On February 14, 2020, Cameroonian soldiers and armed ethnic Fulani raided Ngarbuh, a village in Cameroon’s North-West province, killing at least 21 civilians, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and burning and looting homes. It was a brutal day that shocked even those who had long become numb to increasing violence in the region.

The attack was a reprisal against the local community, which was suspected of harboring separatist fighters. The massacre followed a pattern of military abuse against civilians in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, where for over the last eight years security forces have clashed with armed separatists—themselves responsible for attacks on civilians—who are fighting for independence for the country’s minority English-speaking population.

The government initially denied its security forces were responsible for the massacre, describing allegations against them as fake and launching a smear campaign against rights groups and media who exposed the killings. In March 2020, only after national and international pressure, authorities established a commission of inquiry, which found that the military attempted to cover up their actions and identified three security force members as responsible for the killings. In June 2020, the government announced that the three had been arrested and charged with murder.

In December 2020, a trial opened before a military court in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, marking an important step towards accountability for the massacre. However, the trial has dragged on and been marred by irregularities. Hearings have been postponed multiple times, victims’ families have minimal participation in the proceedings, and the court has refused to admit key evidence, including death certificates. Senior officers have not been arrested or charged.

During the last real hearing on the massacre on November 16, 2023, witnesses did speak, and some investigative reports were presented. But since then, the trial has been postponed three times, casting doubt on the ability of the military judicial system to deliver accountability for military abuse. It is scheduled to restart this week.

This trial provides a rare opportunity for justice not only for Ngarbuh’s victims, but for all those who have suffered from military abuse during the crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. With yet another hearing on the horizon, now is the time for judicial authorities to avoid further delays and commit to deliver justice.

Culled from Human Rights Watch

Elections even under the one-party state in the days of President Ahmadou Ahidjo stood as the cornerstone of government establishment and security, grounded in the foundational principle of freedom. However, immediately Mr. Paul Biya took office in 1982, Cameroon’s electoral landscape suddenly became a distressing narrative and today; the nation is grappling with the erosion of democratic principles.

Cameroon’s electoral landscape is presently marked by an alarming descent into undemocratic practices, reflecting the diminishing scope of power within the ruling gang in Yaoundé.

The last presidential elections reportedly won by the MRC candidate Professor Maurice Kamto brought an unprecedented chill, casting a nightmarish shadow over the Cameroonian nation.

Biya and his consortium of crime syndicate stole Maurice Kamto’s victory.  Today, the inherent conflict between the political structures in the Francophone dominated Republic of Cameroon and the fundamental right to choose is amplifying existing political and tribal divisions and above all, it is transforming elections into both a mockery and a tragic spectacle.

Since 1992, manipulation of the ballot box remains a persistent issue and with this, certain CPDM hardliners are actively seeking the replacement of the 91-year-old Paul Biya with his son-Franck Biya. Widespread protests and societal struggles are also pushing the Francophone regime to tighten its grip on power and surprising even against those within the system.

Legitimacy which is the foundation of governmental power all over the globe is now facing a crisis as the Yaoundé government’s choices in portraying it keeps backfiring. The massacre of thousands of innocent Southern Cameroonians and the humiliation suffered by renowned Beti Bulu political elites in the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison has permanently affixed a cursed emblem of destroyers of humanity to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime, tarnishing its global image. Yaounde’s attempt to establish legitimacy through strategic maneuvers in staged elections, rushing the malaria vaccines and deceptive military deployments in the Central African Republic is now raising further concerns.

The recent recruitment of hundreds of Beti, Bulu and Ewondo students into the public service via ENAM, IRIC and the National Police Corp disappointed many, including Anglophone, Hausa and Fulani moderates deep within the ruling CPDM party. The whole public service recruitment process raises questions about the inclusivity and representativeness of the so-called regional balance, especially considering the diverse political spectrum within the already divided Cameroon.

For over 41 years, Cameroon has been struggling for democracy amidst a complex electoral landscape. The erosion of democratic principles, internal strife, and manipulation of the ballot box, legitimacy crisis, and questions of inclusivity paint a vivid picture of the challenges faced by the nation.

As the disappointments echo among some Biya loyalists who are moderates, the enthusiasm of the public to participate in the electoral process is dampened, reflecting a growing disillusionment.

In Yaounde the nation’s capital, the essence of democracy seems to be slipping away, replaced by factional strife deep within the ruling party and suppression of dissent.

As the world watches, Cameroon is standing at a critical juncture, where its citizens are slowly but surely calling on the military to take action. The future of the Cameroonian nation is indeed marked by uncertainties and complexities that demand careful navigation.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai