Tensions Rise in Buea as Freedom Fighters Target Local Vigilante Network
By Andre Momo
Buea, Ambazonia – Nearly a week after a targeted operation by Ambazonian freedom fighters in Muea, a locality within Buea, questions continue to mount over the silence of the local colonial administration, particularly the Divisional Officer (DO), who is accused of inciting tensions among civilians.
The incident stems from events that occurred two weeks ago, when the colonial DO, reportedly accompanied by regime soldiers, allegedly distributed cutlasses to selected residents of Muea. These weapons were purportedly handed out with the intent of forming a local vigilante group to counter freedom fighters operating in the area.
By accepting the weapons, these residents effectively aligned themselves against the armed separatist movement, which claims to be fighting for the liberation of Ambazonia from colonial rule.
On Monday this week, the situation escalated. Armed units of the Ambazonian forces—commonly referred to as the “Fako Mountain Lions”—launched an operation to dismantle what they described as a network orchestrated by the colonial regime to turn civilians against the liberation movement. During the operation, at least six individuals who had accepted cutlasses from the administration were apprehended and taken in for interrogation.
Since the incident, the colonial DO has yet to make any public statement addressing the matter, despite mounting concerns from the local population. Families of the detained individuals have reportedly been left to seek information about their whereabouts on their own, with no guidance from the authorities.
Freedom fighters in Buea have issued fresh warnings to residents, urging them to refrain from engaging in any activities that could be perceived as collaboration with regime forces. In a statement, they condemned what they described as a tactic used by colonial forces—disguising themselves among the population and committing atrocities that are then blamed on the resistance movement.
The operation and subsequent silence of the DO have further strained relations between civilians and the colonial administration, raising fears of increased instability in the region.
