Cameroon soldiers free 11 captives from separatists in Bui

The Cameroon military has conducted an operation that freed 11 people held captive by separatists in Bui Division of the North West Region, the Senior Divisional Officer, Menyong Gilbert Sunday, has revealed.

The captives were freed during a raid on the separatists’ hideout at Kikaikom on the night of Tuesday, September 3. Among them were 10 men and a woman.

“Following intelligence, in the night of October 3rd, 2023, breaking into Wednesday 4th, our valiant forces carried out a surgical operation in the neighborhood of Kikaikom in Kumbo Sub Division,during which 11 hostages, 10 men, and 1 woman were released from the terrorist camp and several weapons recovered,” the SDO’s release indicated.

He said the victims were being taken care of by security forces and would soon be reunited with their families.

The SDO did not say if any separatist fighters were killed in the course of the raid.

This is the most successful military operation in Bui Division in recent weeks. There are several armed fighting factions in the area, the most notable of which is the Bui Unity Warriors, who have previously attacked the Cameroonian military on several occasions.

The SDO said the government relies on tip-offs from the population to dislodge separatists from the area.

He called on the population to continue collaborating with the administration for a return to normalcy in Kumbo, the Bui Divisional Headquarters.

However, it is uncertain what may befall the freed captives when they return to their homes. It is feared that the separatists might continue hunting them afterward.

Kidnappings for ransom have been rampant in the two restive Anglophone regions of Cameroon since the armed crisis started in 2017.

Separatists frequently kidnap government officials, students, teachers, businesspeople, and religious leaders. The separatists have killed their victims on some occasions and have charged others huge sums in exchange for freedom.