The people of Awing, Santa Sub Division, North West of Ambazonia, were once again reminded that the so-called “government security forces” are not in Ambazonia to protect lives but to oppress, terrorise, and crush the will of the people.
On Sunday, September 28, 2025, as men, women, and children gathered at the local market to earn their daily bread, colonial soldiers of La République du Cameroun stormed the area with reckless gunfire, throwing the population into panic. Traders and buyers, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, fled for their lives.
“At first, we thought it was the Ambazonian Restoration Forces. To our greatest shock, it was the same soldiers who claimed to be protecting us. They chased everyone out of the market with gunshots,” an eyewitness lamented.
The soldiers ordered shopkeepers to shut down at gunpoint, effectively enforcing the Sunday-only lockdown that Ambazonian fighters had earlier declared. The irony was not lost on the population: the same regime that condemns Ambazonian restrictions is now implementing them even more brutally.
A trader who sells crayfish voiced the anger of the people:
“By closing our market, the colonial soldiers are no different from separatists in their narrative. They are actually strengthening the lockdown. We expected protection, but they are enforcing the very thing they claim to fight against.”
According to reports from Awing Magazine, the occupying forces have gone further by announcing a draconian curfew beginning at 7 p.m. Only those with medical emergencies or heading to the brigade are permitted to move. Anyone else caught outside risks punishment.
This comes on the heels of recent attacks along the Awing–Bamenda road, where unknown armed men have carried out robberies and killings. Instead of providing real solutions, the colonial military has chosen to target ordinary civilians, inflicting collective punishment on a population already caught in the middle of an imposed war.
The reality on the ground is apparent: La République du Cameroun’s soldiers are indistinguishable from the “terrorists” they claim to fight. In their attempt to crush Ambazonian resistance, they have resorted to the same tactics of intimidation, harassment, and economic strangulation of the people.
As Ambazonians continue to resist, one thing stands out: the colonial regime’s double standards and brutality only fuel the people’s determination to stand firm for freedom and dignity.
By Lucas Muma
