Pinyin families seek answers after soldiers abduct multiple young men during a military raid on the night of February 23, 2025. Formendu Derick Penn, a graduate from Polytech Bambili with a degree in Electricity, experienced being blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken away in a military truck. A survivor from the scene confirmed that Penn, a plank sawyer supplying timber to Bamenda and Mbouda, did not engage in any criminal activity.
The military took another young man, Muluh Ernest Mbuh, on the night of February 24, 2025, in Muala Quarter, Pinyin, heightening the fear and uncertainty among residents.
Pinyin faces shock and mourning after the military operation, with at least six young men found dead in the Maben area.Survivors and community members allege that the Cameroonian military was responsible for the killings and forced disappearances.
There has been no official comment from either the Cameroon military or the authorities.
Disturbingly, the ongoing military operations in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions have continued to claim civilian lives, with repeated accusations of human rights abuses by both state forces and separatist groups.
Civilians Targeted
Civilians are now the main targets in the ongoing conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Human rights organisations have reported many instances of both the military and separatists deliberately targeting civilians.
The military attack in Pinyin came just a few days after separatists under the command of self-styled ‘General The Only Bro’ killed targeted civilians in Bamessing. The attack killed at least five people, including a nursing mother.
The local population is calling for urgent intervention to locate the missing individuals and ensure accountability for the killings.
The victims’ families and community leaders, getting no answers from the authorities, have turned to human rights organizations and journalists to ask for investigations in to these tragic events.
Pinyin residents hold onto one hope: they want to find their missing loved ones alive.
Investigations will continue to reveal more details.
