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
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
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
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
Cameroonian and Nigerian authorities have announced efforts to jointly fight armed separatists operating in both countries. The commitment was taken at the end of the eighth session of the Cameroon-Nigeria trans-border security meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting was convened after Anglophone separatists in Cameroon and the Indigenous People of Biafra in Nigeria said they would join forces to fight for independence.
Speaking at the start of the three-day come together, retired Major General Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser to Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari, said secessionist groups are uniting to destabilize both nations.
“Another emerging concern is the attempt by secessionist groups in Nigeria to form alliances with secessionist groups in Cameroon in order to destabilize both countries…” The retired General indicated adding that Nigeria will never serve as a staging ground by any of such secessionist groups for whatsoever purpose including the destabilization of a friendly and sovereign country like Cameroon.
“In addition, we would work closely together to ensure that any real or perceived attempt to form any alliances between secessionist groups in Nigeria and Cameroon are decisively dealt with," Monguno further said.
Cameroon’s Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji who led the delegation to Nigeria said militaries of the two countries are already at work to map out ways of stopping separatists operating in Cameroon and in Nigeria. He added that jobs will be provided to people living around the border areas to improve on their livelihoods as it is advanced that poverty has forced many of them to join separatist groups.
"To eradicate trans-border insecurity in all its forms or, I believe, to reduce it to minimum, our security forces must intensify intelligence gathering and information sharing. It must include measures to check religious radicalism, foster education and promote economic and social development projects along our common border," Minister Paul Atanga said.
Cameroon shares a 1,975-kilometer-yet-to-be-demarcated-border with Nigeria. Militaries of the two countries have been jointly fighting violent crises since 2010. Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno and Adamawa and Cameroon's Far North region on Nigeria’s border report regular Boko Haram terrorist attacks.
Cameroon says separatists use porous borders to import weapons through Nigeria and collaboration between the Ambazonia Defense Forces and Indigenous People of Biafra is making the security situation very uncertain.
Few days ago, the Intelligent Bureau of the Nigerian Police in Abuja presented some armed dealers, among them, an Ambazonia agent identified as Ntui Lambert who was arrested in Ikom, Crossriver state in Nigeria. The Nigerian Police said his mother is from Cameroon while his father hails from Nigeria. The Police are exploiting his phone to track down his associates.
Looking at this recent news, the Cameroon-Nigeria Trans border Security Committee created in 2012 in Nigeria to strengthen security in both countries thus appears more than relevant and the implementation of the resolutions arrived at the end of this year’s session a matter of urgency.
Ariane Foguem
