Preceding the day many a people of Southern Cameroons have yearned to enjoy freedom at last, the military deployment in the two zones have been invading people’s premises, major streets and meeting points, to chase away people, beating some and arresting others. In Mile 16, Muea, Ekona, Newtown, Half Mile, Kosala, Fiango, Nguti, Nkwen, Santa, Kumbo, and other places in the Southern and Northern Zones, there has been mass raids and arbitrary arrests since Saturday September 23, 2017. Worst still, is the fact that people’s phones are being seized and searched. Should you have anything regarding the restoration of the statehood of Southern Cameroons, you will be arrested. Many have been locked up at detention camps for no just course.
We Shall Shoot To Kill, If Possible – Bernard Okalia Bilai
Colonial Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, told reporters that the huge military presence in the Southern zone have been tasked to shoot and kill if anyone gets on the street on or before Sunday October 1, 2017. Speaking in a Press conference held Wednesday October, 27 2017 in Buea, the xenophobe cum ‘agent provocateur’ of LRC, told the media to inform the population to stay home for their good, otherwise, they risk facing their end, should they venture the streets on Sunday October 1, 2017.
Mass arrests in Ekona
“I urge you the journalists to sensitise the population to stay home on Sunday (October 1, 2017). We have raised the security alert to severe. So the security forces you see parading the streets have been instructed to shoot at anyone who shall demonstrate on that day. It is of the best interest of the people to stay safe at home on that day,” Okalia Bilai indicated.
Speaking with all arrogance and authority, the colonial occupant even threatened the press to desist from reporting incidents that can fuel demonstrations. He insisted, due to the desperate times we find ourselves, reporters should apply gatekeeping of information at the highest level.
“It will be of your best interest to avoid reporting things that can implicate you. We are in a desperate time and no stone is left unturn. I urge you journalists to apply your ethics of your profession at all course so as to avoid escalation of violence in (Southern Cameroons),” Okalia Bilai arrogated.
Church services, night travel, and even nocturnal social activities, have been placed under suspension. Reports say, within these times, some special forces are being deployed to enter homes and search for any implicating material.
Francophones deployed As Spies & Vigilante
Meantime, some unknown youths are presently being trained on some information gathering technics in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. These young men allegedly from Douala and Nschang, are going to act as government spies, combing the nooks and crannies of Buea, Limbe and Kumba, so they can fish out possible information linked to the restoration of the struggle. Presented in Buea and Bamenda on Wednesday September 27, the men are being equipped with whistles, torches, and communication airtime, to carry out their espionage.
A Revolutionary Friday in Southern Cameroons: One Message to the Occupier – the Colonial Game is Over.
In 1986, the CIA had predicted as a challenge to the Biya regime that …the Anglophone minority is a potential time bomb and should the government fail to respect their cultural and linguistic traditions … an outbreak of violence … would be a significant setback blow to Biya’s effort to develop national unity and reconciliation” In 2017, at the Cameroun National Assembly, the defiant Hon. Joseph Wirba, of the Jakiri Special Constituency, while addressing his colleagues on the Southern Cameroons crisis, made it vehement clear to whoever cared to listen that …”When the People Shall rise, even if you bring the whole of the French army and add to yours, you shall not be able to stop them”
It was a bright sunny and showery Friday, 22nd September, 2017, with blue and white skies all over the Southern Cameroons. The day the people, from the hamlets to metropolises at home and in the entire diaspora, sent shock waves to the entire world with just one message; the 56 years colonial occupation of the Southern Cameroons by La Republic du Cameroon is over. From little children of 5 years old to grandmas and grandpas of over 90 years, the message was the same; Ambazonia is rising to fall no more.
As early as 8:30 am, the small village of Bafia in Muyuka had lit the peaceful protest candle with a mammoth crowd of over 5000 persons, chanting patriotic/freedom songs and matching towards their Chief’s palace with green branches, and the blue and white colours of Ambazonia. Before the spectacular videos and images from Bafia could be digested on social media, Ekona had already caught the fire and that is how the unquenchable protest flames kept on burning the entire Southern Cameroons, until the early evening hours of the day. By night fall, La Republic du Cameroon and her privileged, anti-revolutionary house slaves who believe in a certain one and indivisible Cameroun were already leaking their wounds. This was however not without some casualties on the side of the peaceful protesters, as many Ambalanders were reportedly shot with live ammunition, with approximately 8 deaths recorded, many wounded and many arrested by colonial forces. Surprisingly, the shootings were not only carried out by the brute colonial forces, but also allegedly by colonial administrators, notably the Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu and the colonial Mayor of Buea.
Apart from the fact that the peaceful protesters all marched into the palaces and offices of their traditional/ local administrative authorities, brought down La Republic’s flags, sang the Ambazonia National Anthem and hoisted Amba flags; there were some ugly incidents and also spectacular moves made by the protesting Southern Cameroonians that are worth mentioning. These events happened in, but not limited to Victoria, Buea, Mamfe, Menji, Batibo, Bali, Bello and Santa.
In Victoria, the protests turned ugly when colonial forces descended on the peaceful people with teargas and live ammunition, this resulted in counter attacks from the people with stones, objects and mounting of barricades, leading to the burning of LRC’s flag and the dead and wounding of some Southern Cameroonians. In Buea, early attempts by colonial forces to disrupt the protests between Mile and Malingo junction with teargas and water cannons failed, as the crowed strength over powered the colonial forces, matching up towards the Bongo Square.
