The past few days have been sad for residents of Bali in Cameroon’s North West region.
In one of several raids carried out by soldiers, a number of persons were reportedly killed, shops looted and property damaged.
Locals say this was facilitated by the fact that the soldiers have set up camp at a primary school, transforming it into a barracks.
The act and their raids have not left Bali indigenes home and abroad the same.
In a strongly worded reaction yesterday, six Bali Nyonga associations in the United States of America, Ndah Nchunyin, Ndah BNCA, Ndah Nghet, Ndah Danga, Ndah Ntod, and
Ndah Bonibo decried the moves, condemning the killings.
Resulting from an emergency meeting on November 2nd, they termed the killings unprovoked, blaming soldiers for the incident.
“Three years ago, the president of the republic of Cameroun declared a senseless war on the peace loving people of the erstwhile British Southern Cameroons. Ever since, the military of Cameroun has continued unabated to commit crimes against humanity on our unarmed peace loving people)” they stated.
Some of these crimes, their release said further ” include but are not limited to; arbitrary arrests, hostage taking, extortion, torture, abduction, unlawful confinement, indiscriminate killing of our men, women, children, the elderly, the physically and the mentally challenged, mass murder by the use of chemical weapons and desecration of bodies of the dead, wanton and widespread destruction of property, savage killing of livestock, targeted massacre of our youth and the destruction of our people’s businesses and other means of livelihood.”
The men shot dead in the morning of Monday November 2, 2020 when the military invaded Bali Nyonga, they say, were killed just for venturing out to buy and eat breakfast in a local restaurant.
The associations noted that they have made similar calls for justice several times to no avail.
The government, they wrote, “… has so far ignored our calls for peace and its military has continued to kill our people and destroy their property with impunity. We vehemently condemn these utterly wicked, criminal and cowardly acts of the military of Cameroun.”
” We are therefore once more calling on the government of Cameroun to end this war, demilitarize the land and set the stage for meaningful dialogue and resolution of the crisis. The government must ensure an end to these violations on our people with immediate effect” they urged.
The discontented associations also called on the international community to assist in any way they can: “As at now, close to two hundred people have been killed in Bali Nyonga alone. The international community should note that the government of the republic of Cameroun by abetting crimes against humanity that are being committed by its military on our people, may effectively be acting as a state sponsor of terrorism. It is the responsibility of the government to prove itself otherwise.”
Consoling victims of the killings, the associations assured them that they will always be together in joy or in adversity.
” At the end of all these, justice shall prevail and those who orchestrated these senseless killings shall pay dearly for their crimes” they affirmed.
Mimi Mefo Info
