An Encounter With An Ambazonian Fighter (Behind The Scenes)

The crisis that has struck the English speaking region of the Cameroons since October 2016 has given rise to what many never saw coming.What began as a mere lawyers’ revendications for application of the Common Law in English Cameroon as well as some political reforms has been nursed whether voluntarily or involuntarily to give rise to an armed conflict. 20 months ago when the lawyers’ strike all started accompanied by a school boycott,a few political commentators predicted such an outcome but were largely rebuked by the Octonegarian regime,its political class,media organs and French majority citizens.The word in most of their lips was that the strike was going to come to a natural end when the stakeholders involved eventually get tired due to hunger.

Many youths by then saw the lawyers and subsequent teacher’s strike as a mere distraction to the present status-quo by then.Some never saw themselves joining the strike or protesting.But in what has eventually become a Guerilla warfare opposing pro-independence fighters of the Former British Southern Cameroons and the forces of Biya’s regime,thousands of young men are willing to give up their lives to “defend their land and liberate it from the claws of the colonial government of Cameroon” they say. BaretaNews platform commentator took time out to talk to an “Ambazonian” fighter.

“After I get fortification,my first target will be a certain gendarmerie,we have to take over it completely.Now,we’ll be a unit of Red Dragons in this locality and will cover about four villages.I’m falling in love every new day with bibles. After the integration,I hope we can get good bibles.I’ve written my will already” says the Ambazonian very young brave and absolutely determined fighter,member of a small self defense group in Lebialem.

“Red Dragons” here being a self proclaimed self defense group in the Lebialem while “bibles” as he says refers to weapons of war.But what could push valiant youths with bright ideas and a long future ahead of them to be willing to give up their lives at this stage?”I’ve written my will already” he says . According to BaretaNews, observation is not a singular declaration by a few misguided individuals but rather a common declaration and believe by thousands upon thousands .They commonly say “we shall either live free or die fighting”.

It is the opinion of BaretaNews that the poor handling of the crisis by the Yaounde regime not only made the already disgruntled population to rise up pacifically against it, but further radicalized them to pick up arms in retaliation to the unselective and brutal repression of Cameroon’s armed forces.What could have been resolved by a frank inclusive and sincere dialogue at the beginning has revolved into what seems like another unstable African country now and for many years to come.

What does this crisis reserve for us?Are many more youths going to pick up arms or there is hope for a peaceful end to this life threatening war?Time they say is the best answer.

Earlier on Ayah Ayah Abine, leaderof the AAyah Foundation wrote:

” Face-2-Face with ‘amba soldiers’! On Sunday April 22 2018, as the Ayah Foundation returned by road from visiting our refugees in Nigeria, we came face-2-face with what is today referred to as the ‘amba soldiers’, a very frightful experience. It was just about 09:55am, approximately 5 mins after men in uniform almost brought me down at Kendem village (a completely deserted village between Mamfe and Bamenda) that a ‘myth’ became reality. As we drove off, yet to recover from the shock of facing 3 guns pointing at me at very close range, then came a very young fellow, rushing into and standing on the road with what possibly looked like a polymer clay gun, aiming at us as we approached.

Panicking, our driver accelerated but the kid didn’t move an inch. In the spur of the moment and with the spirit of responsibility beckoning on me not to risk the lives of any of my crew members, I immediately ordered the driver to stop the car without questioning.He suddenly so did, trembling deep into the marrow as the young guy came over to my side, pointing the gun directly at my forehead, demanding that we present our ID cards with immediate effect. I slowly and calmly so did while politely telling him who I was and where I was coming from, in pidgin English. Very uncompromising, he handed back to me my ID and started doing the rounds which was suddenly interrupted by a voice from the bush that instructed him to let us go.

Full of fright, we calmly drove off as he stayed on the road watching us leave. What hurt and surprised me most is the fact that the young guy was/is under 18 from our unanimous opinions, very tender looking but full of venom and with a gun. Since then, I haven’t stopped asking myself how a kindergarten who ought to be helping his parents out with the daily chores and/or doing his homework, could be transformed into what he’s now become….”

Njamutoh Bertrand

Southern Cameroons Activist