Cameroon authorities say anglophone separatists have stolen thousands of cattle from ethnic Mbororo ranchers since July, forcing them to move livestock hundreds of kilometers away to more secure areas. Authorities say the rebels’ cattle rustling appears to be motivated by food shortages.

Forty-one-year-old Mbororo rancher Sule Kerla leads several hundred cattle to graze in the French-speaking village of Balamba, in central Cameroon, near Bafia town. 

He says the cattle belong to five Mbororo, an ethnic group of ranchers, by tradition, located mainly in Cameroon’s Northwest Region.  

But, Kerla says the Mbororo are fleeing the English-speaking region because anglophone rebels are stealing their cattle.  

“Areas like Wum, Bui Division, Boyo Division, Mezam Division, there is no place where they {separatist fighters) have not seized cows from the Mbororos,” Kerla said. “When the military goes out for their work, you see them bringing cows that were seized from the Mbororo community.  And then most of the Mbororos have carried their cows to the Western Region, Center Region.”

President of the Mbororo Cultural and Development Association (MBOSCUDA) Jaji Manu Gidado has also moved his 400 cattle to the town of Bafia. 

Gidado says rebels have stolen at least 3,000 cattle from Mbororo ranchers since July.

He says ranchers have relocated about 2,500 cattle to safer, French-speaking towns like Bafia, to escape the rebels.

“Why they {ranchers} are the target group is because those guys {fighters} met the Mbororo people and asked them {Mbororos} to join them {separatist fighters} to disturb the administration {government} from functioning,” Gidado said. “And the Mbororo people told them, ‘No, we are here to rear our cattle and send our children to school.’”

Cameroon’s livestock ministry says since the separatist conflict began in 2016, the rebels seized about 300 cows each year.  

Cameroon’s military says the rebels seem to be stealing more cattle these days because of food insecurity and to sell across the border in Nigeria to fund their revolt.

To crack down on the rebels, the military says it has reinforced control along the border with Nigeria. 

Felix Njie Ewumbwe is the officer in charge of helping ranchers in the western town of Bafoussam.  He says host communities should support the ranchers and their families.

Ewumbwe says the government gives them financial and moral support and informs them of opportunities in neighboring towns and villages, where they can sell their farm produce. 

Separatists took up arms in 2017 to carve out an English-speaking state from French-speaking-majority Cameroon.

The United Nations says the fighting has cost more than 3,000 lives and forced half-a-million to flee to French-speaking regions or into neighboring Nigeria.

Source: VOA

Cameroon’s military this week launched an operation to weed out anglophone separatists in the northwestern city of Bamenda.  Locals say the commercial hub is eerily quiet after the military banned motorcycles, and rebels responded by demanding all vehicles stay off the streets.  Civilians have been escaping the renewed fighting to neighboring towns and villages.

Twenty-seven-year-old nurse Rachel Ngobising arrived in Yaoundé late Wednesday after escaping heavy fighting in Cameroon’s northwestern city of Bamenda.

“I struggled and I trekked for a very long distance before I could find a car that could smuggle me out of Bamenda.  Worst of all, when I finally got a car, I had to pay five times the normal price [fare] because even the driver is scared.  He was taking a risk,” she said.

The fighting broke out as Cameroon’s military this week swept the city of about 350,000 people, looking for anglophone separatists.  

The commander of troops in the Northwest region, General Nka Valere, Monday announced what he called “Operation Clean Bamenda.” 

He said they aimed to weed out rebels who entered the city after the military on Sunday killed a self-proclaimed rebel general. 

“That terrorist, by the name Fonteh, alias ‘mad dog,’ has killed more than 100 people,” he said.  “We are taking all the measures to make sure that Bamenda will be clean.  Respect the decision taken by the city mayor of Bamenda and administrative authorities.”

In a Wednesday interview, Valere said there were several running battles between the military and rebels in Bamenda and nearby villages.  

However, in Bamenda, locals say the streets are eerily quiet and movement in the city has become difficult.  

Officials banned motorcycles to stop the rebels from being able to quickly attack and escape. 

Cameroon authorities say, normally, commercial motorcyclists alone number about 25,000 in Bamenda.  

Separatists responded by demanding all vehicles stay off the city’s streets.

Daniel Caapo is a Hong Kong-based, self-proclaimed deputy defense chief for the rebel Ambazonia Defense Forces.  

Speaking via a messaging application, he says they announced the demand to support motorcyclists.  

“Our citizens are relying on motorbikes to go to hospital and to provide access to critical areas of Bamenda,” he said.  “Most of these motor bikers earn their living only providing these services and they cater for a large population of our people who have no jobs to make a living.  We cannot allow this.  We have to rise up in solidarity with the bike men and also to send a strong message to the occupying force [military] and to the occupying administration [government].”

Cameroon’s military has vowed to crush rebels who refuse to surrender and hand over their weapons. 

The governor of the Northwest region, Deben Tchoffo, says people should respect security actions needed to make the city safe.

He says measures taken by the government and the military to protect civilians should be respected.  The announced actions, and many others that have not been made public, says Tchoffo, are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of all civilians.  He asks that all civilians continue carrying out their daily activities without fear.

