Government mute as new ‘rebel movement’ threatens to take over power, release political prisoners

Millions across Cameroon have been affected as the government deals with two armed conflicts, one in the Far North Region and another in the Anglophone regions.

The reluctance to address the root causes of the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions have for the last four years put the Biya regime at loggerheads with not just several national and international bodies, but also with some of its key partners.

If care is not taken, it might have a third armed conflict to deal with in the near future.

In a video making rounds on social media, a man in Cameroonian military fatigue guarded by armed men announced that they were part of a new group seeking the liberation of some of President Paul Biya’s former allies.

Highlighting the earlier banned initiative, Movement 10 million Nordists’, the man said they were now going to achieve their aims through the use of force.

The self-styled MLC, he announced, was going to in the nearest future begin carrying out operations aimed at compelling the government to act and soon.

“… The 40-year-old regime has chosen to fight us and we will fight it too,” he promised, making reference to what he said were vigilante groups created by the government.

President Biya’s government, he said, “has prohibited protests. When you protest, you are a terrorist. Okay, now we will protest with arms,” he added.

“If we cannot protest freely, we will protest with arms,” he reiterated.

“We are not financed by any country, we have no support from the international community but we are telling the Biya regime that we are not sheep…,” he said.

The said MLC leader in the video also called for the release of Marafa Hamidou Yaya, Iya Mohammed and other elites from the northern regions incarcerated.

At the moment, the Cameroon’s ministry of defence is yet to comment on the said video as well as the threats and claims made by the yet-to-be-identified MLC leader.

Anglophone crisis-type response?

The silence over the recent video rings a bell in the heads of many a Cameroonian.

In 2016 before the lawyers and teachers’ strike action, government had maintained a nonchalant attitude believing it was going to pass away.

A government member even appeared on media saying the protesters were going to return to the classrooms and courts when they got hungry.

Four years today, and the English-speaking regions are witnessing the country’s worst-ever armed conflict.

Would government go the Anglophone crisis way and neglect the recent threats till it gets too late?

Not even the ever prompt and always available Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga has reacted to the threat.

Many are beginning to fear government through its actions will once more let its citizens into another mess they cannot handle.

Mimi Mefo Info