Nso land still “dirty”after traditional cleansing

Killings, kidnapping, torture, intimidation and other forms of insecurity continue unperturbed in Bui Division, North West region of Cameroon despite a mega traditional cleansing of the land by custodians of tradition this week.

A resident of Mbveh, a locality in Kumbo Sub Division says the state of insecurity remains the same. “Same day the Kwifon was performing traditional rites to stop tensions, a boy was killed in Kikaikom and since then, shooting between ambazonia fighters and the military has not stopped ” he said.

On Tuesday 13th October 2020, the “Kwifon”, the most respected supernatural custodian of tradition in the Nso land engaged in a cleansing process by performing traditional rites to silence insecurity on both sides of the war.

The traditional ceremony was massively attended by sons and daughters of Nso land with the main intention of ensuring peace, to quarantee a return of the Fon of Nso land to his palace.

His Royal Highness Nsem Mbinglo of Nso has been out of the palace for several months today. Though palace sources point at ill health to justify the prolonged absence of the traditional ruler, other sources in Kumbo say the Fon was taken out of the village under tight security with the use of military helicopter several months ago for security reasons.

The cleansing will not help anything, a native of Kumbo tells Mimi Mefo Info on phone. “Everything in Kumbo has been politicised. Where was the Kwifon when the first boy was killed in Kikaikom in 2017 at the beginning of the crisis? The custodians of tradition kept quite. How do they think they can change the situation now that it has already degenerated?” He asks.

To our source “… the person who is supposed to solve the problem knows the right thing he can do to solve the problem. Tradition has gotten involved in politics reason why cleansing can be done ten times and the situation will remain the same.”

He points accusing fingers at the custodians of tradition for failing to use well established traditional canals to solve the problem when it started.

To inhabitants of Kumbo, two weeks after school resumption for the year 2020/2021 academic year, schools have not started in Bui Division.

Some parents say few schools that opened during the first week have been asked to close by separatist fighters. To the boys, continuous closure of school is the ultimate price to pay for total independence of Southern Cameroon from the government of Cameroon.

Mbatho Ntan.