Anglophone Crisis: Separatists Impose Travel Timetable on Major Roads

Access on the Ndop Bamenda road, Bambui-Fundong, can now be possible only on weekends. Mbengui -Bameneda only possible from Tuesdays.

Separatist fighters active in these areas have restricted movement to arm-twist the government to yield to their various demands.

Commuters and road users of the Bamenda–Fundong road were in a celebration mood last weekend as separatist fighters announced the road was open for the weekend. People who had been trapped on both ends of the road rushed to their various destinations for the first time in almost a month.

The Bambui, Bambili and Nkwen markets were full again with many rushing for fresh food stuffs that had just arrived from Kom especially the Achu banana that had got out of supply for weeks in Bamenda depriving many from selling and eating the Ngemba delicacy.

Funerals that were on hold because corpses could not be transported took place in many quarters in Njinikom, Belo and Fundong as families had the opportunity to bury the death.
Even people seeking to restock their shops with provisions from Bamenda could do so once again.
According to Peter, a shop owner in Njinikom, the week end was just like freedom from prison.

“I had to travel to Bamenda twice. My shop here was almost empty. People need provisions and even with available money, one can’t sell a single tablet of soap to a customer. It’s really frustrating,” Peter said.

According to Binwe, an Achu seller in Nkwen, it was so heartwarming to buy fresh Achu Banana from the market again. “For weeks I could not serve my customers again. The few available bunches were so expensive. The moment I heard the road was open, I immediately rushed to the market to buy. My customers will have Achu this week and I will buy again over the weekend.”

New calendar…

Though the celebration was much, it was shor lived as the new way of movement on the road now allows commuters and road user to use the road only on weekends. Separatist’s fighters in Bambui announced late Friday, August 20th that like elsewhere, the Bambui-Fundong road shall be passable only on weekends with the exception of the Mbingo Baptist Hospital ambulance that has been allowed to transport patients to and from the hospital.

By Timfuchi Aaron