Tension gripped the Wonganga neighbourhood in Buea, Fako County, on Sunday morning after heavily armed French Cameroun security forces descended on the area in what residents described as a brutal dragnet operation targeting young Ambazonian men.
According to eyewitness accounts, the raid began at exactly 7:00 AM when elements of the occupation forces stormed homes and streets in Wonganga, arresting close to 45 young men indiscriminately, regardless of whether they possessed identification documents or not.
Residents say several youths who questioned the arrests or attempted to resist were severely beaten on the spot by the same forces claiming to maintain law and order in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.
The arrested civilians were reportedly transported to the Gendarmerie Legion in Buea. However, instead of being detained in official holding cells, sources disclosed that the young men were locked inside a concealed hall within the military facility where they were allegedly subjected to torture, humiliation and degrading treatment.
Families immediately lost contact with their relatives after all phones and personal belongings belonging to the detainees were confiscated upon arrival at the facility. Up till now, several families reportedly remain unaware of the whereabouts and condition of their loved ones.
In one of the most disturbing revelations, a captured Ambazonia Restoration Fighter from Muyuka was allegedly brought into the detention hall in chains and forced under torture to identify fellow fighters among the arrested youths. Sources say the detainee was mercilessly beaten while security operatives pressured him to point fingers at innocent civilians.
Despite the severe torture, the fighter reportedly maintained that none of the arrested youths was members of the Ambazonia resistance. His refusal allegedly infuriated the occupation forces, who accused him of shielding fellow fighters and intensified the beatings.
Witnesses further revealed that when some detainees courageously questioned why they were being treated in such an inhumane manner and whether they still possessed rights as citizens, the forces became even more violent. One officer reportedly threatened to execute all detainees and simply label them “Amba boys” in his report to hierarchy, boasting that no investigation would ever follow.
Another shocking act of cruelty allegedly involved a security officer using a blade to cut and peel skin from the body of a young detainee under the pretext of removing a tattoo. The act reportedly stopped only after another officer intervened and rebuked his colleague.
Sources also disclosed that detainees’ hair was forcefully shaved with the same blade used on multiple individuals, raising fears of possible infections and disease transmission inside the detention centre.
Families and local residents have accused the French Cameroun military and gendarmerie of operating an extortion racket around the arrests. Reports indicate that no detainee has been released without payment, with amounts ranging from 180,000 FCFA to over 250,000 FCFA. Several families were allegedly forced to hire lawyers before securing the release of relatives.
Those unable to raise the demanded sums reportedly remain in detention.
The latest incident adds to growing accusations of systematic abuse, arbitrary arrests and torture by French-Cameroun occupation forces across Ground Zero, particularly in Fako County, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict between Ambazonia Restoration Forces and the regime in Yaoundé.
Rights observers say the incident once more raises serious concerns about impunity, illegal detention practices and the worsening humanitarian situation in Southern Cameroons.
