Colonial Soldier Killed Despite Using Civilians as Human Shields
By Mbah Godlove
A French Cameroonian soldier was identified and killed during an attack by Ambazonian freedom fighters earlier this week. The soldier, a member of the elite colonial Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide (BIR), was reportedly using civilians as human shields to protect himself.
The incident occurred along the Ndu-Founban road when two civilians driving out of Ndu Local Government Area (LGA) unknowingly picked up the soldier, who was disguised in civilian attire. Posing as a stranded traveler, the soldier pleaded for a ride, and the occupants of the vehicle obliged.
During the journey, the car was stopped by Ambazonian freedom fighters conducting a routine patrol. Upon confrontation, the disguised soldier opened fire on the fighters, attempting to resist arrest. The freedom fighters retaliated swiftly, neutralizing the soldier on the spot.
Tragically, the two civilians in the vehicle were also caught in the crossfire. One of them died instantly, while the other succumbed to injuries later at the hospital.
Since the beginning of the ongoing war for liberation in 2016, the Ndu LGA has been a stronghold of Ambazonian restoration forces committed to freeing their homeland from colonial rule. The region remains a hotspot for clashes between freedom fighters and the colonial forces of French Cameroon.
