THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS GENOCIDE: THEIR CRIMINALITY SHALL NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD

It is normal in our day to doubt the reality of the devil. But if you doubt the existence of Satan, come to the former British Southern Cameroons(Ambazonia) and see what the devil,in form of genocide, has recently been capable of. Satan’s vital victory is when people don’t take him seriously. If they are not certain you live, people won’t try to halt your activities. We fail to take the Evil One earnestly. And as a consequence, we are ignorant of his strategies, his power, his massive military, and his horrible tactics. Most of our dissatisfactions originate from a silly self-confidence which takes too lightly our own abilities and underestimates the influence of our supernatural opponents.
On Sunday, 1st October 2017, a swamp of military men armed to the teeth swooped in on jubilating civilians in the major cities of the Southern Cameroons, weaponless civilians who were on festive mood celebrating their Independence Day.

By the time their murderous and infernal mission was concluded, Paul Biya’s Mephistophelian military men had left more than 100 unprotected civilians butchered, over 500 arrested and arbitrarily detained, and several more injured in what has come to be the most recent and most despicable genocide in living memory and what is certainly a reckless desecration of not only the sacred but also the inviolability of human life.

Quite a lot of stories are recounted, questions asked and investigations carried out on this upsetting and disgusting 1st October calamity to bear repetition here. Numerous perspectives have been given of who orchestrated this ongoing vicious siege, what led to this heinous crime against humanity and inquiries are being conducted on the monstrous deed. Whole bishops of the Catholic Church have described how “Government gave firm instructions…asking people to stay at home…The majority of the people who stayed at home were quickly visited by the Forces of Law and Order who intimidated them, arrested them and took some to where we do not know. In Buea, Kumba, Mamfe, Kumbo and Bamenda, this trend of activity was rampant. In Bamesing…some young men were caught and shot on the legs…Some people who were killed were carried away and it is not known where their bodies were taken to…It is reported that truckloads of people arrested have been driven down to Yaoundé…citizens of these two regions have been branded terrorists.” The tears and pangs of pain release don our suffering people by the reckless massacre still endures, and the people have stomached a great dose of anger against a despicable plague called government in Yaoundé. If the Ambazonians had no concrete reason for pulling out from the contemptible union they engaged themselves with the so-called brothers, the recent genocide unleashed on them is enough reason.

When the Takenbeng mass Protest of 22 September took on such national and international scope and success, we should have inquired why people in such great numbers came out seeking a hearing…but the international bodies in their blindness on things Africa, allowed Paul Biya to stage out his genocide and go free. The resourceful #GenocideInSouthernCameroons campaign has electrified a hitherto unsure international community to pay attention to a conflict that was formerly viewed as a parochial ‘Cameroon problem’. One gets the feeling that even in Africa people believe that the restoration of the independence of the Southern Cameroons(Ambazonia) by their beleaguered peoples is ahistorical or something that could well be checked by the dictatorial and irresponsible Paul Biya. That is far from the mark.

The Southern Cameroons problem may have its origin within the internal political framework of Cameroon, but something has occurred several times in our history that Southern Cameroons has not always expected and has instead, to their surprise reinvented an unyielding Ambazonian Federal Republic which has grown beyond the capacity of the control of the CameroUn State and the people are stubbornly but happily submitting their loyalties and wills to their leaders in homeland and the Diaspora. A ‘wild, dangerous beast’ has unleashed its fangs and teeth on our people. They are hurting. Paul Biya the Almighty and his military can kill the bodies of the people but they cannot conquered their wills and hearts. It is now the duty of the global community, the UNO.

A crime against humanity has been committed in that State called the Southern Cameroons.

Father Gerald Jumbam

Kumbo Diocesan Priest