Patients, carers and medical personnel at the renowned Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH) in Banso, Ngoketunjia County, are struggling to recover from yet another traumatic military incursion after heavily armed soldiers of La République du Cameroun’s Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) stormed the hospital in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to local sources who spoke to BN, the military operation began shortly after 1:00 AM and lasted until approximately 4:00 AM. During the raid, soldiers reportedly moved from ward to ward searching for individuals they suspected of being wounded Ambazonian Restoration Forces fighters. Patients, including the critically ill, were allegedly forced out of their beds and subjected to intimidation as the soldiers conducted their operation inside the medical facility.
Medical personnel on night duty were reportedly ordered to abandon their posts and leave hospital wards unattended for nearly four hours while the soldiers carried out their search. The disruption prevented many patients from receiving scheduled medication and urgent medical attention. Health experts warn that interruptions in treatment can have severe consequences, including the development of drug resistance and, in some cases, fatal complications for patients suffering from serious bacterial and viral infections.
Sources further revealed that several mobile phones belonging to patients and carers were confiscated during the operation, raising additional concerns over the conduct of the soldiers and the violation of civilian rights within a protected medical environment.
The military incursion has sparked renewed criticism of Yaoundé’s handling of the conflict in Ambazonia, particularly regarding its repeated disregard for international humanitarian law. Article 18 of the Geneva Convention, to which Cameroon is a signatory, explicitly protects civilian hospitals and medical facilities from military interference. The Convention states that hospitals established to care for the wounded, sick, infirm and maternity patients must be respected and protected at all times by parties engaged in armed conflict.
Observers note that Banso Baptist Hospital is situated several hundred metres away from the BIR military camp at Tobin in Kumbo and cannot reasonably be considered a military objective. Despite the extensive operation, no suspected Ambazonian fighters were reportedly found on the hospital premises.
Many residents and human rights advocates have condemned the operation, arguing that the presence of armed soldiers inside a functioning civilian hospital unnecessarily endangered doctors, nurses, patients and carers. They warn that such actions risk transforming a respected Christian healthcare institution into a potential battlefield.
The latest incident comes barely a month after another military attack on the hospital. On May 6, soldiers of the Cameroon military reportedly stormed the BBH and fired live ammunition within the hospital compound. The attack caused extensive property damage worth hundreds of thousands of CFA francs and left patients and healthcare workers severely traumatised.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
