Mamfe the chief town in Manyu division has witnessed sporadic fighting between unknown gunmen believe to be members of the Ambazonian Defense Force and the Cameroonian army.  Over the past week, several events have unfolded that has caused panic and generated a massive exodus from the area.

Tuesday 12th of December 4.3am:   Fire ravaged the Mamfe Main Market and 16 stores were completely damage.  The cause of the fire has not been established though the trader’s union is blaming the use of poor quality cables during the electrification process of the market. More than 20 businessmen and women have been rendered bankrupt loosing an estimated sum of approximately 50millions owing to the fact that most of them had stock their shops for the festive period. Cameroon Concord News understands the destruction should have been minimized if drivers were allowed to circulate early in the mornings by the military.

Thursday the 14^th of December 8.30: Unidentified gunmen attacked Cameroon soldiers on patrol. There was heavy exchange of artillery fire that claimed the lives of 7 civilians including 2 Malians and a Nigerian. The foreigners were killed at Tanjong Street far from the place of confrontation. The foreign nationals had gone to eat in a restaurant in Tanjong Street where they were reportedly shot by troops parading in pickup truck. The soldiers refused to identify the others and the 7 victims were buried in a mass grave behind the old council building.

Sunday the 17 of December 11 am: A majority of the Mamfe inhabitants have now yielded to the Senior Division Officer’s press release that urged them to   relocate to safer zones.  The people of Egbekaw have all moved out of their homeland. Manyus have moved to different towns and cities in Southern Cameroons. Bike riders have all left and the streets of Mamfe are empty. Consequently, schools have all been force to shut down.

The army launched a 3-day-attack on the Mamfe business community dealing in petrol commonly referred to as funge. A petrol dealer hinted Cameroon Concord News that fuel worth 30 million FCFA was destroyed.

By Judith Fon in Mamfe

Colonel Didier Badjeck, head of the communications department in the Ministry of Defense has said that the Cameroon army is winning the war in Southern Cameroons. The Cameroon military spokesman also added that the fighting on the ground is going in favour of the defense and security forces.

Didier Badjeck pointed out that on the 14^th of December 2017; the Cameroon army routed a gang of Ambazonian militants who attempted to destroy a military boat on the river Manyu. Colonel Badjeck informed the nation that a number of soldiers and police officers have so far been killed in the war in Manyu. He however did not make public any figures.  According to the Cameroon military spokesperson, the army now controls the South West and North West regions.

He was speaking on state radio on a program known as “Honeur et Fedelite” yesterday Saturday December 16, 2017 which is a production of the Ministry of Defense.

Colonel Badjeck likened the war in Manyu to that against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the Far North region. He however concluded that the Cameroonian army has disabled the members of the sect Boko Haram and will do same for the Southern Cameroons armed militants.

By Rita Akana

The Cameroonian armed forces have reportedly invaded the headquarters of the Cho Ayaba gang in Dadi and seized a large stockpile of weapons and ammunition there.

Dadi is the area that the controversial Southern Cameroons activist passing for a military commander staged a military parade and posted on face book.

Yaoundé interpreted the Cho Ayaba move as coming from the Interim Government headed by Sisiku Ayuk Tabe. Cho Ayaba in the video released some weeks ago was reviewing his troops.

By Rita Akana

The Cameroonian army is facing a strong response from armed Southern Cameroons militants following what is being described as an invasion of the Manyu State in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and continues military incursion is doomed to fail, according to our South West bureau chief who is currently monitoring the situation in Mamfe.

“Any military operation led by General Elokobi Daniel Njock against the people of Akwaya will fail as it would elicit a harsh and unexpected response,” Sama Ernest told our news desk late last night.

Last week, a top Cameroon government official revealed Biya regime’s intentions of deploying thousands of troops in the Eyumojock and Akwaya sub constituencies. His remarks followed a series of attacks ordered from Yaoundé on the Southern Cameroons civilian population in Mamfe, Egbekaw, Besongabang and Kembong including Kajifu and Agborkem-German.

On Thursday, Cameroonian military vehicles and helicopters entered Mamfe under escort and staged attacks on Egbekaw. The Cameroon army deployed massive reinforcements to its outposts on the Ekok border in preparations to sending forces into Akwaya and Otu, which is part of a deal with Nigeria to de-escalate the conflict in the area.

“The Cameroonian military presence is aimed at thwarting the Federal Republic of Ambazonia project in Southern Cameroons and imposing a siege on Manyu Division. The Biya Francophone regime is not fighting any terrorist organizations in Southern Cameroons,” said Sama.