They were however blocked from the Baptist High School by the intimidating forces. The ensuing encounter was teargas and grenades on the population. A grenade landed on a blank house, caught a gas cylinder and the next thing seen of the said house was fire and ashes. As the population retreated down towards check point, the colonial Mayor of Buea whose home is just about 250 meters away from the main road, was caught up in the confusion. As a result, he allegedly fired two shots wounding one and killing another. The angry population descended on his property with heavy stones and objects, and the results were the pictures of his property left overs circulating on social media.
In Mamfe, it was the colonial S.D.O for Manyu that allegedly shot young protesters to death. In Menji, the uncompromising Lebialem warriors did not only bring down La Republique’s flag at the S.D.O’s office, but compelled the S.D.O who happens to be an Ambazonian to sing the Southern Cameroons Anthem with them as the Amba flag was being hoisted; while in Santa, the colonial D.O for Santa and the Principal of GBHS Santa joined the protests, adorned in Southern Cameroon mufflers, and were later escorted by the population to Matazen where they asked them to cross the border and return to their home country, La Republic du Cameroon. This however did not end without the loss of a protester through gun shots from the brutal gendarmes.
In Bello, the protesters were joined by their representative at the National Assembly of La Republique, while those of Batibo marched to the home of their parliamentarian, Joseph Mbah Ndam who made it clear to them that he shall not return to La Republique’s parliament until he sees the end of the struggle. In effect, the people also declared him the administering authority of Batibo and went ahead to hoist the Southern Cameroons flag in his compound.
In the diaspora, while Southern Cameroonians took hostage UN headquarters in their host countries, the show down of the day was at the UN headquarters in New York where the two distinct peoples of Southern Cameroons and La Republic du Cameroon challenged each other in what has been termed the biggest protest so far in the history of protests at the UN Plaza in New York. From the messages emanating from the two protesting camps, it was crystal clear to the world that the Cameroons is made up of two Countries, the British Southern Cameroons and La Republic du Cameroon. Outstanding in the New York protest was the reunion between leaders of the various Southern Cameroons revolutionary movements such as MoRISC, AGC, SCNC, SCYL and above all umbrella body SCACUF and the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council (SCAGC).
As the population retreated to their homes and destinations towards the end of the day, an estimated 2.5 million Southern Cameroonians both home and abroad were said to have participated in the protests. The message had been sent to whoever cared to listen; Free All Arrested and Southern Cameroons Ambazonia must be free and the time is NOW. Those who thought that the Restoration Movement was made up of a few self-seeking “secessionists” now understand better what the movement is all about. As for the dying regime and those house slaves who have been singing the chorus of a fathom one and indivisible Cameroon, we hope you got the message clearly yesterday.
When people have been pushed to the wall for so long and with their own eyes day in and out they see people disappear into thin air,there is bound to be an explosion or eruption. That is what 22nd September 2017 was to Southern Cameroonians (S C) headed by women/TAKEMBENG or TAKUMBENG. This same day Mr Paul Biya was presiding over his bag of lies at the UN General Assembly in New York. Southern Cameroons schools have not opened since last year and Mr Biya is that bold to talk when he has deprived us of education which is a basic human right. When women come out in their numbers in a mass protest as ‘Takumbeng” in a traditional way,it means that their “eyes have seen their ears”. This is a traditional way of expressing the severity of an offence. Women go out in numbers putting on old clothes,bright colours clothes etc. The case of Friday 22nd September 2017,women were dressed either in red,white or old clothes. Southern Cameroonians have had enough and can no longer accommodate or bare the barbarism of La Republic. Mothers/women can no longer sit and watch their children disappearing. The militarization of our towns and villages,the unlawfully killings, arrests,threats,etc has unleashed the Takumbengs for an out cry for the gods to hear as well as the international community to rescue us and intervene. So many innocent souls have been lost and enough is enough, we want our independence.
Takumbeng or Takembeng are a female social movement in the North West region of Southern Cameroons. It connects with traditional practices where group of women perform ostracizing rituals against individuals in their communities. Glaring examples could be seen as far back as the 1950s and 1960s towards the end of colonial control and in the early years of independent Cameroon. Since the early 1990s especially in the city of Bamenda, Takumbeng protests have taken place which was another horrible period in the history of S C. This was seen more especially during the presidential election of 1992 in which the results were fraudulent in favour of Mr Paul Biya. This resulted to several deaths, arrests, destruction of public structures etc. (For further reading go to
http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.yourdictionary.com/africa&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwj2ppDA8MPWAhUGIsAKHV2LDeoQFggiMAg&usg=AFQjCNGB_g0uAoe4vjpwoYUQdW9PXzDg3w
The “takumbeng have been unleashed” and Southern Cameroons must be free.
Preceding the day many a people of Southern Cameroons have yearned to enjoy freedom at last, the military deployment in the two zones have been invading people’s premises, major streets and meeting points, to chase away people, beating some and arresting others. In Mile 16, Muea, Ekona, Newtown, Half Mile, Kosala, Fiango, Nguti, Nkwen, Santa, Kumbo, and other places in the Southern and Northern Zones, there has been mass raids and arbitrary arrests since Saturday September 23, 2017. Worst still, is the fact that people’s phones are being seized and searched. Should you have anything regarding the restoration of the statehood of Southern Cameroons, you will be arrested. Many have been locked up at detention camps for no just course.
