The Kumbo Abductions: RELEASE THE STUDENTS

Fellow Ambazonians

Happy Sunday

I have watched over the last 24 hours conflicting stories coming from Kumbo about the abductions of at least 120 students including some staff. The exact number is not immediately known because various reports talk of 150, 170, 200, 300 etc. It is a shame that at this stage of the issue, Saint Augustine College Nso cannot come up with the exact number of students abducted from the school.

Yesterday, I learned they have been released but unfortunately today, it is said they are still in the keeping of those who took them for very unclear reasons.

Let me use this opportunity to recount again that schools, hospitals and churches are three main areas which MUST be protected during war time. We understand SAC is a boarding school and considering the fact that Kumbo is now a real time war torn area, students in such schools at least are somewhat shield from insecurity. We have repeatedly maintained on this platform that schools can operate so long as it is safe to do so and students security are not jeopardise. We have maintained that the period of active school boycott was over as the struggle has morphed into an arm struggle. We also did maintained that parents must take responsibility in regards to the security of their children going to school because Ambazonia Fighters cannot at this stage provide such security due to the fact that fighting is still polarised. We are not yet in control of any known territory that we can allow schools to go on effectively. We were clear that because fighting is going off and on, those going to schools especially in cities must watch out before being caught up. Of course we know in most parts of rural Ambazonia schools resumption is a dead issue for all reasons we know.

I am indeed shocked and surprised that such a large number of students could be taken out from the school to an unknown destination without any interruption. Where are the Cameroun soldiers the schools had provided to be guarding the school? For those of us who know the topography of Saint Augustine College Nso and where it is located, you will be gnashing your teeth asking many questions. How come such a large number of students could be taken by unknown individuals far into different destination?

I am worried because I am beginning to feel it is a type of racketeering with actors from both sides of the divide including school administrators. I am saying so because if the reasons of any one abducting students is to stop them from going to school as still being part of the struggle, then the schools operating should have been made to shut down completely. But when we see students taken, and they are released to go back to the school and the schools continue to function, then this is no longer an issue about the school violating the struggle, it’s all about business and racketeering and there are people benefiting from this shameful act.

This platform continues to condemn this act in the most strongest possible terms and we are adding our voices to that of Ambazonians to ask those in charge of the students to release them immediately. It is not time to be drawing conspiracy theories whether it is done by non state armed groups or part of Cameroun soldiers move to continue discrediting the revolution. Whoever is keeping them should immediately set them free.

Now let me turn to ourselves Ambazonians. We understand it is war. War has rules. War is not conducted in a chaotic manner. There are areas in War we cannot go or do. It does not mean during war, life must not go on. Yes, war has consequences and it is not a period of normality. War means on our part we do what we can do to the best of our abilities to reduce any pain on our people.

Those in charge of groups on ground zero, we have as responsibility to make sure we continue to educate our self defense forces about the Geneva conventions, what we must and must not do and sometimes when we go astray for obvious reasons , we need to keep it as a matter of war secrets known to none than making social media headlines.

I am calling on all those in charge of self defense groups: AMF, ASC, ADF, SOCADEF etc to ensure that every week, Ambazonia fighters are summoned for some form of war education. Commanders and Generals must constantly be talked to so that they pass the message down to foot soldiers. It’s our duty to do so and anyone in contact with a fighter as an individual must also help in these communications. This is how we protect our revolution.

I acknowledged that civilians kidnapping, ransoms etc have considerably reduced over the last two months. Our fighters have been engaged in picking fake ones, even rogue ones who are acting against the norms. Yes, every society has bad ones in their midst and it’s our duty to stamp that out but our best is not best enough. We must continue preaching against these acts knowing that even in a free Ambazonia, there will be a war court and everyone of us shall answer how we conduct ourselves during this revolution. We shall have our own fair cup of justice. The international community is not sleeping also, they will come when it’s all over.

God bless Ambazonia 
Short Live the Revolution

Mark Bareta