Transporters in Bamenda continue to face severe hardships as separatist fighters escalate their campaign of terror, turning the town into a perilous zone for drivers.
Today, heavy gunfire erupted in the Ntarikon neighbourhood of Bamenda, prompting residents to seek cover.
Around 3 p.m., the armed separatist fighters set a township taxi on fire amid the ensuing chaos. The motive behind this latest act of violence remains the same.
The owner of the incinerated taxi arrived at the scene in deep distress, crying out, “The taxi was my only source of income. How do I feed my children?”
Sympathisers and onlookers, moved by his plight, quickly organised a freewill donation to alleviate his burden. This spontaneous act of community support highlights the dire circumstances transporters and their families face daily
Since June 1, transporters have borne heavy casualties, becoming prime targets for separatists enforcing a ban on any taxi or transport vehicle colour aside from blue and white.
The violent campaign has seen at least six transport vehicles burned, disrupting lives and livelihoods.
Emma, a taxi driver in Bamenda, captured the pervasive fear among his peers: “As a taxi driver in Bamenda, I see myself as a living corpse, waiting to be killed any day by the separatists.”
Another taxi driver, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed his despair and confusion: “Imagine me at my age, I am above 60, Where do my grandchildren want me to go to? This is embarrassing.”
The separatist-imposed restrictions and subsequent violence have crippled the local transport sector, forcing many to question the purported goals of the insurgents.
“My dear journalist, I now exist as a taxi driver, I don’t live anymore. Is this liberation? I doubt,” lamented another transporter.
As the situation in Bamenda deteriorates, transporters and civilians alike are left to navigate a landscape of fear and uncertainty, their lives hanging in the balance amidst ongoing violence and instability.
