Colonial Administrator Directs Chiefs to Identify and Count People from Ground Zero
A shocking administrative directive from French Cameroun has surfaced, exposing what many are now calling a systematic attempt to profile and segregate Ambazonians living outside Ground Zero. In Eseka, authorities have ordered a targeted census of citizens originating from North-West and South-West, raising serious concerns across the occupied territory.
The controversial message, issued by the Sub Prefect of Eseka, instructs all third-class traditional rulers under his command to immediately begin the identification and registration of so-called “ressortissants” from the two Ambazonian regions. The document, dated March 31, 2026, describes the exercise as urgent and of high importance, ordering chiefs to act without delay.
Observers widely perceive this move as a dangerous step toward ethnic profiling. Ambazonians, many of whom fled the war in Ground Zero, now find themselves singled out in a foreign land where they sought refuge. The directive effectively places a target on their backs, reinforcing long-standing fears of discrimination and exclusion under the French Cameroun system.
Sources on the ground in Eseka indicate that the operation is fuelled by growing suspicion among some local populations, who accuse Anglophones of being responsible for insecurity and violence in the area. These claims remain largely unproven, yet they are now being used to justify a census that exclusively targets a specific group of people.
For many Ambazonians, the operation is not just a census. It is a clear attempt to isolate, monitor, and potentially persecute them based on their origin. The timing of the directive further raises eyebrows, coming at a moment when tensions remain high across Ground Zero, and displacement continues to push civilians into other parts of the country.
Critics argue that if the intention were genuinely administrative, the census would include all residents, not be selectively focused on people from specific regions. Instead, what is unfolding in Eseka points to a deeper agenda that undermines unity and fuels division.
As this development unfolds, civil society voices are expected to react strongly, warning that such measures could escalate tensions and expose already vulnerable populations to further risk. For Ambazonians living in exile within French Cameroun, the message is clear. They are still being watched even outside of Ground Zero.
