Touembeng, Mbengwi; Mbororos Pounce on their Meta Brothers, Blood Flows, Village Deserted

Touembeng, Mbengwi; Mbororos Pounce on their Meta Brothers, Blood Flows, Village Deserted

Touembeng otherwise called Mbengeghang, located about some 8km away from the town of Mbengwi is one of the quarters that make up Guneku, the biggest village in the Meta clan of Mbengwi Central Sub Division. Its hilly nature and vast evergreen vegetation attracts the Mbororos who by nature are grazers. History has it that the place was long inhabited by the Metas before the nomads later came in. Since then, they had been living together in conviviality though with minute differences not until last Wednesday October 17 2018 when forces of darkness descended on the Mbororos.

Mr. Fokwah Eric is one of the victims of the attack. Narrating what happened, he explained that on that fateful day the indigenes were going about their daily life of farming and business when out of a sudden, they noticed a good number of angry looking Mbororo boys moving towards them, some on horsebacks. They were armed with sticks, swords and locally fabricated guns. Accusing the Metas of killing one of their boys, they pounced on them with the sticks and swords, wiping and inflicting wounds on their bodies. "I had a small provision store. They scattered all the items in it and carried some away. They burnt my motorbike." This he said while shaking his head almost in tears. Eric went ahead to narrate that he was fathering a huge family of 27 members, most of whom were Internally Displaced Persons that came in from the South West Region. At moment, he doesn't know their whereabout since everybody had to escape to various directions for safety. The attackers break into all the houses and scattered their contents. He said he recognised all of them. Some came in from Tugi, Dom and other Mbororo inhabited areas of Meta to join their colleagues of Touembeng to carry out the attack.

Mr. Fokwah Eric, Victim

He was speaking to this reporter from a health facility whose location he requested not to be revealed. It is here that he is receiving treatment for the several machete cuts he  sustained on his head. Speaking on basis of anonymity, the lone nurse in the facility attending to some of the victims said the five cases that came to her had very deep wounds. So she had to do three layers of stitching as a temporal measure. Though free from danger, she plans to refer them to a bigger hospital for scanning especially those who had wounds on their heads when the pains subside.

Mr. Ndingwan Primus, Guneku Traditional Council Chairman

Mr. Ndingwan Primus is the Chairman of the Guneku Traditional Council. He said when he got the news that his people had been attacked, he immediately contacted the Ardo (Muslim leader) of Touembeng, a certain El-Haji Manu for first hand information on what transpired but unfortunately, he babbled with his words though assuring him that he's seeking for quick reconciliation so that peace returns. "The destruction level is high. With houses burnt, machines and generators burnt, food destroyed, I wonder how the peace will come about. I wonder if he will provide back all what's been damaged" said the chairman. We took them as our brothers. They form part of the population of Guneku. Look at what they did to us". He ended by saying an emergency council meeting has been called to look into the problem.

Mrs. Constance Ngwe, Victim

From findings, secessionist fighters of the Ambazonia Defence Force picked up one of the Mbororo boys from the area whom they tagged as a black leg to the struggle, took him to Mundum in Bafut Sub Division and killed. In retaliation, the Mbororos had to attack the Metas of the area whom they accused to have connived with the separatist fighters. A total of 12 persons were injured in the attack but no death recorded. They are receiving treatment in different health facilities. The area has been completely deserted by the Meta indigenes who are now seeking refuge in neighbouring villages like Munam, Sang and Bessi Fomukong.  The Mbororos up the hills are reported to be in discord now among themselves because many had objected to any such attack. Latest reports say bike riders that used to carry food like corn, rice, flower from Njindom and Mbengwi to the Mbororos on the Touembeng hills have stopped doing so again as a sign of solidarity with the victims. The Mbororos too can't come down for fear of a retaliatory attack. The wish of many now is that the issue be amicably resolved as fast as possible so that peace returns. With the traditional council and leaders of the Mbororos meeting soon, there's hope for a better tomorrow.

If You Dare Abandon... "Amba" Boys Threaten Contractors in Momo Division

If You Dare Abandon... "Amba" Boys Threaten Contractors in Momo Division

Members of the Momo Divisional Performance Follow-up Committee for the evaluation of projects executed from the Public Investment Budget have been called upon to step up their game and give the division the much needed development it deserves. The call was made by the Senior Divisional Officer for Momo Division, Absalom Monono Woloa as he chaired the committee's third quarterly meeting in the conference hall of the Divisional Delegation of MINEPAT Mbengwi last Thursday October 18 2018. The committee met to evaluate the level of financial and physical realisation and evaluate if recommendations of the last meeting were executed.

