Southern Cameroons unrest: Mamfe gov’t building torched as arrest protests rage ²

Violent reactions are reportedly increasing in Manyu Division over the arrest and continued detention of Lord Justice Ayah Paul of the Supreme Court of Cameroon and the Chairman of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho.

The people of Manyu have declared their unflinching support for the interim leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and have vowed to counter violence with violence. On the 11^th of February, some angry youths burnt down two vehicles belonging to the mayor of Mamfe and on Monday the 13^th of February, the Divisional Delegation of Basic Education for Manyu was set ablaze following what the people termed provocation from the Divisional Delegate, Mr. Arreyngang Haman.

Tracks had been distributed in Mamfe town calling on every Manyu citizen to follow the instructions of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and boycott Youth Day celebrations.  Arreyngang Haman who defied the 11th Feb boycott and marched alone in front of the colonial SDO for Manyu was targeted by an angry mop. The said delegate has been quoted as saying that he did not march alone. However, Consortium sources in Mamfe say, Mr. Arreyngang is not a youth and will remain a target until the struggle is won.

Manyu Division has had a long history of romance with the Biya Francophone regime and has always ended up with nothing. Ever since independence, the people of Akwaya the home constituency of Lord Justice Ayah Abine have never been linked by road to the rest of Manyu. All what Manyu political elites claimed to have done for their area ranges from plain fiction to the most absurd.

By Eyong Johnson