1. One Killed and Several Wounded As Irate Population Parade the Corpse of Slain Pupil in Protest in Bamenda
Chaos erupted in Bamenda, Northwest Region of Cameroon on Friday November 12, 2021 when a 7-year old girl was hit by a bullet fired by a Police Officer. Eye-witnesses told DHPI that the late Tataw Brandy was killed on her way home from School on that fateful Friday by a Police Officer who opened fire on a fleeing vehicle he and his colleague had stopped at the police imposed checkpoint. Unconfirmed sources added that the Police Officers had asked for a bribe of 500 FCFA (1USD) from the driver, who refused to pay and drove off, which sparked off the chase.
Upon realizing that he had missed his target and rather gunned down the little girl, the said Officer and his colleague took to their heels. The angry population immediately carried the lifeless body of the little girl and marched from the central part of the town to the Governor’s office in protest against the arbitrary killings of civilians by the military.
However, the military responded to the protest by opening fire on the population, killing 1 man on the spot and wounding a good number of others.
The Governor of the Northwest Region, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique in an interview said: “Investigation is going on to confirm the real reason of her demise… but I want to reassure you that the author of the gunshot, the Police man has already been remanded into custody and after the investigation, he will be severely sanctioned if it is confirmed, after an autopsy that it is the bullet from his gunshot that killed the little girl who was returning from school.”
Military Neutralize Two Separatist Fighters in Bamenda
As the Cameroon armed forces struggle to rid the Northwest and Southwest regions of separatist fighters who have been fighting for the independence of Ambazonia since 2017, the morning Monday November 15, 2021 saw the elimination of two of these rebels who have been a thorn in their flesh. The two members of the Ambazonia Restoration Forces were killed during a sustained exchange of fire between the military and them.
A private Security Officer who was on duty and witnessed the shootout spoke to DHPI on the condition of anonymity and said “The boys [as the ARFs are locally referred to] were from the Bafut Regiment. He also gathered that they had come to engage the military to stop them from harassing people on Mondays, which have been imposed as ‘Ghost Town’ days or stay home all over the two English-speaking regions of the country since 2017.
DHPI learnt that there was a possibility of the military suffering some major casualties as well because a military ambulance sped to the scene of action as the shooting was going on.
Separatist Fighters Kill Five Military Men in Matazem
Five military men were killed in an ambush by the ARFs on Saturday, November 13, 2021, in Matazem, on the border between the Northwest and West regions of Cameroon.
The military truck transporting these troops was immobilized by the explosion of an IED and the ARFs proceeded to execute all the occupants of the vehicle.
Video footage shot by the ARFs reveals about 7 of them on the scene of the killing stripping the dead military of their gear all in their own pool of blood. The voice behind the video says they are ARFs loyal to ‘General Okoro’ and have carried out the attack as revenge on the military for the murder of Tataw Brandy, the little girl who was returning from school the day before and other school children killed by the military.
The government has not confirmed the killing of the soldiers but the video is clear evidence that the act was carried out by the ARFs. The government is reputed for only accepting the death of her soldiers when it is very clear to the public when the separatist fighters kill and videotape or take snapshots of the operations.
Military Kill One and Fatally Wound Another in Buea
The military opened fire on a cultural secret Dance Group in Buea, Southwest region of Cameroon on Monday 15 November 2021, killing one and leaving another with life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday November 15, 2021 at around 4:30 A. M. WAT when the military on patrol shot at this Dance Group, mistaking them for separatist fighters.
The Dance Group is a cultural Secret Society that performs its ritual activities in the dark as they are to be seen only by initiates. A member of the group told DHPI that they were out to perform rituals in preparation for a cultural activity that is scheduled to take place in Buea in January.
The dead member of the Dance Group Monono John was the son of a local chief of the Bakweri tribe of the Southwest region of Cameroon.
The incensed population took the corpse of the dead man and paraded the streets of Buea, halting traffic.
Military Raid Catholic Hospital’s Cardiac Centre in Search of Separatist Fighters in Shisong – Kumbo
The Director of Saint Elizabeth’s Catholic Hospital Cardiac Centre, Dr Sr Anshoma Helen addressed a letter to the Divisional Officer of Kumbo, Northwest Region and the Bishop of the Diocese of Kumbo Bishop George Nkuo detailing a military raid conducted in the Cardiac Centre by the Cameroon military. According to her, the military broke into the Health premises in search of suspected separatist fighters purportedly being treated there.
She stated that the military men, armed to the teeth came in 3 armoured vehicles caused both psychological and physical pain to the staff and patients of the Centre.
The Director of the Cardiac Centre also reminded the addressees that it was the second time the military was invading the health premises as they lastly visited albeit in an unwanted manner in July 2021.
DHPI also reported in its Country Update of July 30, 2021 how the military carried out a similar act in a Catholic Health Centre in Bali which resulted in the arrest and charging of a Doctor and a Nurse.
Military Destroy Crops, Favour Fulanis Over Indigenes and Use Civilians as ‘Human Shield’ in Wum
As the indigenous people of Wum, the administrative capital of Menchum Division of the Northwest Region of Cameroon struggle to recover from the recent killings, torching of homes and business premises and looting by the Fulani backed by the military, the situation only seems to get worse.
DHPI was reliably informed on Saturday, November 13, 2021, that the military has been hacking down the crops of the indigenes of Wum in an attempt to clear out potential and real spots that separatist fighters have used as hideouts to launch their attacks on them. A priest whose name DHPI has been withheld for security purposes revealed that the military routinely rounds up commercial motorbike riders of Aghem origin, while letting those of Fulani origin go free, and force them to cut down the bushes from which the Ambazonia Restoration Forces (ARFs) usually attack them. However, additionally and most recently, the military has gone on a rampage, levelling all the surroundings in Wum and in the process, destroying crops such as maize (cereal plants), plantains and bananas, which serve as the main source of food for the locals.
The same priest told DHPI that some members of the Fulani have established provision stores from the items looted from the locals of Wum. He added that the huge number of motorbikes seized from the indigenes are also used by the Fulanis for commercial and private circulation, with the knowledge of and seemingly full support of the military.
The most concerning report on human rights violation in Wum by the military, the priest recounted, is the fact that the military use commercial biker riders transporting persons and goods from Wum to Bamenda and vice versa as ‘human shields’. Since separatist fighters often ambush military trucks on the Wum-Bamenda highway or detonate IEDs that have led to many casualties on the side of the military, they have now resorted to forcing civilian commercial and private motorbike riders to flank them while going to and from Bamenda. By this action the military put their safety over and above civilians lives whom they are sworn to protect.
The situation in Wum begs the attention of the international community as over 40 houses were burnt down recently (October 18 – 19, 2021), leaving over 60 families homeless, stranded and without the basic necessities of life. Moreover, the locals have not been able to access their farms for over a year now due to insecurity as the Fulani kidnap and kill them on their way to the farms. The only source of food they are surviving on are the crops around their homes and the military has gone on destroying these.
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