Panic Grips Yaoundé Denizens, with Increasing Rumors of a Civil War in January, 2018.

There are increasing indicators that the Biya’s dynasty in La Republique du Cameroun (LRC) and their 56 years of colonial grip over the territory of Ambazonia is gradually, but surely coming to a culmination. The one year and continuous resistance of Ambazonians against the almost six decades long slavery leaves no one in doubts that the strong man of Central Africa and his proxies are gradually falling from grace and falling for good. This is further compounded by the increasing exhaustion of the octogenarian lion man, without a cogent successor plan. The political stage is thus exposed for a possible free for all combat between different geopolitical interests in LRC come 2018. The worst of it, is the fact that General Ivo Yenwo, the secretly deposed Ambazonian born, Director of Presidential Security, is still nowhere to be found after he allegedly disappeared last time with a contingent of troops. This is creating serious panic and fear among political bigwigs and citizens in public offices in theYaoundé.

Recall that BaretaNews had reported some months back the alleged disappearance of the Nso born military general after mysteriously surviving an assassination attempt purportedly orchestrated by his boss Paul Biya and those around him. Since then, there seem to be no traces of his whereabouts and so, there is serious panic in high places in Yaoundé, with different conspiracy theories that the general is either planning a revenge attack on the limping Yaoundé regime out of the country or he may be the hidden face behind the General XXX of the Ambazonian Interim Government. With all these, there are very high speculations of heightened political violence all over the Cameroons possibly in January 2018.

Last week, BaretaNews reporter came in contact with a senior administrator in one of LRC’s ministries in Yaoundé, who was parking out the belongings of her children from one of the cozy student hostels in Buea, and transporting them back to Bamenda, her hometown. Upon interrogating why she was doing that when the children have not yet graduated from the university, this administrator asked BaretaNews reporter; “haven’t you heard that January will be hot in the country?” After some probing questions, she told our reporter that Yaoundé is in panic over the disappearance of General Ivo Yenwo with a group of soldiers, coupled with a fight for political succession between the North and South.

According to her, the issue of General Ivo has become a gossip story in every lip at the various ministries, to the extent that officials or civil servant only discuss about it in hiding and in a group of two. When a third person shows up, the discussion is immediately halted. She stated that there are speculations that he (General Ivo) is training the soldiers in an unknown neighboring destination to come and attack those who purportedly orchestrated his attempted assassination. Therefore, every government official in Yaounde, especially those close the old man, Paul Biya, now live in fear of the unknown.

The senior administrator, further revealed that there is also unsmiling political scheming going on in the background between the Hausa-Fulani North and the Ewondo/Beti extractions, on who to succeed the ailing president Paul Biya. While the North is spitting fire and vowing not to tolerate another mandate of Paul Biya or any one from his center-south extraction come 2018, Mr. Biya’s Kinsmen have sworn to retain the supposed Unity Palace, with or without the presence of their son (Biya) around the scene. This is happening as Southern Cameroonians too, are insisting on delivering themselves out of the 56 years of LRC colonialism, to the resistance of the colonial master.

With all these schisms, tension and political uncertainties, the lady concluded that nearly every enlightened persons in Yaoundé, with access to information already knows that 2018, especially the month of January shall be bloody across the Cameroons. Consequently, sending her children back home until further notice is a proactive measure, aimed at preventing them from being stranded in Buea, in case of any eventuality.

Whatever happens in January, whether civil war or no civil war; whether General Ivo attacks Yaoundé or not; whether the scheming between the different geopolitical interests in LRC heighten in January or not; all what is in the agenda of Ambazonians is their freedom from 56 years of servitude. If LRC wants to become a failed state after Ambazonia has been freed, that is their own internal political squabble and is not the political business Ambazonians.

Agbor James, BaretaNews Political Activist