Grief has swept through Pinyin, in Santa Subdivision, North West, following an attack early on Wednesday morning that left five people dead at the Ndapang Market.
According to local sources, the victims include a bike rider, a mentally deranged man, two separatist fighters, and one unidentified individual.
The incident, which happened on a market day, closed the weekly market. Eyewitnesses claim that the operation was carried out by Cameroonian soldiers.
“Today was a market day. Ta’a, one of the victims from Kongfune, left very early for the market to transport goods. Unfortunately, he was killed,” a local source recounted in tears.
Residents say it is common for separatist fighters to mount checkpoints on market days, reportedly collecting money from traders and road users.
It is believed that this may have drawn the attention of security forces to the area, culminating in the deadly confrontation.
The latest tragedy comes just two months after a similar incident in the nearby village of Mamben, where six men were reportedly pulled out of a bar by soldiers and executed.
Authorities had later described the victims as terrorists, a claim that was widely disputed by the local population.
Today, Ndapang mourns, with the sounds of grief echoing through the hills of Pinyin.
Many families are left devastated, especially those who lost loved ones in what they describe as an unprovoked assault.
Authorities are yet to comment on the incident in Pinyin.
The incident is one of countless cases of attacks against civilians in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, where an armed conflict has been raging since 2017.
The United Nations estimates that over 6,000 have been killed in the conflict, although this figure could be very inadequate.
