Buea Colonial Administration Surrenders as Population Stands with Freedom Fighters, Central Motor Park Shut
By Mbah Godlove
It has now been three weeks since freedom fighters in Ambazonia announced a lockdown to prevent the holding of French Cameroun’s elections in their territory. Throughout this period, regime administrators and soldiers have pressured residents to defy the call and resume normal activities.
Following the huge success recorded during the first week of the lockdown in Buea, the capital of Ambazonia, the colonial governor, divisional officer, and mayor—flanked by soldiers—went around sealing shops, insisting residents must open. Instead, inhabitants chose to stand with the freedom fighters who have risked their lives to liberate the homeland from colonial occupation. The last two weeks, just like the first, have seen the population walking alongside the freedom fighters.
On Wednesday, October 1, Ambazonia’s Independence Day, inhabitants stayed home, cooking and feasting. Ahead of the day, BN’s CEO Mark Bareta reached out to wish the population well, particularly urging those in city centers to avoid actions that could provoke colonial soldiers. Speaking in broken Pidgin English, widely understood across Ambazonia, the frontline leader thanked the people for their collaboration and encouraged them to have a safe and joyful Independence Day celebration in their respective communities.
On October 1, 1961, Southern Cameroons—today known as Ambazonia—voted in a UN plebiscite to join French Cameroun under the promise of forming a new federal republic. What many thought was a gentleman’s agreement quickly dissolved after the discovery of crude oil in Victoria, when federal structures were dismantled and a colonial administration installed to exploit Ambazonian resources. Unable to endure discrimination and the erosion of their identity, Ambazonians demanded the restoration of their independence. The regime responded with force, declaring war on Ambazonia in November 2017.
Since then, thousands of civilians have been killed and over a million displaced. The war for freedom continues, and the people remain determined to see a free Ambazonia.
