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There was gloom, exasperation and tension in the Northwest and Southwest regions last week as spates of killings touched their apex with surging attacks from separatist fighters.
It is glaringly evident that in spite of the armada of measures undertaken by security and defence operatives to ensure that peace is restored in the two crisis stricken regions, turmoil, anarchy and violence seems to only be surging at untold proportions.
Even the all night curfew imposed on the two regions by state authorities, the situation is yet to get better as attacks by armed men continue to abound.
Not even the ban on the use and sale of firearms in the said regions, has been an antidote to the rising social tensions.
At the height of the tensions, even motorbikes were banned from circulating in some parts of the troubled regions, but that lasting solution still remains farfetched.
Last week Thursday in Bali Nyonga, parents rushed to schools to pick up their children after news spread that Ambazonia fighters popularly known as the “Amba boys,” were headed to schools for an attack.
This version of the story was later debunked however, after news emerged that the separatist fighters were out for the Secretary General of the Bali council. According to the DO for Bali subdivision, 3 gunmen onboard a motorbike, attacked a car transporting the children of the SG to school but unfortunately for them, the SG was not inside.
The rumor of the attack on the SG’s car spread rapidly and caused unrest in the town. Last Friday, calm was said to have started returning to Bali after a day of tension and social angst.
Social media reports alleged that, 8 children were finally kidnapped after the attempt on the SG failed, however, TCR cannot independently authenticate this information as no government official had confirmed it a press time.
In the meantime, the DO for Bali has assured the population that everything will be done to secure their children on campus.
Meanwhile untold tragedy was recorded in two separate state owned secondary schools in the troubled English regions of Cameroon.
The double mishaps of Wednesday April 25, 2018, caused the death of one of the senior administrators of the affected schools and the injury of another.
Since Tuesday night, gunshots were recurrent all over Andek, in Ngie subdivision, Momo division in the Northwest region.
According to sources, locals got up early Wednesday to find the Principal of Government High School Andek, Sango Mathew Anjue lying critically injured.
Allegations are rife that he was certainly shot during an all night battle between Amabzonia fighters and Cameroon’s military. Meanwhile, other sources say that the principal was assaulted in his school by unidentified gunmen presumed to be Ambazonia fighters. However, at press time Friday, the reasons for the assault on him had yet to be uncovered.
TCR gathered that Sango Mathew, was later evacuated to the Bamenda regional hospital before later transferred to Yaounde where he was said to be responding to treatment.
TCR gathered that among the victims of the deadly attack by armed separatists in Andek, is the second-class soldier Boumzina, better known by the pseudonym Albertini Zina Boule.
While an official balanced sheet of deaths and casualties were still awaited at press time Friday, local populations hinted that at least five deaths and several injuries were recorded in the shootings.
While an official balanced sheet of deaths and casualties were still awaited at press time Friday, local populations hinted that at least five deaths and several injuries were recorded in the shootings.
This tragedy in Andek, coincided with another one in the early hours of Wednesday in Meme division, Southwest region.
The Senior Discipline Master of Government Bilingual High School, Kosala, Ashu Thomas Nkongho, was shot dead by unknown men at about 8am.
According to concordant sources, Thomas Ashu, was seated in his office when he got a distress cry from one of the students in the school. As he stepped out to see why the student was screaming, he was fired a bullet into his head.
We learnt that the student cried after he was injured by one of the bullets fired by gunmen that stormed the campus and fired shots randomly. According to reports, the assailants, three in number, attacked the school with the use of a motorbike and immediately fled after executing their act. He was quickly rushed to the Kumba District Hospital where he reportedly gave up his ghost. A source told us that just minutes after the fatal assault, troops stormed the campus and that teachers as well as students sought safety by fleeing into bushes.
Parents on their part hurried to the school to withdraw their children. According to reports, the tragic incident happened in the absence of the principal, Mwelle Kunz Mbai, an alternate Senator who was in Yaoundé to witness the opening session of the Senate.
Also in Yoke, Muyuka subdivision in the Southwest region, 3 gunmen stormed the Alpha Nursery Primary and Secondary school and shot to death, a teacher of that institution.
Madam Sophie Mandege, was killed by gunmen that entered the school through Malende on a motorbike to carry out the attack. The assailants took to their heels immediately after the assault.
The teacher was rushed to the district hospital in Muyuka where she succumbed to her injuries sustained from bullets.
Her corpse was deposited in the hospital mortuary. The reason of the attack which occurred in broad daylight had yet to be known at press time.
In Nyassoso in Tombel subdivision, separatist fighters reportedly went about destroying beer bottles belonging to Les Brasseries du Cameroun Brewery Company.
According to sources, the gunmen stormed the small village in the afternoon of Wednesday, and asked villager to eschew from consuming products of the said company.
TCR gathered that the destruction caused by the company was enormous.
In the meantime, the governor of the Northwest region was in Belo subdivision that has recently been a flashpoint of firefights between separatist fighters and security and defence forces.
At Belo, the region’s highest authority held a meeting with villagers during which he appealed on them to collaborate with forces of law and order for peace to return. However, the population is accusing forces of law and order to be behind many of the atrocities that have occurred in the subdivision. According to a report by BBC Focus on Africa, all government troops that were stationed in Belo, have retreated.
LVV/FHM
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