Cameroon: Ex-separatist fighters protest against poor living conditions in Buea disarmament center.
2 min read
Since 2016, thousands of youths have been fighting in bushes for the restoration of Southern Cameroon’s autonomy or the creation of the new country call Ambazonia. This was a result of marginalization against citizens of the Anglophone regions by the majority French Speaking government authorities. In 2016, lawyers and teachers of the Anglophone went on streets to protest against the alarming marginalization in courts and educational institutions.
The separatist fighters have been fighting for the restoration of Ambazonia independence since 2016. The government has also been fighting for one and indivisible Cameroon. The government has succeeded through sensitization to call on some separatist fighters to drop their arms and joined the Disarmament centers in the country. The government authorities also promised the ex-fighters good living conditions in the disarmament centers. To the ex-fighters, their families are suffering while they are still waiting for the government’s promises to be fulfil, whereby, they are expecting jobs from the government.
On 1 February 2021, some ex-fighters protested against the poor living conditions in the Buea Disarmament center by the authorities. During the peaceful protest, they block roads while demanding an improvement in their living conditions. The government authorities came to the area where they were protesting and pleaded with them to go back to the center and that their problems were going to be addressed. Amongst other problems including feeding, the ex-fighters refused to go back and said that the government authorities should discuss with them in the side of the protest. one of the ex-fighter said “We are tired of government’s unfulfilled promises of giving us jobs to make a better life. This is the major thing they promised to us when we were fighting in the bushes for the restoration of the state of Ambazonia. Several months after we laid our arms and came to this center, it’s from one promise to another”.
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.
