Back to school in Anglophone Regions: A dangerous mission for the Army and Ambazonians
Back to school in Anglophone Regions: A dangerous mission for the Army and Ambazonians
The 2022-2023 academic year promises to be eventful in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. The separatist armed groups that have been raging in this English-speaking part of Cameroon for almost 5 years are not ready to let the students return to class in September. Mark Bareta, one of the secessionist leaders who resides in the diaspora announces the new date for the return to the NOSO.
“RESUMING SCHOOLS: Ambazonia forces in a circulating video have stipulated that the resumption of schools this year will not start until October 4, 2022. No schools are expected to open in September. Fighters maintained that all schools can resume EXCEPT public schools,” he tweeted.
Yaoundé does not intend to let separatist groups dictate the NOSO school curriculum. According to sources, the power is also preparing on its side to thwart possible attacks by the Amba Boys against school infrastructure.
Clashes between Republican forces and armed groups have claimed thousands of victims on both sides. Innocent civilians are paying the heavy price of this war. More than 500,000 students have found themselves at home because of the crisis.
The Cameroonian authorities, who are betting heavily on the military option, have won a small victory with the assassination of the formidable warlord Field Marshall. The death of the latter did not calm the situation in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon.
Terror
The new leaders of Ambazonia opt for the strong method. Her name is Marianta Njomia. Officially, she is a physics teacher in the United Kingdom. In her native country, she is the new president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Ambazonia. Marianta Njomia replaces Samuel Sako who held this position on an interim basis.
Unlike previous leaders of Ambazonia rightly or wrongly accused of compromising with the Yaoundé regime, Marianta Njomia is famous for terror and violence. According to sources close to armed separatist groups, it has decided to systematically respond to all abuses committed by Cameroonian soldiers in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. Thus, under his mandate, the military and civilian populations of the French-speaking regions of Cameroon are now the targets of armed Amba Boys. Worried by the successful operations carried out by his men in the West region in recent weeks, the Cameroonian authorities had put the entire security system in this part of the country on alert.
A note from the Governor of the Western Region dated June 10, 2022 suggests that new terrorist attacks are in preparation in this part of the country. The town of Bandjoun is the new target of armed groups which, according to Governor Augustine Awa Fonka, are already there and are sleeping cells. The governor invites the prefects of his district and the members of the governor’s staff to “strengthen the security system around sensitive points (places of worship, markets, examination center, residences of authorities, police and police station, prison, etc.
The cities of Foumbot, Foumba, Bafoussam, Mbouda, Dschang, Magba, Bandjoun are mainly targeted by the instructions of the governor who orders, among other things, the strengthening of security around “certain neighborhoods which housed former separatists”.
These new instructions from the governor of the Western region come a few days after the murderous incursion of an armed group led by “General No Pity” resulting in the assassination of five soldiers.
