A Cameroonian serving in the United states army has expressed his indignation at the treatment given civilians by Cameroon’s security forces.
Speaking within the context of rising police and gendarme brutality and government’s suspicious silence, he says he was motivated by an ugly experience with the Cameroon forces to join the US army.
Read his story below ?
“I didn’t know Cameroonians can be beaten, molested and brutally killed by Fellow Cameroonians until I left Douala for a visit in Bamenda. If I was told in this modern day such cruelty worse than the 18th century slavery I say so because slave Masters were predators from far away continents but the cruelty of the Anglophone crisis is worse because our predators are fellow compatriots and above all men in uniforms and politicians who are supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable masses.
“On that faithful day, it wasn’t only villages I saw razed into ashes as the bus passed by, but fierce looking military men littered all along the high way. Gun barrels were used at each checkpoint to check out identification cards, heavy sounds of sporadic gunshots within certain areas. At some points we were ordered to take off our cloths. Any red clothing on your body automatically qualifies you an “Amba fighter” and that’s how some of the young our brothers were taken away to unknown destinations.
At a military checkpoint in Bali, this officer kept imposing “you bi Amba nor” despite looking at my identification card, professional nursing card, and scrupulously scrolling through my mobile phone. I was mocked, assaulted and laughed at by fellow Cameroonians in uniforms. My God is so faithful that the trigger wasn’t pulled on me. I couldn’t have been here to tell my story.
“Returning to Douala was hell as I trekked hundreds of miles before reaching the bus station.
Some time later, he says he was lucky enough to travel to the US after winning the DV lottery.
“ The Brutality of the Cameroonian Military and contributed to my desire to Join the US Army, the strongest Army in the world” he explains, adding that there he has learnt that “ … the primary duties of a soldier is to protect the citizens, stand for the truth, fight for justice without discrimination,”.
“I have been saluted here countless times by children , young people fathers, mothers, even grandparents because they believe and trust Men in uniforms “Thank you for your service” is all I hear everywhere I go each time I put on my military uniform. Then when I reflect on the brutality rain on my brothers and sisters back home I shed tears true tears of agony” he says.
His greatest wish, he adds, is that “… the Cameroonian military could learn these good qualities and build back the Cameroon they are presently burning down. How I wish they could learn and stop killing fellow citizens … I write with a lot of pain because I have lost close friends, classmates , brothers, sisters, children in the ongoing crisis”.
