The Erat community in Mundemba, Ndian Division of Cameroon’s South West Region is in shock, and many have fled after separatist fighters—often called “Amba boys”—murdered and incinerated the village chief and his wife. According to a video MMI watched, a tragic event occurred on Tuesday, September 10.
The unsettling footage depicts the bodies of Chief Obon Ekpoh Philip Nkwoi, and his wife, Akwai Ambang Mburu engulfed in flames outside their residence. They were not only shot and burned but their home was also set ablaze by the attackers. “They were burnt almost to ashes. A few persons left behind had buried the bodies, this is a sad moment for our community,” said our source who hails from Erat. Our source is also on the run. “Everyone had fled to nearby bushes and some to Nigeria,” he added.
The incident has instigated significant alarm throughout the Erat community, prompting numerous residents to escape in dread for their safety. Some have taken shelter in nearby bushes, while others have fled across the border into Nigeria. The attackers allegedly vowed to come back, intensifying the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty within the community.
The video features a narrator asserting that the assault was executed by a gunman referred to as “Adamawa” and his band of fighters, yet no reason for the violent act has been disclosed.
The remaining residents in the area are reaching out to the wider public and humanitarian organisations for immediate help, as their circumstances have rendered them vulnerable and lacking essential resources.
This recent act of violence is indicative of a concerning trend involving separatist fighters in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The situation arises when the English-speaking regions of the country are experiencing lockdown, a strategy enforced by separatist factions to hinder the return to school and express dissent against the government. “We call on men and women of goodwill, humanitarian organizations to help the people at this crucial time,” our source pleaded.
The ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions has claimed over 6000 lives since it started in 2016. As the circle of violence continues, Amnesty International in June last year documented crimes under national law and human rights violations – including unlawful killings, murders, sexual violence, and abductions – committed by the Cameroon defence and security forces, militias, and armed separatists in the Anglophone North-West region in recent years.