The S.D.O in his opening statement congratulated economic operators, project owners and engineers, for the little efforts they put in before the last meeting, during which physical realisation rate stood at 10.51%. To him, this was better than zero. He however frowned at lazy and dubious contractors that are now hiding behind the Anglophone crisis under the pretext of insecurity to abandon or play foul with projects. He also strongly condemned the separatists fighters for having instilled fear in the people and crumbled the economy. Monono warned the committee members that if they don't meet up with effective realisation by the end of the year, then they would be guilty of contributing to the hardship faced by the population. He ended by advising the stakeholders to talk to the boys in the bushes and school them that destroying public property isn't doing harm to any institution said to be the state but to themselves. That when they cut roads, destroy bridges, network and electricity poles, burn schools etc, it's not the state that suffers. The people in the said area including the fighters pay the price. 

L-R: Div. Del., MINEPAT, S.D.O (Absalom Monono), Committee President (Hon. Edna Mbah), Div. Treasurer (Madam Foncham)

The president of the Momo Divisional Follow-up Committee is Honourable Edna Enih Mbah, Member of Parliament for Momo East Constituency. She enjoined project owners and engineers to be able to talk of advancement during the next meeting while promising that the committee will move to the field in the days ahead to ascertain the actual level of work being done by the contractors. She frowned at most mayors and technical service heads within the division that have continued to underrate the importance of attending such meetings. For instance only the mayor of Mbengwi was present during the meeting though she came late. The rest either send their Council Development Officers or other representatives who are often handicap with information required of them.

Just like the S.D.O, the M.P regretted that the terrain has really been rough to the point where a certain Mr. Mbah, a popular contractor in Mbengwi was attacked and killed in Widikum, months back while on the field to supervise a project. He was mistaken for a spy by separatist fighters in the bushes and eliminated. Despite this regrettable incidence coupled with other fallouts of the sociopolitical crisis that have greatly destabilised the execution of projects, she still encouraged all, mostly owners of projects of purchases (council projects below five million) to be committed for such are often either at 0% or 100% realisation. In her words, "We know that we have social tension. Those involved in these projects, both beneficiaries and executors must get down to work because we aren't going to take any administrative dispensations that will favour anybody that hasn't done the right thing. We the beneficiaries must welcome these projects because it is our own share of the national cake. While we hope for a bigger share, let's appreciate the one we have because better days are ahead " she ended.

Service Heads 

Madam Nkempu Njonguo Catherine Atendemen is the Momo Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT).  She observed that as at now, physical realisation rate of projects within the division stands at 21.04% but regrettably, most divisional projects are effectively being executed while almost all projects owned by mayors are at 0% execution. She warned that because the finance budget will be closed by November 30th,  stakeholders must do everything humanly possible to finish what is left undone without which disappointment shall be their portion.

While closing the meeting, the Momo S.D.O  once more called to order, dubious contractors that are trying to take advantage of the crisis situation and swindle state funds for little or no work done. He insisted that the local authorities like mayors, elites, traditional and religious leaders must stay back in their communities and face the challenges rather than escape to urban areas thus leaving their population at the mercy of activists. He directly compared and contrasted the situation of Ngie with that of Batibo. In the former, all the elites, mayor and other leaders have escaped. Because of this, the separatist fighters took advantage and vandalised the council building, solar plant, network antenna, D.O's residence and other buildings. To Monono, if they had stayed back and talked to the boys even in the vernacular, they won't have shot themselves in the legs because the sufferers now are the community not the government as they think. He insisted that local authorities seeking refuge in cities can't claim not to know these boys. As he put it, "They are your boys. Talk to them".

