The protests by minority Anglophones triggered conflict in Cameroon. Why? Because the majority, Francophone, arrested the anglophone leaders when they claimed independence. Ever since the two groups have had differences, and it even got worse when armed struggle got involved.
Ngarbuh village, in the northwestern part of the country, suffered a terrible attack during an operation against the anglophone terror group. Since there are rumors that the village hosts the extremist group, the government targeted it. They assumed it was the center for trading ammunition, weapons, and fuel for the extremist group.
In early February, during the operation on the Anglophones, a separatist association,3 women and 10 children succumbed.
Pressurizes to deliver justice
The Rights Group pressurized the government to deliver justice to the victims of Ngarbuh village. According to their reports, at least 21 civilians lost their lives. Upon getting the news, they criticized the Cameroonian government and demanded justice for the victims.
This resulted in an argument. The Rights Group was accusing the government of colluding with the authorities. The Minister for communication hit back by calling them ‘die-hard detractors.’ The Rights Group said the insults did not intimidate them, and will continue working to protect.
Lawyer Agbor from Human Rights also criticized the heinous and treacherous acts against human rights.
Findings to Ngarbuh atrocities
Following a report that the Cameroon Authorities released, government soldiers were responsible for the murders. The Battalion commander, a sergeant from gendarme, and a private first class were responsible for the atrocities. The three soldiers were arrested and await execution for their crimes. They held the Battalion commander responsible for insubordination during the operation. Since he had the power to prevent such atrocities.
According to the reports, the police officers were not only murders but also set houses ablaze and beat residents. Initially, the government dismissed the allegations claiming they were outrageous, but now the truth is slowly unraveling.
Similarly, a vigilante group of Fulani ethnicity also took part in the inhumane acts. However, they are anonymous, nobody knows who they might be.
The government promises to protect Ngarbuh village
Not once or twice but often, Ngarbuh has been a village prone to attack from rebels. The local population is a victim of rape, assaults, Obery, etc. The Cameroon government promised to ensure the safety of the village by staging a military base next to the village.
The government also promised to compensate the persons affected by the February violence. Moreover, the government will ensure to exhume all the dead bodies and provide good burial ceremonies. Besides, they could also gather additional evidence through postmortem. Hence, they assured the villagers’ justice and safety.
Anglophones Group accuses the government of politicized investigation
The Amazonian governing council of Anglophone Group stated that the government politicized investigations. The council says accepting the murder charges with false justifications was hypocrisy. They demand that for fair and just findings, the Cameroon government shouldn’t conduct the investigations.
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