One of the victims of the senseless attack by Ambazonia separatists on civilians in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon, has been named, Musonge Derick.
The shocking incident that unfolded about 8:30 pm yesterday night was captured on video, showing separatist fighters celebrating their act of unleashing violence upon the population.
The tragic event resulted in the killing of Musonge Derick, and one other person was injured. The incident added another name to the toll of casualties in the ongoing conflict in English-speaking Cameroon.
The separatists, claiming that their self-imposed ghost towns were being violated by the local population, descended upon Buea, firing into the night.
The assailants reportedly dragged Musonge Derick from his car, ruthlessly shooting him before setting his vehicle, along with some others, ablaze.
Chris Anu a separatist loyalist, blames it on the people “It happened because people chose to die,” he said in an audio making the rounds on social media.
Shockingly, the separatists proceeded to film propaganda videos, boasting of their supremacy in the region, while Musonge was left in his own pool of blood.
A disturbing video that later circulated on social media also depicts a soldier known as Chief Moja Moja making his own propaganda video at the scene. He said that the separatists escaped before his arrival while Musonge was lying by a car in flames.
Critics argue that Moja Moja’s duty to protect the Cameroonian people and their property was abandoned as he left Musonge to succumb to his injuries.
Moja Moja is later videotaped consoling Musonges’ stepson while at the mortuary.
The question arises: where has humanity gone? The horrifying incident not only highlights the brutality of the separatist conflict but also raises concerns about the morality and ethics surrounding the actions of those in authority, such as Chief Moja Moja.
Many have expressed outrage over the soldier’s failure to fulfil his duty, leaving a man to die while both sides indulged in a propaganda war.
Musonge’s tragic fate comes just four years after that of his wife, the late journalist Becky Jeme.
She died while on duty when the car she was in hit an improvised explosive device planted by separatists, leaving behind toddlers who are now orphaned by the escalating crisis.
The Buea separatist attack on civilians is, therefore, not an isolated incident as there are countless reports of similar attacks. As English-speaking Cameroonians watch helplessly as civilian lives are snatched by the endless violence, last night’s incident serves as a crude reminder of the human cost of conflict.
The actions of those who claim to be fighting to create a breakaway state called Ambazonia leave many to ponder where humanity has gone astray in the face of such avoidable violence.
