Cameroon: The ministry of defense refutes alleged massacre in MBONGE and says only armed separatists were killed during the MBONGE and Kumbo military operations
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Following the allegations of the alleged massacre by the military in MBONGE, the South West Region of Cameroon, the ministry of defense has on Monday 29 March 2021 denied the allegations and describe it as a hoax. The unverified information circulated on social media which HRLRC cannot independently ascertain indicate that at least 20 civilians were killed in MBONGE.
Below is the statement from the Ministry of Defence: On the evening of Friday March 26, 2021, an amateur photographic report presenting a scene of massacre of men, women and children appeared viral on the blogosphere. The authors of the online posting of these gruesome photographs attributed the alleged massacre to elements of the Defence and Security Forces, also accused of having carried out a raid killing in cold blood several civilians in the village of FOE BAKUNDu, in the MBONGE Sub-division, MEME Division, South-West Region This is a hoax. An absolute hoax.
Actually, two patrols of elements of the Defence Forces, one foot and the other motorized, were simultaneously attacked on March 26, 2021 in the localities of KUMBO, in the BUI Division, North-West Region on the one hand, and in MBONGE, MEME Division, South-West Region on the other hand. As for KUMBO, a detachment of the 3rd Rapid Intervention Battalion surprised armed criminals at about 9a.m. while robbing the population. Panic-stricken, the criminals immediately opened fire on elements of the Defence Forces, whose response was swift and vigorous.
The outcome of this violent clash was 04 terrorists neutralized and others wounded who took to their heels, several weapons and munitions of war recovered. Among the neutralized terrorists are four of the leaders of the gang that paraded Kumbo and its vicinities, namely WIRISI Emmanuel BINYNUY, SHE SHE Fabrice, François TAMBA and Camer KUNUNYIN.
As for the events of MBONGE, it was a patrol of elements of the 21st Battalion of Marine Fusiliers Commandos, attacked by a heavily armed criminal gang on the MBONGE-KUMBA stretch in the morning of March 26, 2021. The outcome of this second clash was 02 terrorists. Explosive neutralized, detonators and several weapons of war recovered. 05 improvised devices, remote. A few hours after the vigorous responses of KUMBO and MBONGE, the secessionist propaganda supported as usual by certain media and national and international non-governmental organizations, were al echoing an alleged massacre perpetrated by the Defence and Security Forces in MBONGE on March 26, 2021.
Strangely, the photographs and videos published are those of an operation carried out successfully by the Defence Forces on March 18, 2021 in FOE BAKUNDU, in the MBONGE Sub-division, and which led to the neutralization of 6 terrorists including the famous self-proclaimed general “SPIRITO” After the departure of the Defence Forces from the theater of the clash, some surviving terrorists had forcibly gathered the frightened population on the village square to ridiculously reconstruct in morbid postures, what today Is unfortunately and awkwardly brandished as evidence of massacres.
This new farce in no way weakens the morale of the Armed Forces, who continue to operate across the country with respect for Human and People’s Rights, while ensuring that any deviation is sanctioned in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country. /
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