Madam Nkempu Njonguo Catherine Atendemen, Momo's Div. Del., of MINEPAT

In the latter (Batibo), the case is different. Monono advised the other mayors within the division to copy the example of their colleague of Batibo, Tanjoh Fridrick. Batibo has been one of the highest hit sub divisions in the face of the on going crisis yet the mayor has not escaped. The sub division has been hosting many separatist fighters' camps. The military has been attacking there severally destroying the camps. Despite these, the mayor stayed back and was rather assisting in burying corpses. As a result, Monono revealed that many of the "Amba" boys in Batibo as they are fondly called have been coming to their senses. They've realised that the property they are destroying is theirs. The community pulled resources together and erected such buildings, dug the roads. So destroying them is like shooting one's self. In effect, the strategy has changed. Even in the midst of the crisis, the execution of public contracts is effectively going on in several parts of Batibo sub division. A case in point is a school in Bessi Awum where Amba boys have warned the contractor to ensure that he does good work else they "deal" with him. To Monono, nobody should think that he or she can escape from death because death is everywhere.

In other not to face resistance from the beneficiaries, Absalom Monono Woloa advised that mayors must avoid using only contractors that are their close friends and relatives. Again, contractors must avoid bringing only their own labour to execute a project in a community. The locals must be involved. Let them benefit financially in the implementation by probably clearing, digging and other mean jobs, then the success of the project will be guaranteed. If the community has qualified technicians like plumbers, builders, electricians etc, they must be integrated into the project without which  they will resist its realisation or distance themselves away from it for no one will like to miss an opportunity to make money

Before his final words, he proposed that from now henceforth the Delegation of Environment, Nature  Protection and Sustainable Development must be involved in the drawing up and execution of projects so as to carry out environmental impact assessment. After introducing the new Divisional Financial Controller in the person of Mr. Tangwan Derrick to the attendees, he then ended by announcing that in implementing effective decentralisation, the state has already transfered powers and competencies to the councils of Widikum, Batibo and Mbengwi to be responsible for the cleaning of roadsides.

Mbengwi; What Went Wrong? No Network, Water, Light, Road

Mbengwi; What Went Wrong? No Network, Water, Light, Road

The population of Mbengwi, headquarters of Momo Division in the N.W region of Cameroon is yet to come to terms with  what crime it committed to deserve such unheard of punishment. Before the last presidential election of October 7 2018, MTN and Orange networks were completely cut off. Many quarters underwent acute water crisis.  The town became deserted, seemingly not fit for human habitation. Fortunately, contrary to unfounded fear of the unknown, the election day passed hitch free. Runaway inhabitants started resurfacing from their hideouts. Many heaved a sigh of relief that at last normal life was returning. They went about their daily activities with much fanfare. Little did they know that every finishing line is the beginning of a new race. Like in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, "Happiness was but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain".

Recharging Phones, 100, 150, 200F

As the saying goes, "It never rains but it pours". In addition to the general network failure and no pipe borne water in many quarters, an unannounced power cut last Wednesday October 17 came in to make a bad situation worse. Things moved from frying pan to fire. For three days and nights, the population returned to the dark ages. Since every disappointment is a blessing, few businessmen began making money out of the unfortunate situation. These were those who had generators. Recharging of phones, power banks and other gadgets was levied between 100 and 200Frs. Some made more than 10.000F from the power failure. In electronics shops, the demand for solar lamps, torches and power banks increased tremendously. Repairers of generators made real cash as almost all hitherto bad and malfunctioning generators were brought out for repairs.

Cars With Goods & Passengers Stranded at the Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18, Mbengwi

On the other side were the losers. These were mostly cold store owners. Fish and other seafoods got bad in the fridges. As if that was not enough, the worst was still to come. On Saturday morning, news came in that separatist fighters had blocked the Bamenda-Mbengwi highway. Mr. Katu Joel, an inhabitant of Mbengwi  narrated what transpired that as early as 6:15am in the morning of Saturday 20th October, he was already at a place called C-Bend at Alabukam, Mankon in his car on his way to Bamenda for a business trip. He bumped on the fighters in their numbers blocking the road. All they told him was to make a U-turn, a command he obeyed without complaining. That was how the rest of the cars that were already en route to Bamenda began making U-turns too.

Many vehicles in their numbers with goods and passengers became stranded at Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18 Mbengwi and Hospital Roundabout, Bamenda. This wasn't the first time the road was being blocked by the separatist fighters. On several occasions they've done so but the military always intervened quickly to reopen the roads for circulation. This was the thought that many had, that in a matter of few minutes, the military will reopen the road for traffic flow to resume. Little did they know that this time around, the formula had changed.

