Ever since Paul Biya B Mvondo, President of La Republique du Cameroun (LRC) declared war on separatist fighters in Manyu County, Southern Cameroons, troops of army and sophisticated military hardware from LRC have been making turns in the Banyangi land. The colonial forces of Paul Biya, hitherto thought they were marching into their training ground, where they will merely use days to crush all troops of the Ambazonian Defense Forces (ADF) as well as other restoration forces such as the Tigers, SOCADEF etc

However, it is two months and counting, Biya is yet to be convince with the output of his troops, vis a vis, fully claiming the Manyu land. Conversely, the Ambazonian ‘Odeishi’ army, have made several successive offences into the LRC military base in Mamfe, Kembong, Aborkem German, Akwaya, and Ndian.

This is not a normal war. Though hard to understand and believe, it appears to be a one-sided war in which faceless gunmen proffering allegiance to the separatist Federal Republic of Ambazonia kill LRC troops but do not get killed even in face-to-face shootouts. It is a war that manifests signs of mysticism, difficult to explain for an urbane reporter without sounding superstitious.

In addition, the troops themselves who face the reality, are no longer in doubt. Locked in battle with gunmen whom they believe do not succumb to bullets, about every government soldier in Mamfe and elsewhere in Manyu division now has a tiny piece of red cloth wrapped on the barrel of their gun.

“People familiar with the Odeishi ritual in Nigeria have advised that red pieces of cloth can neutralize the Odeishi charm,” a gendarme told said.

That is so even for the reputably highly efficient and redoubtable Special Forces or Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR). They too believe the red cloth is a potent antidote to neutralize the mystical bulletproof charm or “Odeishi” said to have been acquired from neighbouring Nigeria by the Ambazonia fighters.

The Mamfe Gendarmerie appears to be the command centre of the government’s first column of military containment where gendarmes, regular troops and BIR as well as scores of young gendarmes-in-training are all stationed for the assignment. It appears to be the main target of the separatist fighters. They are apparently staking the fortunes of their war on dislodging Yaoundé’s hold on Mamfe.

In two successive weeks only in December 2017, they carried out as many assaults on the military command. It looks like attacks elsewhere are only distractions before they return to their main target – Mamfe Gendarmerie.

The well trained both physical and metaphysical Ambazonian army, have wreaked havoc in LRC military. Several hundreds of LRC soldiers have been killed, many others seriously injured. That caused many of the soldiers once loyal to LRC, to defect and join the Ambazonian ‘Odeishi’ boys.

LRC now armed to the teeth, parade Manyu with ballistic missiles and another sophisticated military hardware. However, such intimidation has not panicked the Odeishi boys who brave the odds and make several rounds into the LRC army camp and spray bullets on the colonial forces. Such outings also enable the Ambazonia army to seize new weapons from the colonial forces.

By Lucas Muma,

Managing Editor – BaretaNews