Ngarbuh Massacre: «Government’s compensation is a move to cover up crime» Edith Kah Walla

A compensation process launched by the government of Cameroon for victims of Ngarbuh massacre in Donga Mantung in the North West region of Cameroon has been rated as a mockery by the government of President Paul Biya to the sacredness of human life.

According to Edith Kah Walla, Leader of Stand Up For Cameroon and President of the Cameroon People’s Party, CPP: “…it is unacceptable that government has unilaterally fixed the price of human life at Five Million Francs CFA. This means soldiers can invade any village in the North West and South West Regions, kill people and later government pays five million to each family? The regime since the 14th of February 2020 when the killings took place has not cared for the whereabouts of the victims.”

The leader of Cameroon People’s Party CPP regrets that victims have not attained their dream of seeing justice meted on perpetrators of the killings. “During the first hearing in court in Yaounde, the government did not even border to inform victims living in Donga Mantung North West region in time so that they can travel to Yaounde. Stand Up For Cameroon got the information 48 hours to the hearing and we had to immediately ensure transport money for the victims”. To Kah Walla, such action is a form of denying them justice.

“Government wants to cover up crimes committed in Ngarbuh.” Edith Kah Walla as a leader of Stand Up For Cameroon (SUFC) which has been working with some victims of the incident by assisting them, says the government of Cameroon has not learned lessons after the massacre in Ngarbuh. “…after the killings in Ngarbuh, we have had Mautu mass killings, Batibo, Kumba and atrocities committed in many other places. This is an indication that the government is unwilling to address the root cause of the armed conflict in Anglophone Cameroon and stop the killings. This explains why Stand Up for Cameroon has set up a human rights working group to document all these cases of human rights violations.”

Government is implementing an earth scorched policy. They massacre from one community to another with no victory over separatists but continuous pains inflicted on the local population. How can the government explains that it set a military base in Ngarbuh when the population is scared of the same soldiers who killed civilians last year?”

Civil society groups in Cameroon are calling on the government to ensure that victims of the February 2020 massacre in Ngarbuh are not intimidated and threatened, neither the Fulani community in the Ndu subdivision nor the military for testifying in court against those who committed the act.


Mbatho Ntan.

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