The population of Bamenda, located in the North West Region of Cameroon, is currently facing uncertainty due to conflicting messages from separatist groups. The confusion arises because numerous travel agencies have been prohibited from operating. Although some agencies were not explicitly mentioned in the ban, they have also chosen not to operate. This decision may be due to concerns about potential repercussions or as a show of solidarity with the banned agencies.
This morning, there were no vehicles from any travel agency that entered or left Bamenda.
During MMI’s visits to some of the banned agencies, it was observed that no activity was taking place. When visiting various parks, one notable difference is the absence of the usual struggle for tickets, loading, and offloading of goods and passengers.
There is no activity taking place at certain travel agencies that were not included in the ban imposed by separatists. The workers appeared to have turned off their vehicle engines as a show of solidarity with those affected by the separatist ban.
Bamenda was scheduled to resume its first full week today after a two-week lockdown imposed by separatists. They communicated their lockdown order through the Facebook pages they manage.
“This is terrible; I have a schedule that I am unable to follow because travel agencies have been banned. Separatists ban us from doing business yet impose taxes on us, what type of liberation is this?” A lady, whose only name we got Manka, told MMI on the phone.
“Liberators” shoot “captives” in their hearts.
On September 12, a separatist fighter, who goes by the name ‘Colonel Amour Car’, released a video in which he declared that seven agencies would be prohibited from operating starting from September 19. However, he did not provide any reasons for this decision.
He went even further by issuing death threats to civilians who use the Amour Mezam, Vatican Express, Diamond Express, Guarantti Express, The People’s Express, and Moghamo travel agencies.
The video does not provide any reasons, but many people have quickly associated it with an attempt to drive away businesses that are not owned by residents of the North West Region.
“Why are they targeting us? Should we all run away and leave Bamenda? Do we also chase away all those from Bamenda in our towns? Is this how your so-called country will be governed? The killings at Nacho are not yet erased from our minds,” a businessman told MMI.
What the common man thinks.
On the streets of Bamenda, many have termed this ban on travel agencies an attempt by separatists to push the population to the wall.
Inhabitants wonder why they are being caged, unable to do business, yet forced to pay what they call a liberation tax. “This is too much, we are losing ourselves,” a shopkeeper in Bamenda said.
“My vegetables will get rotten in Bamenda, whereas demand is high in the economic capital and beyond,” Mami Green, a trader, told MMI.
The ban by separatists means no major travel into and out of Bamenda. It is estimated that thousands are currently left stranded, and hundreds of businesses are also grounded as the buses used to transport goods to be sold in other markets are grounded.
