Some of the detainees whose video emerged from an underground cell at Gendarmerie headquarters better known as SED in Yaoundé, have reportedly been transferred to the Kondengui Central prison. It remains unclear what caused the transfer this August 18 2017, but there are indications that the worldwide condemnation of their detention conditions might have caused the Cameroon government to rethink about treatment of detainees.

Information gathered from different sources said at least five of the SED detainees have been transferred. Witnesses identified them as Fomuki Fabian, Tabe Edward, and Vincent Bosi. Two others who were transferred identified simply as Julius and Ngwa. Other sources also hinted that three of the detainees ( Geo Tang, Patrick Ndango) turned down an offer to be moved to another more “confortable” cell called ‘VIP’ at SED, on grounds that all of them should leave the underground bunker at once.

A security source who requested anonymity said that the detainees who were transferred to Kondengui had spent at least six months in the underground cell.

Fabiano Deco; Bunker detainee

We also gathered that there are actually two bunkers, located on the basement of offices at SED, where Southern Cameroonians arrested in connection with the struggle for the liberation of their homeland are being detained.

“There are only Southern Cameroonians and Anglophones in the two bunkers. We were 25 in one tight smelly stinky cell. In fact at one point we were all sick because the toilets were blocked. We ate under stinking degrading conditions, sweaty and dehumanizing. We finally actually cleaned the toilet pipes with our hands so shit could flow out,” recounted a detainee who passed through the underground cells before being transferred to Kondengui.

We are also informed that Patrick Ndango remains very sick at SED after he was badly beaten by gendarmes following the emergence of the video which sent shock waves about the inhumane treatment meted out on Southern Cameroonian detainees. He was thrown back into the same cell. They are on day 14 of their hunger strike.

By Solomon Amabo

For BaretaNews attention