Generators Pending Repairs

For hours upon hours the cars waited and waited yet no hope. Gossips went round that apart from blocking the road, the fighters also planted fetish objects on the spot. Combat ready uniform officers actually left Mbengwi in three fully loaded trucks herding towards Bamenda probably to the scene to intervene. It was not until about 4:15pm that the first car entered Mbengwi from Bamenda. The road had finally been reopened and again rumours went wild that the separatist fighters that had blocked the road were the very ones that reopened it because the fetish objects they planted were dreadful. How true this is, no one can tell with certainty.

At press time, smiles have returned to the faces of the inhabitants of Mbengwi. The road has been reopened, power supply has been reinstated, MTN and Orange networks have been reestablished, clean water is once more flowing from the taps that were previously dry. But the question is, for how long will this last before the next episode of the drama?

CAMASEJ N.W Schooled on Non Violent Communication

CAMASEJ N.W Schooled on Non Violent Communication

Members of the North West Chapter of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) have been schooled on Non Violent Communication. This was during a one day workshop that took place on Wednesday October 17 2018 in the conference hall of the Pedagogic In Service Training Program, Ntamulung, Bamenda facilitated by Mr. Dzebam Godlove Ayaba, a yet to be certified Non Violent Communication trainer.

Opening the workshop, Mr. Wembong Emmanuel, Pedagogic Adviser for Bamenda Station told attendees that in order to fight hate speech, journalists must work on their communication. He thanked CAMASEJ N.W for always partnering with their institution for such knowledge acquisition sessions. The Pedagogic In Service Training Program deals in environmental education, life skills and democracy in schools.

Mr. Dzebam Godlove, Main Facilitator

According to Mr. Dzebam Godlove, Non Violent Communication is a language of the heart started by Martial Rosenberg, a Jewish American who could neither be integrated into the American society because of his Jewish background nor by the the Blacks because they considered him a White. He said "It's about building a compassionate relationship with your neighbours, children and everyone in the society." He went ahead to disclose that it's about being real not nice because to him, most of the troubles in the world are caused by nice people.

Non Violent Communication begins with the process of Observation (sight, smell, taste, hear) followed by Feeling, then Need and Request. Observation is very important because a wrong observation causes nothing short of resistance from the concerned. N.V.C helps us to communicate without using blame and judgemental language as the society has taught us because the end result is always a fight back from the other other end.

Attendees Listening to Lectures

Obah Roseline Akah is the station manager of C.B.S Radio Bamenda and chapter president of CAMASEJ N.W. Assessing the outcome of the workshop, she said "I am very satisfied because we as media practitioners are the watchdogs of the society. During such crisis period, only a workshop like this can help us recoin and reshape our reports so that the audience is fed with peaceful messages." She went ahead to caution colleagues that as they go back fortified, they must endeavour to do good for the community by practicing non violence in their communication so as to bring and maintain the much cherished peace. Same view shared by Emmanuel Woloko of C.B.C Radio, Bamenda. To him the workshop has enriched his communication especially as it gives steps to communicate in a non violent manner beginning from the home to job sites and the mass media. He ended by thanking CAMASEJ N.W for involving him in the workshop to help improve on what he already knows.

Etaka Regina Liengu is of Cameroon Tribune. "I'm taking home the spirit of communicating without sparking violence especially as our country is at the verge of a collapse. As citizens of Cameroon, in all we do, we must promote peace". These were her words when asked to situate her take home message from the workshop.

Obah Roseline Akah, CAMESEJ N.W Chapter President

Other lessons learnt were that in communication, whenever you use "But", the first thing you said becomes negated in the mind of the hearer. It's preferable to use "Though" or "However". Again, practitioners were taught that human needs are universal but the difference is in strategy. We need nourishment but differ in what we take in as food; rice, beans, plantains. We need movement but differ in the strategy to  move; car, bike, trek, fly. Lastly, attendees were schooled on empathy, that is, listening and understanding another person's feelings through emotional connection. It is always advisable to be at the same level with the person in terms of seating position. This aspect alone eliminates the thought of one party superimposing on the other.

The successful holding of the Non Violent Communication workshop is the last achievement of the current executive bureau of CAMESEJ N.W whose four year mandate just ended. Elections have been built for November and campaigns are on already as the chapter gears up to vote a new bureau into office to lead the association for the next two years.

