October 1st Massacre: Hunter allegedly finds Mass grave at Buea forest, as International Community pressures La Republique to dialogue on Root Causes

Sunday, October 1st 2017, is one day that will remain positively and negatively indelible in the minds of Southern Cameroonians and in the Revolutionary history of the Restoration of the Independence of Southern Cameroons. It was not only the day that saw officially the declaration of separation process from La Republique du Cameroon, it appeared to also be the day in which the largest amount of Southern Cameroonian blood was shed in the history of the Independence Restoration struggle.

As Southern Cameroonians bury their already identified love ones annihilated by the repressive agents of La Republic du Cameroon, more dead bodies are still being discovered in nearby bushes especially in the Ambazonia seat of power, Buea. Apart from the 4 corpses discovered at Upper Farms Buea on 5th October 2017, 5 others have been discovered today still at the same area. A text message is presently going viral in the homeland of about 10 more corpses discovered behind the Buea Central prison, 11 at Bokwai village and 5 at the valley behind Mount Mary Hospital Buea. There are also unconfirmed reports of about 300 arrested persons charged to court yesterday in Buea.

In a related development, a hunter is said to have allegedly found a mass grave in the mountainous forest of Buea – a development BaretanNews is presently investigating to ascertain its authenticity. The story holds that the hunter bombed into the mass grave which was poorly covered during his hunting expedition in the forest at the base of Mount Fako. Out of fear, he abandoned his hunting outing and shared the story with his neighbors who advised him not to report to any police or CPDM official, but to look for an independent journalist who could investigate and break the story with pictorial and video evidence. Baretanews shall continue to investigate the veracity of these stories and will bring you details as they come into our news desk.

However, considering the findings of the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC) anda report from the early released Friday edition of the,Buea based tabloid; The Post Weekender No. 01857 of Friday, October 6, 2017, in which they both counted over 100 Southern Cameroonians massacred across the homeland, we shall not be surprise if our investigation on the mass grave story comes out to be true. Recalled that Equinox local TV based in Douala, economic capital city of La Republique had earlier on announced an alledged Mass grave in Akwaya, SWR.

In the meantime, condemnations of La Republique’sheavy handedness on peaceful citizens of Ambazonia have continue to pour in from human rights organizations and the international community, with mounting pressure on the limping regime of Mr. Biya to dialogue with the Southern Cameroons leadership, on the Root Causes of the crisis.
In a press release on October 3rd, REDHAC strongly condemned the human rights violations perpetrated by elements of La Republiques’s forces, the genocidal utterances of agents of the regime against Southern Cameroonians and the use of live rounds of ammunition and helicopter gunships to disperse peaceful protesters. The human rights body also expressed its support for the genuine course of Southern Cameroonians and their peaceful approach to getting what they want. They called on La Republique authorities to; as a matter of urgency released all Ambazonians arrested and detained since October, 2016; order an independent investigation to establish the facts and prosecute the perpetrators of the macabre acts, and adequately and consequently provide reparations to all the victims of the carnage. REDHAC also reiterates the need for the establishment of an inclusive political and social dialogue framework with all stakeholders to resolve the crisis in order to obtain lasting solutions. It also called on the AU, African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), and the UN to live up to their responsibilities by prevailing on the Cameroun authorities to do the needful with respect to her international legal obligations to human rights and all forms of freedom.

The US State Department through its spokesperson, Heather Nauert, and the United Kingdom, through its Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart, have also, in separate releases describe as unacceptable the violence unleashed on peaceful Southern Cameroonians by the occupier to restrict free expression and peaceful assembly. They both called on the colonial authorities to respect the human rights and freedom of expression of Southern Cameroonians, which include the right to access the internet (which has been blocked since Sunday October 1st for the second time in one year). The two super powers did not fail to re-echo the position of the UN on the need for La Republique authorities to engage the Southern Cameroons leadership in a genuine dialogue on the root causes of the crisis in order to come out with durable solutions to the imbroglio.

Since the beginning of this crisis in October 2016, there has been continuous and repeated calls from the international community, civil society organizations and human rights organizations, on La Republique to engage Southern Cameroons leaders in a frank and genuine dialogue. The lack of political will by the regime to dialogue and the adoption of cosmetic approaches despite the escalations, aresymptomatic evidences that, the kleptomaniac regime is afraid of frank and genuine dialogue on the root causes of the crisis. As it stance, they have diagnosed and analyzed this conflict fromall the angles and have envisaged the result of any dialogue on the root causes – which is certainly separation. It is not surprising therefore that they have chosen to apply the argument of force rather than the force of argument.

Consequently, Baretanews will want to draw the attention of the UN at this juncture that La Republique has crossed the REDLINE on the violation of human rights in Southern Cameroons. There is no doubt to the fact that genocide is presently ongoing in the land and they were duly informed by multiple sources in before time. They need not wait for an entire people to be eliminated before they can come to their protection. A swift UN intervention at this juncture will not only bring a sigh of relief on the already traumatized, distressed and politico-economic and socially tormented people, but will also put the UN in the annals of history for having swiftly intervene to save a generation of people on the brink of total obliteration by a colonial occupier known as the Republic of Cameroun.

James Agbor

BaretaNews Contributor