Ghost town paralyzes Bamenda on Regional Election Day eve

Streets, markets, business centers, recreational areas, and other public places remain deserted in Bamenda, the capital of North West region of Cameroon Saturday, 05 December 2020.

On the eve of Cameroon’s first-ever regional election, separatist fighters calling for the restoration of the statehood of Southern Cameroons have imposed a four-day lockdown from the 4th to the 7th of December in the North West and South West regions.

Going by tracks and messages circulated on the social media by the separatists, regional election to reinforce the process of decentralization is against their demands for total independence from the Republic of Cameroon.

In videos on social media, the armed fighters are seen to have constructed barricades across some major roads linking subdivisions in the Mezam division to the divisional headquarter of Mezam which is Bamenda. The action is to stop voters (municipal councilors and traditional rulers ) from traveling to Bamenda for the exercise.

In Donga Mantung Division, still in the North West, most councilors are already in Nkambe ready to cast their vote tomorrow at Government Practicing Primary School Nkambe.

In the South West region, Ambazonian boys have equally blocked the road linking Eyumojock subdivision and Mamfe the capital Manyu division where voting will take place.

Speaking on national radio Friday, December 4th, 2020, Enow Abrams Egbe, board chair of elections Cameroon, ELECAM, said they have called on the security service to maintain security discretely not to frighten some voters.

It remains uncertain how the voting process will take place in the Anglophone regions given that fighters have promised to attack those that will dare to vote to strengthen the process of decentralization.

Mbatho Ntan.