It was a very long night in Buea, capital of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. As late as 11:30pm, Sunday May 6 2018, sporadic gunshots resonating from here and there, kept the Buea denizens awake and traumatised.

According to on-the-spot information gathered, the colonial forces of La République du Cameroun (LRC), opened fire in the air at major junctions in Buea, aiming at scaring the population into rushing to their respective homes.

The gunshots that sounded as though they were shot at close range, caused pandemonium around the major roads, with chauffeurs, like pedestrians, ran helter-skelter to seek refuge.

“We were returning home from vigil, when suddenly we head heavy gunshots just around us. Suddenly, everyone started running. Some fell on the ground, and others rand for the nearest shelter. The gunshots really frightened us. After running for about a hundred metres, we were told that there’s no shooting. Someone said the military is just frightening people to return to their houses,” Enjeuma Matilda, a denizen of Buea.

Social Media Audio Message

An anonymous audio message had gone viral on social media, purporting an imminent attack on Buea. The messenger urged Buea denizens to take cover and runaway from any battle between the Ambazonian Defence Forces, and the terrorist LRC forces.

However, Ambazonian top-brass immediately declaimed audio. A source who talked to BaretaNews, said the audio is not genuine. According to him, when the Ambazonian army would want to attack, no announcement would be made.

“The audio is very fake. It’s surely propagated by LRC forces so they have a reason to terrorise the people. When we want to attack, we would not go on social media and place announcements. I call on all Ambazonians to go on with their normal activities,” our source told us.

He however, indicated that the attack on Buea is imminent, though not a priority now. According to him, the Amba soldiers are already in Buea. He said a lot is going underground to strike hard on all colonial occupiers.

LRC Soldiers Dribbled

Meanwhile, the colonial forces of LRC got hold of the social media audio and decided to pre-empt any attack by terrorising the people.

“We are not taking chances on any intelligence information we got. We understand the separatist forces have made their way into Buea. So, we are taking all necessary measures to prevent their operations,” an LRC commander in Buea, told BaretaNews.

It should be recalled that, Buea was one of those Ambazonian towns that were hard-hit following the Sunday October, 1 2017 impasse between unarmed peaceful protesters, and the terrorist forces of LRC. Close to 15 people lost their lives in the deadlock, while over a hundred were injured. The colonial LRC government arrested many others, before, during, and after the October 1, protest march.

Following the incidents going around in other parts of Southern Cameroon, the population of Buea is on the alert, knowing confrontations between the Amba army and the terrorist LRC force, is imminent.

By Bernadette Nkembi,

Roving Reporter – BaretaNews