As citizens across Ambazonia and La République marked the controversial 20th May so-called “National Unity Day,” reports of harassment, intimidation and roadside extortion by colonial security forces surfaced once more across Ground Zero. From Buea to Bamenda, from Kumba to Kumbo, heavily armed gendarmes and military elements mounted checkpoints, stopping civilians at every corner and demanding national identity cards as though possession of an ID automatically translates to public safety.
For decades, the regime in Yaoundé has defended the endless control checks as part of “national security.” But many Ambazonians are increasingly questioning this narrative, arguing that the obsession with identity cards has become nothing more than a tool for harassment and extortion against ordinary civilians already suffering under occupation and economic hardship.
Critics argue that an ID card merely identifies a person based on documents earlier submitted at a police station. It does not reveal criminal intent, nor does it prevent crime. A thief can possess a valid ID card. A drug trafficker can equally carry one. Even terrorists and armed criminals can easily obtain identification documents while continuing their activities unnoticed. The document only displays names, photographs and dates of birth. It does not determine whether an individual poses a threat to society.
Across Ambazonia, civilians say colonial forces have turned ID card checks into daily business operations. At most checkpoints, those without IDs are allegedly forced to pay between 500 and 5,000 CFA before being allowed to pass. Others carrying expired “carton IDs” often face humiliation despite delays caused by the regime’s own failure to issue permanent biometric cards on time.
Many now believe real security should focus on intelligence gathering, forensic investigations, border surveillance, anti-human trafficking operations and cracking down on illegal arms circulation instead of the endless roadside intimidation of bike riders, traders, students and struggling civilians.
Observers say the current security architecture of La République relies heavily on fear, random controls, and militarisation rather than on modern, intelligence-driven policing. In several parts of Ground Zero, citizens complain that checkpoints have become centres of corruption where security officers prioritise collecting bribes over identifying actual threats.
The debate comes at a time when trust between civilians and colonial security forces continues to deteriorate sharply across Ambazonia. Many residents insist that true public safety can only emerge from professionalism, accountability and community trust, not from the regime’s continued fixation on identity cards and militarised roadside controls.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
