Ngarbuh Massacre suspects plead not guilty

Three suspects on trial for the February 14, 2020 massacre in Ngarbuh, North West region of Cameroon have pleaded not guilty.

Reports say the soldiers charged with a number of offences including murder, destruction, non-respect of order and violence on pregnant women all pleaded not guilty at the trial which opened yesterday.

The trial for the first time also had in attendance families of victims of the massacre, who had to travel hundreds of kilometres.

At the session, the traditional ruler for Ntumbaw village in the Donga Mantung division is said to have spoken for hours, narrating the incident.

The traditional ruler is also said to have revealed some 21 persons were killed in the massacre including a separatist leader and 6 houses razed to ashes.

Despite pleas for the trial to be taken closer to Ngarbuh to spare victims the stress and costs, authorities decided to carry on with the trial in the nation’s capital, Yaoundé.