Socioeconomic activities across Ambazonia’s Northern and Southern Zones were severely disrupted on Monday and Tuesday following a three-day lockdown imposed by pro-independence fighters to prevent celebrations of Cameroon’s 20th May National Day.
In Bamenda County, particularly around Savannah Junction in Bamenda II, traders woke up to heavy economic losses after tonnes of perishable goods reportedly spoilt during the ghost-town operation observed from May 18 to May 20.
The famous Savannah Junction roadside market, known across Mezam for its daily pineapple trade and other fresh food supplies, remained almost deserted as residents stayed indoors, fearing potential confrontations and retaliation for violating the lockdown imposed by the Ambazonia Restoration Forces.
Several frustrated vendors lamented that the extended closure had completely crippled their operations, leaving heaps of pineapples and other food items to rot under the scorching sun without buyers.
According to local traders, the situation has become increasingly unbearable for small business operators already struggling under years of instability, insecurity, and repeated ghost town operations linked to the ongoing liberation struggle in Ambazonia.
The lockdown was largely observed in many parts of the Northern and Southern Zones as separatist groups intensified calls for residents to boycott celebrations organised by the regime in Yaoundé to mark Cameroon’s National Day.
While pro-independence groups insist that such civil disobedience actions are necessary to reject what they describe as the continued occupation of Ambazonia by La République du Cameroun, critics say ordinary civilians and struggling traders are paying the heaviest economic price.
The latest lockdown once again exposes the deepening humanitarian and economic hardship facing civilians trapped between the armed conflict and growing uncertainty across Ground Zero.
