameroonians seek to see an end to the bloody hostilities and have appealed to both camps for a ceasefire that could lead to a genuine dialogue.
Ariane Foguem
The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon has condemned in strongest terms the shooting by unidentified armed men at the Ntanfoang church in Bali during Sunday August 22 divine service that claimed the life of one of its Christians and severely injured the pastor on duty.
In a highly awaited reaction, the Synod Committee Executive of the church say it is “deeply embarrassed and troubled at the barbaric torture that God’s children have been subjected to” in the crisis-hit Anglophone regions for the fifth year running.
Recounting what happened, the Committee says the church was duly informed that on Sunday August 22 at the Presbyterian Church Ntafoang in Bali subdivision, seat of the Bali Presbytery, service was interrupted by gunshots. A loud explosion was herd outside close to the church house followed by random gunshots. It further states that bullets were then rained on the church in the course of which, a female Christian identified as Grace Titalabit was killed instantly, meanwhile the Pastor on duty, Rev. Voma Simon Montoh sustained a severe injury on the arm.
In shock, trauma and consternation, the Christians managed to ferry the dead Christian and the Pastor to the hospital. The Pastor received a surgical removal of the bullet and as at now is recovering from the health challenge, the shock and trauma.
The Synod Committee Executive laments that such an atmosphere of insecurity and fear has been reigning in the Anglophone regions for more than four years and appeals of a ceasefire to both the Government of Cameroon and Ambazonia separatist militia who have taken up arms on the people have fallen in deaf ears.
“We therefore condemn this unnecessary and unhuman treatment meted on God’s children by those who are supposed to protect them…” Part of the communique reads.
Reminding Government about Article 27 of the 1899 Hague Regulations to which Cameroon is a signatory, which provides that “in sieges and bombardments, all necessary steps should be taken to spare as far as possible edifices devoted to religion, art, science, and charity…” the Synode “calls on both parties to cease fire unconditionally especially on Sundays and that a proper investigation is conducted by the Government and other international bodies for those responsible to be brought to book.”
While praying for the children of God in the North West and South West regions, most hard-hit by the senseless war, the church has extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of its late Christian, Grace Titalabit, and called on Christians to build their hope on God who assures us all of a time of peace as indicated in the book of Isaiah chapter 2 verse 4: “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.”
Ariane Foguem