The rebels have been fighting since 2017 to carve out an independent, English-speaking state from French-speaking-majority Cameroon. 

The United Nations says the four-year conflict has left at least 3,000 people dead and displaced more than half a million.

Source: VOA

The government and UNDP have announced a plan for the Anglophone regions. How have people reacted?

This spring, Cameroon’s government announced a new plan for the “reconstruction” of the country’s two Anglophone regions. Since 2017, this area has been embroiled in a bloody war between national security forces and armed separatists.

The new initiative has been named the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North-West and South-West Regions (PPRD-NW/SW). In total, it is expected to cost over $160 million, of which the government has initially said it will contribute 10%.

This strategy was developed in partnership with the UN Development Program (UNDP), which has referred to it as a plan for “recovery” rather than “reconstruction”. It has said that the plan is urgently needed to address socio-economic vulnerabilities and that it was designed with the economic needs of the two Anglophone regions at its forefront. The UNDP said it will utilise partnerships with civil society to implement the programme and insisted it will remain independent despite the plan being a partnership with the government.

Since it was announced, the plan has received praise and criticism from both within Cameroon and abroad. How have different parties – the government, separatists and civil society – responded and what are the plan’s potential merits and shortcomings?

The government: symbolism over substance

One notable feature of the plan is that it will be overseen by Anglophone politicians from the two the two English-speaking regions of Southwest and Northwest. The initiative was first announced by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, from Southwest region. It will be overseen by another Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Economy Paul Tasong, also from the Southwest. And Tasong’s deputy will be Donatus Njong, who served as a mayor in the Northwest region for several decades.

The government also announced that the first two phases of the plan will consist of consultations with local officials and civil society in the Anglophone regions. In June, Tasong travelled to the Northwest and Southwest regions under heavy security and met with a diverse array of stakeholders. In all his meetings, he asked for those in attendance to publicly endorse the plan.

Tasong’s engagements might be viewed positively, but it is worth noting that they occurred after the plan was already announced. This suggests the meetings may have been high on symbolism but weak on substance. It is also notable that the government has presented the reconstruction plan as a means for ending the deeply entrenched Anglophone crisis while saying nothing about the need for a political process.

The government is right to identify that the Anglophone regions desperately need humanitarian assistance and support to allow citizens to build livelihoods devastated by the conflict. Tasong has gone as far as saying that the plan is an opportunity to “Build Back Better.” But this approach fails to acknowledge that much of what needs to be rebuilt was destroyed by the government itself.

Security forces have burnt over 225 villages since the onset of the crisis and have continued to do so even after the plan was announced. On 17 August, government forces razed a village in the Muyuka sub-division in the Southwest region. On 25 August, the military entered several villages in Belo, Northwest region, to dismantle a militant camp only to find the fighters had left before their arrival. The military remained in the commune until 30 August, burning homes and looting supplies ranging from sewing machines to recently harvested potatoes. On 1 September, the military pillaged several quarters of Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest region, in response to the killing of a police officer.

The separatists: differently critical

All segments of the separatist movement have so far been extremely critical of the government initiative. The have all said that it ignores the root causes of the conflict and that they oppose any plan to reconstruct the two regions without a political solution to the war.

That being said, different separatist factions have taken dramatically different approaches to the initiative – particularly regarding the role of the UNDP. The Interim Government of Sisiku AyukTabe, for instance, said that a reconstruction effort while war is ongoing is pointless but avoided attacking the UNDP and underscored the value of humanitarian workers. The Ambazonia Governing Council, led by Cho Ayaba, expressed similar sentiments but openly criticised the UNDP for partnering with the Cameroonian government, which it said would make resolving the conflict immensely more difficult. Meanwhile, the Interim Government of Samuel Sako issued a statement that banned all UNDP staff from the regions and warned that their safety could not be guaranteed.

This rhetoric has had an impact on the ground. In the weeks after statements were made, humanitarian workers were killed by separatist fighters in both Northwest and Southwest. While all separatist groups condemned the killings, many fighters operate without a clear command and could easily have been acting in response to secessionist leaders’ condemnations of organisations working on the reconstruction initiative.

Civil society: supportive to a point

Civil society and religious organisations have broadly welcomed the plan. While acknowledging that it will not solve the conflict, they hope it will lessen some of the humanitarian needs on the ground. Opposition leaders including John Fru Ndi have also expressed support for the plan, saying that any international money that is offered to assist persons in the two Anglophone regions cannot be rejected.

In short, many neutral parties in civil society have supported the notion of increased assistance to the two regions but insist that a political solution is the only means of ultimately ending the crisis.

Not a solution

While it is clear that Cameroon’s Anglophone regions are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, any initiative that claims to rebuild the two regions without a political solution to the conflict will not be sustainable. As long as the conflict continues, lives and livelihoods will continue to be destroyed, only increasing the need for such assistance.

Culled from The Street Journal

The government and UNDP have announced a plan for the Anglophone regions. How have people reacted?

