A young Cameroonian in his early 30s, a former Separatist fighter is now a Philosophy teacher and a peace advocate in a school in Ndchang, his students know him as a calm and thoughtful teacher but his past tells more about his past experiences.
Ateasong Belts Tajoa joined the Red Dragons, a separatist militia in the South West Region of Cameroon in 2017 just at the age of 23 years old, after local fighters came to his village and convinced him to turn his frustrations with the government into action. He, like any other Anglophone from the Anglophone region, felt the weight of marginalisation by the government dominated by the French-speaking population. He was convinced he was out for a change. It all began with a peaceful protest organised by lawyers and teachers, which later escalated following the government crackdown.
Tajoah narrates to The Washington Post that he lived under plastic sheets in the rain, cooked for leaders and carried out attacks on military and civilian targets. “You could never sleep with both eyes closed,” he said. He has scars on his neck and stomach which he said are bullet marks. He went on to narrate that drugs and alcohol were very rampant in the camp and often used as a coping mechanism for the constant traits of betrayals. Tajoah said the psychological trauma was too much, he recalled carrying the bodies of more than 20 fallen comrades.
A Change of Mind
According to Tajoah, the rebel group believed that destroying schools would weaken the government’s control over the region which is instead a strategy that left a scar on the educational landscape of the country. He admitted to playing a role in the destruction of schools and acknowledging the profound harm it had on countless lives.
Tajoah narrates that, he finally broke free from the separatists when he lost his son during an attack by the government forces on their camp.
Overwhelmed by grief, he surrendered in 2019 and joined a government rehabilitation centre for former fighters in Buea. He spent 18 months marked by loneliness and stigmatisation.
While at the rehabilitation centre, he received promises of skill training, but due to Cameroon’s slow implementation and lack of resources, he chose a new path for himself. He earned a degree in Philosophy and became a philosophy teacher. “Teaching is more than a job,” he said. “It is a way to confront my past and inspire others to avoid my mistakes.”
Integrating the professional world was not easy for Tajoah as he narrates that, former combats were uneducated and dangerous. But with dedication and openness, he gradually gained the trust of his students, their parents and the community.
Peace Advocate
Tajoah actively advocates for peace beyond the classroom. He uses social media to educate people about the dangers of rebellion, sharing images of fallen fighters to highlight the harsh realities of armed conflict. He travels to villages, urging young people to lay down their weapons. Residents confirm that his outreach fosters peace, but it also endangers his life and his mother’s. Separatist fighters kidnapped her, and he received multiple threats from those seeking to undermine his peace efforts.
While some people doubt the peace advocacy work of Tajoah, some see him as a beacon of change “More people understand now he’s here to bring peace and encourage others to drop their guns,” said Ajiawung Columbus Fortulah, a traditional chief of Atulah village, where Tajoah grew up.S ome fighters have put down their weapons, and the local primary school has reopened for studies, Fortulah said.
Tajaoh told The Washington Post that; there is a difference between the Anglophone crisis and Ambazonian terrorism, Anglophones are marginalised, but guns and kidnapping won’t solve it. Dialogue and action are the only way forward.”
He hopes his students will embrace that message.
“I fought to close schools, but now I teach to open minds,” he said. “The scars will always be there, but they don’t have to define you.”