As October 1 Nears: Fears, Uncertainties, Bloody Gunfights Engulf North West, South West

There’s no gainsaying that well over half of the population in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon has been displaced due to the ongoing crisis.

The imminence of October 1, whose gory reminiscence of 2017 is yet to be forgotten, throws an atmosphere of uncertainty in the North West and South West regions.

Many wonder how October 1, 2018 will look like in the restive anglophone regions, given that the Cameroon military that hitherto had monopoly of war arms now battle fiercely with Ambazonian fighters.

The conflict that has migrated from the bushes to towns and city confrontations only goes a long way to exacerbate the already deploring situation.

No doubt, as the two forces keep on battling for supremacy, it is the common and unarmed civilian who bears the brunt.

It is now normalcy in parts of the two regions to go to bed with heavy gunshots every night and wake up every morning with decapitated bodies.

The situation became further compounded when the security forces embarked on indiscriminate arrests, shooting and killing of civilians, and burning of houses, and Ambazonian fighters abducting civilians for ransoms and engaging in incessant destruction of administrative structures.

Such activities have only left the population with the option of fleeing to safer zones.

It remains unclear whether the armed Amba fighters will engage the military in offensive battles on October 1 in Buea and its surrounding like was the case in 2017.

One thing stands tall, the military seems to be combat-ready now more than ever, putting all security dispositions to contain any excesses of the Ambazonian defence forces. New military camps have been opened in Wotutu, Tole, Mile 16, Muea, Bonakanda, and other strategic places.

Meanwhile, pro-independence fighters have continued to mobilise in groups, blocking roads to paralyse movements into and out of the region before October 1, independence day of Southern Cameroons, and October 7, 2018, presidential election day in Cameroon.

The rumour of the visit of CPDM presidential candidate and incumbent President, Paul Biya, to Buea in the coming days seems to have added more security fuels in the town of legendary hospitality.

It is rumoured that Paul Biya shall also address the ongoing crisis plaguing the North West and South West Regions.