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The dust is yet to settle over the government’s punishment for the Ngarbuh massacre perpetrators. Many however keep questioning the intention given the unusual nature of the action.
Expressing his suspicion about the move, a former soldier of the Cameroon military we’ll call Louis says he believes government had no choice because all eyes in the world were on it.
“Why did the government kept the massacre of 40 Young, innocent boys, girls and some old parents in Ekona by the 21eme BIM mixed task force a secret with some being buried alive around Satom concrete production centre and in the banana plantations in 2018?” He asks.
Louis goes on to cite other instances of rights abuses orchestrated by the army, a part of which he once was.
One of government’s ‘hidden’ actions he tells us is “the massacre of Muyenge in which kids and many others were executed like fowls and dogs by the BSA (special amphibian bataillon) unit of Tiko with some buried alive leaving no trace.”
“The whole village” he explains was “burnt down with only the chief of Muyenge’s house left with part of it burnt down.”
“Did they also forget civilians slaughter in Muyenge beside the palace around the running stream were they fetch drinking and bathing water because two soldiers were killed (a 2ème class and a caporal chef)?” He questions further.
“Did the government also keep in silence accepting the killing of baby Martha by the military stationed in Muyuka beside the police station?”
“My colleagues are wicked, heartless and demonic. How can they kill unarmed people? Are there no prisons to keep them hostage if they claim they are terrorists?” He cries out.
To Louis, a lot more has happened than anyone knows, and it is time for the military to make peace with civilians.
“The military is committing crimes against humanity by gross human rights abuses which forced me to leave the Cameroon defence forces and also because my colleagues turned against me when I stood up to denounce these gross human rights abuses,” he says.
Despite being on the run for his life, Louis says he is proud he left the forces.
Louis is one of several persons said to have deserted the army ever since the Anglophone crisis turned into an armed conflict.
With the Ngarbuh incident being one of several killings attributed to government forces, many say taking responsibility for the act alone is not genuine enough, and more has to be done to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
MMI
