Over 100 women, children, and a few men from Bonakanda, a village in the Buea sub-division, took to the streets in a public protest, expressing their frustration over what they claim to be arbitrary arrests of their children by the gendarmerie. The young men, detained for more than a week, are being held at the Legion Base in Buea. The demonstrators carried placards and chanted sorrowful songs, urging the authorities to release the detained boys.
“We Are Tired of Waiting”
The protestors accused security forces of unjustly arresting almost every young male in the village, including students, pupils, and even individuals with mental health challenges. “They came to our village and swept almost every young man; pupils, students, and even those who are not mentally stable. We have tried to secure their release to no avail. All we hear is that they are under investigation. We have waited and are tired because this their investigation doesn’t end,” said one mother, whose two sons are among those detained.
Plea to the Legion Commander
The primary concern for the women of Bonakanda is the disruption to their children’s education. With schools in their village open, they fear that the mass arrests will leave classrooms empty. They directed their plea to the Legion Commander, asking for the release of their children so they could return to school. “In our village, our schools are open and our children go to school. Now that they have come and swept away the entire village, who do they want to fill those classrooms? We need children in school and not behind bars. We are begging on you, Colegion, to release our children to us, so they can go to school. That is what the President wants for all the children. We cooperate with the state,” the women cried out.
Human Rights Concerns
Rights advocates have condemned the mass arrests, calling for the immediate release of those detained. Barrister Edwards Lyonga Ewule, a human rights lawyer in Buea, criticized the ongoing military raids in the region, which often result in innocent civilians being arrested under the guise of combating separatist forces. “Since the arbitrary arrests, all attempts by us to provide legal support and fast-track their release, have been abortive. We decry the continuous military raids carried out in communities wherein innocent civilians are arrested, in the guise of fighting separatists in the troubled regions. We demand the immediate release of all those arrested. Cameroon is a signatory to international human rights conventions, and so its security elements must respect these legal dispositions,” he said.
Over 80 Young People Detained
The arrests took place on Sunday, September 1, 2024, when security forces raided Bonakanda at dawn, detaining over 80 young boys from their homes. The boys have been held at the Buea Legion command center of the national gendarmerie since then.
A second protest, planned for Tuesday at the Buea Independent Square, was called off at the last minute. Unconfirmed reports suggest the organizers were threatened with arrest if they proceeded. The fate of the detained boys remains uncertain, as the community continues to push for their release.