This spring, Cameroon’s government announced a new plan for the “reconstruction” of the country’s two Anglophone regions. Since 2017, this area has been embroiled in a bloody war between national security forces and armed separatists.

The new initiative has been named the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North-West and South-West Regions (PPRD-NW/SW). In total, it is expected to cost over $160 million, of which the government has initially said it will contribute 10%.

This strategy was developed in partnership with the UN Development Program (UNDP), which has referred to it as a plan for “recovery” rather than “reconstruction”. It has said that the plan is urgently needed to address socio-economic vulnerabilities and that it was designed with the economic needs of the two Anglophone regions at its forefront. The UNDP said it will utilise partnerships with civil society to implement the programme and insisted it will remain independent despite the plan being a partnership with the government.

Since it was announced, the plan has received praise and criticism from both within Cameroon and abroad. How have different parties – the government, separatists and civil society – responded and what are the plan’s potential merits and shortcomings?

The government: symbolism over substance

One notable feature of the plan is that it will be overseen by Anglophone politicians from the two the two English-speaking regions of Southwest and Northwest. The initiative was first announced by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, from Southwest region. It will be overseen by another Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Economy Paul Tasong, also from the Southwest. And Tasong’s deputy will be Donatus Njong, who served as a mayor in the Northwest region for several decades.

The government also announced that the first two phases of the plan will consist of consultations with local officials and civil society in the Anglophone regions. In June, Tasong travelled to the Northwest and Southwest regions under heavy security and met with a diverse array of stakeholders. In all his meetings, he asked for those in attendance to publicly endorse the plan.

Tasong’s engagements might be viewed positively, but it is worth noting that they occurred after the plan was already announced. This suggests the meetings may have been high on symbolism but weak on substance. It is also notable that the government has presented the reconstruction plan as a means for ending the deeply entrenched Anglophone crisis while saying nothing about the need for a political process.

The government is right to identify that the Anglophone regions desperately need humanitarian assistance and support to allow citizens to build livelihoods devastated by the conflict. Tasong has gone as far as saying that the plan is an opportunity to “Build Back Better.” But this approach fails to acknowledge that much of what needs to be rebuilt was destroyed by the government itself.

Security forces have burnt over 225 villages since the onset of the crisis and have continued to do so even after the plan was announced. On 17 August, government forces razed a village in the Muyuka sub-division in the Southwest region. On 25 August, the military entered several villages in Belo, Northwest region, to dismantle a militant camp only to find the fighters had left before their arrival. The military remained in the commune until 30 August, burning homes and looting supplies ranging from sewing machines to recently harvested potatoes. On 1 September, the military pillaged several quarters of Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest region, in response to the killing of a police officer.

The separatists: differently critical

All segments of the separatist movement have so far been extremely critical of the government initiative. The have all said that it ignores the root causes of the conflict and that they oppose any plan to reconstruct the two regions without a political solution to the war.

That being said, different separatist factions have taken dramatically different approaches to the initiative – particularly regarding the role of the UNDP. The Interim Government of Sisiku AyukTabe, for instance, said that a reconstruction effort while war is ongoing is pointless but avoided attacking the UNDP and underscored the value of humanitarian workers. The Ambazonia Governing Council, led by Cho Ayaba, expressed similar sentiments but openly criticised the UNDP for partnering with the Cameroonian government, which it said would make resolving the conflict immensely more difficult. Meanwhile, the Interim Government of Samuel Sako issued a statement that banned all UNDP staff from the regions and warned that their safety could not be guaranteed.

This rhetoric has had an impact on the ground. In the weeks after statements were made, humanitarian workers were killed by separatist fighters in both Northwest and Southwest. While all separatist groups condemned the killings, many fighters operate without a clear command and could easily have been acting in response to secessionist leaders’ condemnations of organisations working on the reconstruction initiative.

Civil society: supportive to a point

Civil society and religious organisations have broadly welcomed the plan. While acknowledging that it will not solve the conflict, they hope it will lessen some of the humanitarian needs on the ground. Opposition leaders including John Fru Ndi have also expressed support for the plan, saying that any international money that is offered to assist persons in the two Anglophone regions cannot be rejected.

In short, many neutral parties in civil society have supported the notion of increased assistance to the two regions but insist that a political solution is the only means of ultimately ending the crisis.

Not a solution

While it is clear that Cameroon’s Anglophone regions are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, any initiative that claims to rebuild the two regions without a political solution to the conflict will not be sustainable. As long as the conflict continues, lives and livelihoods will continue to be destroyed, only increasing the need for such assistance.

Culled from The Street Journal

A grenade exploded in a busy area in Talakachi village near the border with Nigeria on Wednesday injuring seven civilians including women and children.

“It was a huge blast with thick black smoke” a security source who sued for anonymity hinted Cameroon Concord News.

“Women and children were burning,” according to an eyewitness report.

 A French Cameroun journalist who is very experienced in covering the Boko Haram crisis reportedly said the border police station may have been the target.

 The bombing comes while the entire French Cameroun’s Far North Region is still reeling from an attack on camps hosting IDPs. The Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram is yet to claim responsibility for any of the bombings.

By Fon Lawrence