Victims implore divine, ancestral justice as Douala land expropriation saga drags on.

A host of other religious leaders offered prayers to the Almighty God, beseeching both divinities to ensure justice prevails over what they term “human injustice”.

It is worth recalling that, it was in the early hours of May 14, 2022, at about 4:00a.m. that bulldozers accompanied by 200 police officers and dozens civilian heavyweight guards, led the demolition exercise at the site, rendering homeless some 1,000 families. 

One of them, Patrick Moudissa Bell, recalling the May 14 incident, said he saw his childhood residence in the Bali-Dikolo neighbourhood reduced to dust.

Now the spokesperson of the victims, Moudissa noted that his family had lived there for more than two hundred years.

While calling on their ancestors to put an end to the injustice the Sawa people have been experiencing since the colonial period, victims of the land saga also demanded complete restitution by the state 

"The Littoral Administrative Court had handed down a judgement that, the land should be restored to the original owners, but we want to say, ever since there has been no headway…nothing else has been done. So, this ceremony, was held in remembrance of our suffering but also to call on the authorities to see into it that, everyone affected, gets possession of the lost properties," Moudussa said.

Victims of the community of Dikolo through the voice Abel Elimby Lobe, who prides himself as "Moses of the Sawa people", are demanding 100 billion FCFA in reparations.

"We are telling the State that enough is enough. It has been two years since we were sent to the streets. Despite the injustice done on us, the SDO who ordered the demolition is on retirement. He is living well with his family, but we are on the streets. Some of us have even died. we are using this anniversary to say, let justice be done so that we can return to our ancestral land. let those who use state powers to prey on the poor be punished, we need to be given our properties back," he said. 

The people then gathered in circle motion, burning incense, pouring libation and calling on their ancestors to intervene. 

The cleric from the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Pastor Bodule Moukilo, while offering prayers, made reference to the story of the Israelites and Pharaoh. 

He assured the victims that just as God gave liberation to the Israelites and freed them from the grips of Pharaoh, so too will the State restore that which was forcefully and unjustly taken from the Sawa community. 

He said it seemed as though the State has not learned from the tales of history but they have taken upon themselves to inflict pains on the population “because of money”.

He added that by the justice system of God, he has prophesy that every single block, roof sheet, nail, that was brought to dust will be restored to those affected. 

He said the rituals on Sunday and all other activities organised since the Dikolo incident, are necessary so that future generations will not have to face similar ordeals.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No3132 of Wednesday June 05, 2024