The conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon is deadlocked. There is no dialogue between the government and the separatists, who are both refusing to give grounds; the government is counting on a military victory and refuses to discuss the form of the state; while the separatists demand complete independence.
The Anglophone crisis that started in October 2016 as a result of teachers and lawyers strike has far reaching consequences.
The people of British Southern Cameroon which was a former UN Trust territory have been in constant harassment, torture, rape, fear, by the Cameroon military forces.
In October 2016 the lawyers and teachers of southern Cameroon origin went to the streets demanding for greater autonomy or a return to the 1961 federal structures.
The government of Cameroon responded through a severe cracked down and a brutal reprisals of these demands. Some of the lawyers were arrested, beaten and their robe seized by armed military officers.
Due to this unfortunate incident the teachers and other unionists groups further went to the streets but were met with brute force from these military officers.
The situation further escalated on the 22nd and 1st October 2017 after men, women and children of southern Cameroonian origin all went to the streets in protest against the poor living conditions demanding for a complete autonomy or separation from French Cameroon.
In response president Paul Biya from the comfort and luxury of the Inter- continental hotel in Geneva ordered his armed forces to carry out a bloody massacre which resulted to hundreds of death.
The massacre of 1st October 2017 occurred after denizens of the English speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon went to the streets to celebrate their independence which they believe had earlier been granted or voted by the 61 member states of the UN. On that fateful day, helicopter gunships of the Cameroon army flew low over unarmed civilian demonstrators, opened fire and drop grenades on them. Many people were killed in cold blood while others sustained life threatening injuries. Bodies of dead people alongside mass graves were being discovered in the town of Buea.
Amnesty international, the United States and scores of Human rights organisation condemned this gross violation of Human rights.
The military occupation and repression continues as we speak. The situation has now spiral into an armed conflicts. Young men and women have now picked up arms to defend themselves and their family members.
There has been a mass exodus of people fleeing to neighbouring Nigeria as they are entangled in the conflict. It is estimated that more than 80.000 southern Cameroonians have flee to Nigeria for safety while more than 200.000 have taking into the bushes for the fear of their lives. It is also estimated that more than 10.000 men and women have been killed in this senseless war in Cameroon by Cameroon armed forces.
Targeted and extra judicial killings have been recorded by the Cameroon military, a situation that have been condemned by the American Ambassador to Cameroon H E Peter Belerin. The military has also been using the scotch earth policy to burnt houses of unarmed civilians in southern Cameroon.
More than 200 villages have been burnt to arches in southern Cameroon by the Cameroon armed forces and many properties destroyed.
In effect the southern Cameroonian diaspora have been playing a vital role in connection to the Anglophone crisis. Huge demonstrations have been carried out in many parts of the world by disgruntled southern Cameroonians who felt that their family members back home are being subjected to gross human right violation from the Cameroonian government.
The southern Cameroonian diaspora have also been using the internet or social media to alert the international community to put an eye in Cameroon. The diaspora have been sharing trending pictures of dead bodies killed by Cameroon armed forces.
To this effect many southern Cameroonian diaspora have been arrested at the port of entry in Cameroon and accused of supporting armed separatists fighters and also spreading secessionist ideas. Fear has gripped southern Cameroonian diaspora who believe that Cameroon is not a safe ground for their return back home as the Cameroon government continues a cracked down and manhunt for all the diaspora returning home for holidays or family issues.
Written by LOVERT WAA NYA