The statement was echoed by an aide to the Interim Head of State of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe who spoke to us recently in Calabar in Nigeria. The Cameroon government’s goal in Manyu is to prevent Southern Cameroonians from linking the Bokis of Cameroon to the Bokis in Nigeria including the Ejagham cantons of Eyumojock to those in Nigeria and change the character of the Anglophone crisis.

Yaoundé only controls a pocket of land since General Elokobi Daniel Njock started the operation in Manyu.  Cameroon Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo has previously described the Manyu Division area on the Nigeria border as a “terror corridor” in the making.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai 

4 military helicopters have attacked civilian positions in Egbekaw village in Mamfe town in what the Cameroonian army calls a “terrorist raid” on Southern Cameroons militants.

Grenades were dropped on Egbekaw and 15 shots fired at some residence today, Cameroon Concord News reporter said.

The helicopters flew from a military base located in Besongabang to attack the Egbekaw area.

Manyu Division is in the midst of a political and economic crisis that has sparked mass exodus into Nigeria.

Many of those in the Cameroonian army who support the Biya regime see Mamfe has the headquarters of the Southern Cameroons uprising.

What happened in the attack?

Four helicopters were seen flying over Egbekaw village dropping grenades with soldiers firing at civilians. No casualties have been reported.

By Sama Ernest in Egbekaw

The Secretary General of the National Assembly has died in the General Hospital in Yaoundé. News of his demise was made public early today Wednesday, December 13, 2017.

Victor Yene Ossomba, 70, from the Central Region, was a senior civil administrator who served as provincial governor in the Far-North region from 1998 to 2003.

Victor Yene Ossomba was Secretary General of the National Assembly since February 15, 2010. He had a fragile health for almost a year.

By Rita Akana

The Minister of Communication and so-called government spokesman has defended the budget of his ministerial department which however recorded a relative decline from 4.74 to 4.39 billion FCFA.

Interestingly, Issa Tchiroma Bakary hinted the Francophone dominated National Assembly that public aid to private newspapers will increase from 400 to 600 million CFA francs in 2018. In 2016, the prize pool amounted to 250 million CFA francs distributed to pro CPDM tabloids.

Since last Saturday, the cabinet members of the Biya Francophone regime have visited alternately the Finance Committee to defend the budget of their respective ministerial departments for 2018 amid a massive opposition protest led by the Social Democratic Front.

Issa Tchiroma mainly focused on the rehabilitation of state radio and television, CRTV and the private press informing the elected representatives that the media will be “very important” in light of future events notably the presidential election and the organisation of the 2019 African Cup of Nations.

By Sama Ernest

Two Southern Cameroonians were arrested on Monday near the Bombe-Bakundu weighing station, in possession of weapons of war and ammunition, Cameroon Concord News has learnt from security sources in Meme Division. The young men aged 22 years old were reportedly stopped by a patrol of security forces.

Family sources revealed the young men had gone for hunting with their dads and were returning home with den guns when they were picked up by security forces. However, according to the National Gendarmerie, the two young men confessed that they were preparing an attack on the Bombe-Bakundu gendarmerie station.

By Fru James

The Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram staged a suicide bombing today in Kerawa, Mayo Sava Division in the Far North region. Cameroon security sources say the attack resulted in a death s of three people. We gathered that the young suicide bomber infiltrated Muslim faithful who were leaving the mosque after the dawn prayer.

“The toll would be heavier if the suicide bomber was inside the mosque where Muslims gathered for prayers” said one of the witnesses.  The blast actually collapsed a section of the Kerawa Mosque.

The Far North, affected by the violence at the peak of the insurgency in 2014-2015, had seen in recent weeks a gradual and fragile return to calm. But jihadist attacks have resumed in this border region of Nigeria and near the Mandara Mountains, where Boko Haram has several camps.  Military sources in the region reported that a truck driver was kidnapped today December 11, 2017 in the locality of Dabanga.

By Sonne Peter

At least 3 people were killed in armed clashes between Ambazonian militants and Cameroon defense forces, according to community and security sources in Kumba.

Armed men claiming to represent the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), a movement classified as a terrorist organization by Yaoundé, attacked a gendarmerie post.

The clashes took place on the night on Saturday in Kumba the chief city in Meme Division.  3 attackers were killed and 5 soldiers were seriously injured.

Southern Cameroons is witnessing many scenes of clashes between defense forces and armed bands claiming secession. These secessionists are considered “terrorists” by Yaoundé.

By Rita Akana