Conscience Africaine Condemns BIR’s Killing in Limbe

An American-based NGO, Conscience Africaine, has vehemently condemned the killing of one person and the injuring of others by a member of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) in Limbe, Cameroon.

In a press release dated May 14, Amadu Tarnteh, Executive Director of the NGO’s Cameroon branch, labeled the incident a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the killing of civilians during armed conflict. Tarnteh denounced the action in the “strongest terms” and called for an immediate and unilateral ceasefire through genuine dialogue with separatists and other stakeholders to achieve a lasting resolution to the hostilities in the Anglophone regions.

MMI had earlier reported that the shooting was perpetrated by Sergent Chef Sanda of the BIR, who entered a nightclub in Limbe at around 4:00 am on Sunday, May 12, armed with an M21 assault rifle and multiple loaded magazines. Sanda allegedly began firing indiscriminately at unarmed nightclub patrons, resulting in one death and several severe injuries.

According to MMI’s first report, based on confirmed sources, Sanda’s actions were motivated by revenge for the recent killings of his colleagues in Bamenda and other parts of the Anglophone regions by armed separatists. Just two days before the nightclub incident, gendarmes were killed by separatists in Mamfe, Manyu Division.

Sanda’s rampage was halted by the swift intervention of bystanders and a gendarmerie officer, who managed to stop, arrest, and detain him at the Gendarmerie Company in Limbe. Many of the victims are still receiving treatment at the hospital.

More than 48 hours have passed since the attack, yet the government has not issued an official statement. Conscience Africaine criticised the government’s silence amid ongoing systematic human rights violations in the region, urging a thorough investigation to ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted. The NGO strongly recommended that the Cameroon government comply with its international commitments to protect fundamental human rights, which it is currently violating with impunity.

Tarnteh also called on the international community and friendly nations to persuade the Cameroon government to seek pragmatic solutions to the conflict through direct negotiations with armed opposition leaders and other stakeholders. He emphasised the urgent need to establish mechanisms to protect unarmed civilians who are vulnerable to systematic human rights violations.

Conscience Africaine aims to promote a society of peace, justice, democracy, and development based on fundamental values such as respect for human rights, solidarity, free enterprise, and equitable wealth distribution. Recognized by Cameroonian authorities on September 11, 1996, under the number 471/RDDA/C19/BAPP, Conscience Africaine is an apolitical, non-profit African International Non-Governmental Organization headquartered in Cameroon. The organization was initiated in New York in August 1994 by young leaders from 21 African countries participating in the “Young African Leader Project” launched by President Bill Clinton.

Mimi Mefo Info