Dozens stranded as Bangam village razed to ashes by suspected separatist fighters

Several families in Bangam, a locality in the Lebialem division of the South West region have gone homeless for about a week now after their homes were set ablaze.

The act committed by suspected separatist fighters is seen in a video making rounds on social media.

In the video, a man recording persons torching houses and destroying plantain plants says the aim is to wipe out the village.

“We don’t need this name called Bangam again in this land. This is Bangam, everything down” he is heard saying.

Bangam is said to be one of several villages in the restive Anglophone regions that have come under separatist and military attacks or destruction.

While the man in the video depicting last week’s destruction in Bangam does not give any reason for the act, it is believed that the supposed separatist fighters had fallen out with the villagers as has been the case in other villages.

The burning and destruction of Bangam has attracted a lot of criticism and raised concerns regarding hundreds of other villages destroyed.

Since the escalation of the Anglophone crisis to an armed conflict, government and separatist fighters have often traded blames on human rights violations including the burning of villages.

Over three thousand have lost their lives in the conflict that seems to be no where near the end yet.

MMI