Anglophones target of Amba fighters passing for liberators – Ngoketunjia SDO.

The vocal administrator made the observation in a recent outing during which he also challenged the separatist fighters to render account of what he said are billions of FCFA extorted from the population of the North West and South West Regions in the past six years. 

Quetong was speaking as guest during the 6pm newscast on Douala-based Equinoxe Television Wednesday May 24.

“…a lot of money and property worth more than three times the budget of the Republic of Cameroon, in terms of billions, have been extorted by these armed bandits masquerading as Anglophone freedom fighters, for the past six years,” Quetong revealed.

He also questioned where the exorbitant sums forcefully extorted from the suffering population have been kept and what it has been used for. “…I want to challenge whoever wants to answer me, the balance sheet of all what they have collected. Where is the balance sheet? How was it used?  Have they rendered account to the population?,” he rhetorically questioned. 

“Anglophones now target, highest victims”

The administrative authority categorically declared that the self-proclaimed liberators have now turned their fight on the same population they have been claiming to protect. 

“…the population remains the number one victim of all the atrocities that they have committed for more than six years,” Quetong stated. 

The SDO said the gun-toting youth, before engaging the war, “did not consult the population”. He regretted that separatist fighters have now diverted attention to be fighting the population. 

“…the target is not to liberate Anglophones but to put them further in bondage. The war is not against the Republic of Cameroon or the forces of law and order. Anglophones are now their biggest targets,” he stated. 

The SDO cited the destruction of schools, hospitals and private homes as anti-people actions carried out by so-called liberators within his area of command. 

He also mentioned cases of kidnappings for ransom, imposition of lockdowns and ghost towns and other acts which ground all forms of daily activities as part of the modus-operandi of Amba fighters. 

This, the SDO disclosed, is done against the wish of the population that has become helpless. “They use the barrel of the gun to impose whatever they want on the population and everybody is bound to respect it,” Quetong declared. 

“Collaborate with security forces, administrators”

Quetong said the only way out for the population is for them to collaborate by “discreetly furnishing defence and security forces and administrative authorities with vital information that can get these armed bandits from their hideouts”.

To achieving peace, Quetong insisted that the population must not only act discreetly but collectively. “Not only should they act collectively, they should act in a timely manner and urgently in such a way that the information they give ties up with the circumstances. You don’t give information which is outdated that cannot be exploited,” he noted. 

“Amba using population as shield”

He called on all and sundry within the various communities to know their neighbours and those causing problems within communities. 

“…we have discovered that these armed gangs are using the community as a shield and they use it as their hideout and have their camps inside these communities,” he said. 

Quetong said the population is bound to suffer collateral destruction when Amba fighters attack the forces of law and order and escape within communities because defence and security forces “always act in self-defense”. 

“Stop taking children out of Division to school elsewhere”

Harping on the situation of school attendance within the area, the SDO sounded optimistic that despite challenges, Ngoketunjia Division is picking up steadily. 

“Despite all the challenges, Ngoketunjia Division has emerged as first in terms of performance in the entire North West Region; in the just released results of the Common Entrance Exams,” Quetong disclosed. 

The development, he said, is an “eye-opener to those who have been escaping and out of their Divisions of origin to register their children elsewhere”.

The number of registered candidates for this year’s Common Entrance Exams in Ngoketunjia Division, Quetong added, is more than tripled as compared to last year. 

Amba atrocity on Babanki women condemned

The nation has in the past days has vehemently condemned another vexing level of cruelty Amba fighters who kidnapped over 30 women in Babanki in Tubah Subdivision, Mezam Division of the North West Region.

The women were kidnapped by the fighters and subjected in humane treatment for protesting the forceful imposition of levies of 10,000 FCFA on men and 5,000 FCFA on women by separatist fighters. 

The Amba fighters had released a viral video which went viral, showing the women being subjected to unbearable torture. In a recent release, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, Rev Rt Fonki Samuel, condemned the attack on women which he said is a war crime.

He called on the international community to document the crimes and punish those violating the rights of civilians.