Fon of Babanki ‘banned’ from entering village, for requesting military protection for villagers

By Ndi Fongwe

Separatist fighters in Kedjom Keku (Big Babanki) of Tubah Sub Division of the North West Region of Cameroon, have ‘banned’ the Fon of the village, His Royal Highness Benjamin Vutsiboung from entering the village.

The decision was made known to villagers recently by separatists, after the Fon who is resident and working in Yaounde, had called for a military post in the village.

“To this effect and in consultation with the different village institutions, notables, and the elite in general, it has been unanimously agreed that a military post or station be established in the village, to help or salvage these repeated acts of violence, looting, rape and the general threat to public peace and tranquility” part of the statement written by the Fon on May 30th, 2023, read.

Immediately following the statement by the Fon, who was reacting to the brutalization of Babanki women by separatists, they are reported to have destroyed and taken down the statue of the Fon constructed at the palace entrance of the village.

“The boys after the letter from the Fon, went directly to the palace and broke the Fon’s statue shouting that he is anti-revolution and that anyone for a military post in Babanki wants their death, and so the Fon is a blackleg,” an indigene of Babanki told MMI.

Also in the statement from the Fon regarding the incident in the village, he had called on all Babanki people to ignore the tax levied on them by Separatist fighters.

This is not the first time separatists are issuing such a dictate against the legitimate ruler of the people.

At the start of the Anglophone crisis, the Fon, due to his denunciations of the separatists was banned from entering the village.

Some notables and the development association executives, are reported to have intervened and asked the separatists to lift their ban, making it possible for the Fon to visit his village and perform yearly rituals, without being worried about attacks.

It is not clear yet how the separatists intend to implement such a ban, given that the whole village is rallying against them.