Colonial Military Commander Dies in Ambazonia: Divine Justice or Tragic Fate?
By Andre Momo, BaretaNews
Bamenda, Ambazonia – The death of a senior colonial military officer earlier this week has sparked widespread speculation among Ambazonians, with many interpreting the incident as divine intervention in the ongoing struggle for independence.
Colonel Zambo Ngwemo Etien, recently appointed commander of the colonial Gendarmerie brigade in the Northern Zone, perished in a fatal road accident on the notorious Upstation Hill in Bamenda. Reports confirm that his vehicle collided with a heavy-duty truck that had lost control. While his driver and bodyguard sustained injuries, the colonel died on the spot.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Colonel Etien was en route to a security meeting aimed at strategizing military operations in civilian residential areas—an effort purportedly intended to flush out pro-independence fighters. His death, less than 48 hours after a controversial meeting with local transport syndicate leaders, has been met with mixed reactions.
During the meeting, Etien allegedly threatened drivers and transport union heads, demanding their collaboration with colonial forces in identifying and tracking down restoration fighters. He reportedly issued an ultimatum: cooperate or be removed from the roads.
For many local drivers and union leaders, his sudden death is viewed as a moment of reprieve. “He was a constant source of intimidation. His passing feels like a heavy burden has been lifted,” one union head, speaking on condition of anonymity, told BaretaNews.
The incident has reignited conversations around the spiritual dimension of the Ambazonian liberation struggle, now entering its eighth year. Among supporters of the revolution, the colonel’s demise is seen as further evidence that the cause is divinely ordained.
Just three weeks ago, a separate accident involving a speeding colonial police truck in Buea resulted in the deaths of at least three officers, with several others critically injured. To many, these events—whether by design or fate—underscore a growing belief that justice for Ambazonia is inevitable.
As the revolution persists amid formidable challenges, such episodes fuel the conviction among Ambazonians that their struggle is protected by a higher power—one that acts when human efforts fall short.