Tag: Cameroon Military

The voice of the Fallen Baby, by KONGNYUY Derrick

by Kingsley Sheteh, posted in Cameroon

God said I had a purpose and prepared a womb for me to enter

My first home was so great I thought I’d stay in it forever

Felt like the best 9 months ever but my first lesson « nothing lasts forever »

I knew I will miss the warmth and comfort but I couldn’t wait to meet my mother

My new home may not be this awesome but Mama’s love will make it better

I was close to the door and I could hear mama screaming in pain, the sounds broke my heart but I hoped to bring her joy in return

I made it ! Mama held me in her arms and I could feel a new fountain of excess love

I didn’t know what the world had in store for me but in her arms I knew I was safe

Days went by and all was well, months went by and something began to feel strange

The pounding motions I always felt on mama’s chest, they now seem to always pound faster

Loud and frightful sounds outside like claps of thunder, could that be what is bothering my mother ?

I wish I could speak so I tell mama all will be alright, I have a destiny to fulfil so all will be alright

Could hear footsteps coming and I laid there smiling, for each time people came mama got gifts for me

My smile was short lived as the door was smashed open, mama was crying I watched her imploring

Do they hate my mother ? Do they hate me ?

The big men turned to me as I heard mama wailing ! I did not know I was recording my last moments

I thought I had a destiny, I thought I would bring mama joy

But she cried as I came to the world and cried as I made my exit

It’s not fair, God gave me life and I deserve to live. Why take my life when you never gave it to me ?

The world will hear about me and people will know I once was, I hope my story helps heal mama’s world.

Southern Cameroonians Descend on Washington DC: Demand A Response from the Rest of the World

by Kingsley Sheteh, posted in Breaking News, Cameroon, Featured Article, Opinion

It was meant to be a weekend during which the frontline leaders of the English-speaking Cameroon Struggle speak as one, in a bid to find a way forward.

The leaders started with closed door meetings, followed by a session during which people across the world called in to voice their opinions.

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The highlight of the weekend however has been the massive crowd that stormed the streets of Washington DC on this Sunday 19 August 2018.

Their message was simple: the world cannot keep quiet while Cameroonians of English extraction were being killed by the Biya Regime.  While this is a compelling message, it does not fully capture the reality of the situation.

While the Biya Regime has been engaged in killings and burning down of villages, the pro-independence fighters, under the banner of self defence have been engage in repprisal attacks on both the military and those tagged as ‘traitors’ or ‘black legs’. What this effectively means is that, as the conflict continues, Cameroonians are killing each other, while the person who has the ability to halt hostilities is tucked away in a Swiss Hotel.

It is true that Cameroonians are dying on a daily basis. It is also true that killings are taking place on both sides. The most true of all is that every one loses except those in positions of power.

As I suggested in one of my posts, the leaders of the Anglophone struggle also have the ability to declare a ceasefire and take some measures that will ease the dire living conditions of those at the heart of the raging conflict.

Until such time when one side decides to put the wellbeing of the masses ahead of their ideology, this will continue to be a lose-lose situation for ordinary Cameroonian within the English-speaking Regions.

Until such time, it is difficult to say what the response of the rest of the world could be, other than a call on both sides to halt the hostilities.

Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) killed by Cameroon military

As Cameroon’s Military & Civilians Kill Each Other, Biya Wins

by Kingsley Sheteh, posted in Cameroon, Featured Article, Opinion, Politics

The only time that Cameroon Dictator Paul Biya has directly taken an action to affect the ongoing crisis in the English-speaking Regions, is when at the airport, he declared war against Separatists.

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For over two years, the conflict has metamorphosed from a simply demand by lawyers and teachers to a demand for outright independence by separatist asking for a State of Ambazonia.

As Biya refused to deal with the situation, it inevitably spiralled out of control to the situation that is now clearly a civil war, albeit one fought only in two regions of a country of ten regions.

As Biya prepares himself to go to stand again as a Presidential Candidate in the October 7th 2018 elections, during which he will be seeking another 7 year term in addition to his current 36, one would have thought resolving the current conflict will be top on his list of priorities.

However, when one considers that Paul Biya is one dictator that never holds a cabinet meeting, never gives a press conference, never engages in any form of interaction with the public that would require impromptu responses, then that person begins to realise that Biya is at his comfort zone with a war situation.

With the current war situation, Biya is using one stone to shoot two birds. He is hoping that the military with their superior weapons and training will kill off any form of resistance from the English-speaking agitators. Secondly Biya hopes that the conflict will serve as a distraction should he win the elections on October 7.

The level of agitation among Francophone activists who are also disgruntled with Biya’s barren 36 years in power, is expected to increase over the coming weeks and might explode with a win.

In Biya’s estimation therefore, should the military successfully use force to shut down the resistance in the English-speaking Regions, this will serve as a deterrent for others planning any form of agitation before and after the elections.

So effectively, the more the military kill young people and the more these retaliate, Biya remains the one person who will win in the event that the conflict continues.

Cameroon Military Allegedly Capture Base of Separatist Fighters

by Kingsley Sheteh, posted in Breaking News, Cameroon

Images being displayed by the Cameroon military indicate that they have captured one of the bases of operations of the Ambazonian Separatist fighters. According to an update posted on their Facebook Page Honneur et Fidélité – Armée Camerounaise.,  the operation led to the killing of one Ambazonian fighter, one captured, and several wounded in the forest. These claims are difficult to verify, given that the pictures do not show any dead or wounded fighters. There is, however, one young person sitting in mud, who apparently has been captured. However, there is no indication in the picture that he was caught at the scene where other items are reported to have been found.

Captured Ambazonian fighter
Person claimed by Cameroon Military to be a Captured Ambazonian Fighter

Among the other things reported to have been recovered from the fighter’s base, are 03 Ak47 + 06 other firearms; 520 rounds of ammunition, 29 hunting rifles plus 1137 matching rounds of 12 calibre ammunition; 2 defensive grenades, 1 electricity generator, a solar plate, 3 motorcycles, 1 heavy gear battery, 1 ADF T-shirt, 1 Camouflage pants, 1 canal+ antenna, a dozen bags of rice, Kitchen utensils and hundreds of bottles of dry-Gin.

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The Cameroon Military has been in a long drawn out conflict with Separatist fighters, following Biya’s declaration of war against activists. Activists who were hitherto peacefully demanding that the Anglophone problem be resolved either through a Two-State Federation or through a Separation of the Country, feel their actions are justified as they are merely defending themselves from Biya’s brutality. Huge casualties have been recorded on both sides of the warring factions, but the most casualty has been suffered by the ordinary citizen, faced with the challenges of a war situation.