The Roman Catholic Bishop of the Mamfe Diocese, Manyu County, of Southern Zone, Mgr. Andrew Nkea, has revealed how colonial military of La Republique du Cameroun is burning down houses maiming and killing people in Kembong Village.

In an exclusive interview granted the British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC), Friday December 22 2017, His Lordship Andrew Nkea said colonial forces invaded Kembong villages hours after four gendarmes were reported killed in the village, and started massacring the young like the old.

“I discovered my great shock and dismay that the whole village was deserted… and we are talking about the biggest village in the central Ejagam (a Bayangi clan), with about four-five thousand people. When I got there the whole village was deserted. I got to the Kembong parish, the only place where there was light in the entire village, the priest narrated to me what had happened. Some unknown young men had entered the village and assassinated four soldiers, and two hours after the young men had disappeared to wherever they came from, (colonial) soldiers came into the village with about three or four trucks, and started maiming the people, burning up houses. I could count more than 40 houses set on fire, burnt down completely with all the contents. So the people were chased out, maimed and fire set on their houses in a dramatic fashion. While a majority fled to the forest and neighbouring Nigeria, some old people and those seriously beaten, were sought refuge in the Father’s house at Kembong parish. I met with over 100 old men, women, and children, as well as seriously injured boys and girls seeking refuge in the Reverend Father’s house,” Bishop Nkea told the BBC

Quizzed on the authenticity if his claims, the military burnt down houses and chased people away from the village, Bishop Nkea eloquently said the military carried out the macabre act. He went further in corroborating by saying, he’s talked with the young, like the old and the injured, who all attested to the fact that the military carried out the melancholic act. The Reverend Father, according to him, also attested to the fact that, the military carried out the gruesome acts.

“It is very clear, it is an indisputable fact, the soldiers that came in, two hours after, set the fire. I met with at least 5 to ten people whose houses were burnt after they were thrown out and beaten. There’s no gain saying, the soldiers are burning down houses here in Mamfe and killing people,” Bishop Nkea added.

Bishop Nkea revealed he’s sending a communique to be read on Christmas Day in all parishes and churches under the Mamfe Diocese. As to regarding the content, Mgr. Andrew Nkea said he is asking all Catholic Christians to pray and seek the face of God in the event of this crisis. He said, it will only be through Divine intervention that the crisis will be solved.

Worthy to note that Bishop Andrew Nkea’s cry in the wilderness is coming barely days after the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Rt. Rev. Fonki Samueal Forba, condemned military indiscriminate killing of Southern Cameroonians in Manyu.

By Lucas Muma,

Managing Editor – BaretaNews