Living Through Lockdown: Bamenda’s Battle with Business, Health, and Conflict

It is Thursday, September 19, 2024, in Bamenda, the capital of the North West region, one of the crisis-hit Anglophone areas of Cameroon. The city of Bamenda remains eerily quiet, as most residents stay home in observance of a two-week lockdown declared by armed Ambazonia separatist fighters to hinder the reopening of schools across the two English-speaking regions.

The usually bustling streets and markets are now desolate, with only a handful of motorcycles seen zipping through, and a few market women stationed at key spots selling food and fruit. Nearly every aspect of life is affected by the shutdown.

Business at a Standstill

Local business owners have been hit hard. A shop owner, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her frustrations with MMI:

“I have been home since September 9. My shop has remained closed except for last Saturday and Sunday when the town was temporarily open. This is bad for business,” she lamented. “You can’t survive as a businessperson with this kind of meltdown.”

Mary (not her real name), a trader at the Nkwen market, is also feeling the impact. Normally, she makes good money, but the lockdown has forced her to sell from the roadside, where business is painfully slow.

“I make a lot of money on a normal day in the market. But now, sales are not only bad, but our security is also at risk,” she told MMI.

Civil Servants Stay Home

While businesses struggle, government offices remain closed during the lockdown. Fred, a civil servant, told MMI that he hasn’t been to his office for over a week. Instead, he spends his days exercising and doing household chores.

“I get up in the morning, go for a run, play football, and then take care of things at home,” he said.

Healthcare Workers Face Challenges

In contrast, healthcare workers have no choice but to brave the lockdown and keep hospitals running. However, getting to work is a daily challenge due to the lack of transportation.

“I wake up very early and start trekking because there are no taxis or motorcycles. It’s not easy, but we have no choice—we deal with lives,” a nurse explained to MMI.

Despite the difficult circumstances, a few ambulances from government and mission hospitals are seen on the streets. Still, many residents struggle to access medical care.

“It’s a bad situation. Many people can’t get to the hospital because of the lockdown. If you do manage to find a vehicle, the risk is often greater than the illness,” said one city resident.

Bars Benefit from Lockdown

While most businesses suffer, drinking spots in the neighbourhoods are booming. MMI stumbled upon one such spot, which was packed with people.

“Days like this are good for sales. I make at least 300,000 francs from the sale of drinks,” a bar owner told MMI. “You can’t make this kind of money on a normal day.”

A patron added, “We may not go to work or engage in any activity, but we must find a place to drink.”

A Life of Lockdowns in Bamenda

This is the reality for Bamenda, as well as other towns in the Anglophone regions, whenever lockdowns are enforced. In addition to such periods, Mondays have been observed as “ghost towns” since 2016, effectively delaying the start of the week until Tuesday in Bamenda.

Background of the Crisis

The roots of the current crisis date back to 2016, when English-speaking teachers and lawyers raised concerns about the marginalization of the Anglophone community and the deterioration of their educational and legal systems. Their initial demands to the government for reforms were met with resistance, leading to calls for a return to a two-state federation, as was the case in 1961.

As dialogue between the government and Anglophone representatives broke down, separatist groups advocating for an independent state called Ambazonia emerged. What began as a peaceful movement soon escalated into an armed conflict, with separatist militants taking up arms against the government.

National and international voices have repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. In 2019, the Cameroonian government organized a Major National Dialogue in Yaoundé, which was boycotted by the separatists. The resolutions reached at the dialogue failed to address the core grievances, and the conflict continues to ravage the region.

Ghost towns, school boycotts, kidnappings for ransom, killings, property destruction, and arbitrary arrests remain the grim realities of daily life in the two Anglophone regions.

Mimi Mefo Info