By Kate Bih
Fear and confusion gripped the university town of Bambili early this Thursday morning as security forces launched a sweeping operation that led to the mass arrest of students.
Eyewitnesses and local residents say hundreds of young people, most of them university students, were forcefully taken from their homes, hostels, and even the streets and loaded into Gendarmerie trucks.
Authorities have not revealed the aim of the crack down but people suggest recent violence, including killings, kidnappings, and arson attacks, might have caused this crack down.
The incident has instead drawn sharp criticism for targeting civilians, particularly students, without clear evidence of wrongdoing.
“They came around 5 a.m., kicked our door open, and dragged my roommate out. He didn’t even have time to wear shoes,” said Ngum Junior, a third-year student at the University of Bamenda. “They didn’t ask questions. They just took whoever they saw.”
MMI has seen videos recorded some distance away from the main entrance into the University.
At least 100 students were driven away in Gendarmerie trucks.
The mass arrest comes amid heightened preparations for National Da celebrations, an event that separatists have usually opposed.
Separatists have also been accused of masterminding many recent attacks on civilians in Bambili, some of which were fatal.
About two weeks after repeated separatist attacks at the heart of Bambili, an anonymous individual wrote a letter to the North West Governor, requesting for increased military presence.
Community Outcry Amid Silence from Authorities
Bambili residents think the mass arrest of civilians is only making matters worse for civilians who are caught up in armed conflict for over eight years now.
“They know the boys who cause trouble. They know where the hotspots are,” said a woman who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.
“But instead of going after them, they come and carry our children, who came here just to learn.”
Images circulating on social media show open military trucks packed with young people, some looking dazed and frightened.
Many parents and guardians have started gathering at local gendarmerie posts, seeking information on the whereabouts of their children.
At the time of this report, the streets of Bambili remained quiet, and in the dorm rooms and lecture halls that once buzzed with academic life, a heavy silence lingered.
Neither the university authorities nor the administration of Bambili have provided reasons for this mass arrest in a student residential area.
