Anglophone crisis: Three soldiers charged over Ngarbuh killings

Three of the soldiers who were at the forefront of the Ngarbuh massacre on February 14, 2020, have been charged with killings in the country’s North West region, reports the AFP news agency.
On that faithful day, some soldiers accompanied by members of the vigilante group that was in charge of keeping watch in the area invaded the village. At least 22 people were killed during the operation, including 14 children, 9 of whom were younger than 5. Initially, no one claimed responsibility for the carnage. Separatists blamed the government forces of having carried out the act.

The government at first denied the blame apportioned on them by the separatist fighters but then gave in, saying the civilians were accidentally killed due to an explosion that had been triggered when a stray bullet hit a tank during a firefight with the separatist fighters.

An investigation was however launched into the massacre and after some weeks analysing the events leading to the incident alongside the facts, the government then claimed responsibility for the atrocities in the area, stating that it was orchestrated by three soldiers and a group of vigilante from the area. It though suggests that the deaths were accidental but the soldiers tried to cover them up.

“The three Cameroon soldiers have been placed in provisional detention in Yaounde military prison” AFP quotes army spokesman colonel Atonfack Guemo.

Such atrocities by the Cameroon military put to question the issue of professionalism which the minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji has always hailed it for. On more than one occasion, the government have often come up in support of the military despite the glaring misdeeds of the force.

For instance, when a video made waves on social media of two military officers executing a woman and her two kids in the North region, the Ministry of Communication completely debunked it as from Cameroon, attributing it to Mali. It was, later on, found out to indeed be from Cameroon.

The two elements of BIR that were caught on CCTV in Limbe robbing a snack bar at gunpoint or about 3 men from the Cameroon military arrested in Togo as notorious criminals, and not too long ago in Mbam and Inoubou Division three military officers were caught stealing goats.

All these show the Cameroon military is nothing close to being professional, and the earlier the state starts putting some of their activities on the check, then such disgrace and shame would keep on being part of the so much revered Cameroon arm forces.

Mimi Mefo Info