Testing the Ground, Life Staggering in Mbengwi

Testing the Ground, Life Staggering in Mbengwi

At last the long awaited return to normalcy is gradually gaining grounds, close to two weeks after the town was completely shutdown prior to the historic Oct. 7 2018 presidential election in Cameroon that is now history but whose dust raised is still very much hovering in the air as the entire nation anxiously awaits the verdict from the constitutional council, charged with the proclamation of results in no distant time from today.

Business at Mbon Market Gate

Today Wednesday October 10th, the Mbon Motor Park is once more busy. The market is open. Few provision shops too in and out of the market are also open. There are many food stuff sellers and buyers at the market gate. One restaurateur managed to cook some food today. A building materials store is open same as a mechanic that's already in his garage. Some drivers have brought their cars for minor repairs and pumping of air into their tyres so as to get ready to hit the roads once more.

But there's bad news coming in from Bamenda that the bridge over River Mezam at Alahchou, Mankon has been destroyed by separatist fighters, meaning vehicles will have to look for other roads like through Bali Nyonga oh through Alahbukam to get into Bamenda. The said bridge in Bamenda II sub division and the Abbi bridge in Mbengwi central sub division are reported to be the most solid on the Bamenda - Mbengwi highway because they were constructed by the Germans. Many inhabitants have been expressing total dissatisfaction with the act which they term as "uncalled for".

Business Resumes in the Mbon Main Market

Let's revisit these these reports I wrote before, during and after the election. They were only circulated on WhatsApp forums.

As the Hours are Dying Down...

The stakes are high,  blood pressure is increasing, hearts are panting like Zuma, fingers crossed. The news has been breaking for a thirsty readership that's been consuming appetisingly amidst heated verbal and social media debates. In under hours, Cameroonians shall decide who becomes the new president.

Welcome to Mbengwi. It's Saturday October 6th 2018. Since morning, MTN and Orange networks seem to have been cut off. Communication has been hampered. Only Nexttel is left for calls and browsing yet users can't access credit. The central town is deserted but from findings, there's life in the quarters. Inhabitants are indoors.

Military helicopters have been hovering over Mbengwi within the last two hours. Some have been landing on the municipal stadium. No one can approach the area to see what's going on. But it's alerged the flights are for the transportation of election materials ahead of tomorrow's grand event since air transport at such crucial moments is faster and safer compared to roads that are becoming more of dead traps. The copters have been flying to Ngie and Njikwa probably for the same exercise.

Some churches like P.C.C Njembeng Congregation held service today instead of tomorrow, an indication that prevention is better than cure. Just in the early morning of yesterday, the pastor of of Christ Embassy was taken from his home at gun point by masked uniform officers to their station for questioning before being later released in the evening.

At press time, the town has remained calm. Few persons have been moving from one end to another for transactions mainly using quarter roads. Where will voting take place? Are voters aware of polling stations? How will they get to and from the poling centres.

These questions and many more shall be answered as the clock ticks

D-Day in Mbengwi, Record Breaking Shutdown

Finally the day is here. Political pundits are still to come to terms with what would've caused this ground breaking shutdown of a whole divisional headquarters on such a to be memorable day in the history of Cameroon. Mbengwi is confirmed to be currently experiencing the worst ever ghost town since the commencement of the current Anglophone crisis.

Last night and this morning, some gunshot sounds were heard from the hills of Njembeng. It is alleged separatist fighters fired the shots inviting government soldiers for an exchange but fortunately there wasn't any retaliation from their side, probably a measure to contain the badly needed population.

I've been through Wumfi, Mbengbagwa, Back Mbon, Njembeng and parts of Mile 18 to ascertain the atmosphere but from the look of things, I've been the only soul on the roads. I noticed few inhabitants looking at me suspiciously from their houses as I walked around. At the Mbon motor park, I saw three souls, mentally deranged. They are known in Mbengwi as Akoh, Jefta and John.

According to official information from ELECAM, voting is to take place in the Mbengwi council hall, G.N.S Mbengwi and G.B.H.S Mbengwi but it's been pretty difficult for a reporter like me to access these poling stations because of accreditation, security and mobility challenges.
So for now, whatever is going on at the stations remains known only to those who are there.

But simply put, "Mbengwi is dead". However, there's hope that after today, it will resurrect.

All Is Well That Ends Well

And so it happened that contrary to fears of what heaven alone knows, the day of the 2018 presidential elections successfully passed in Mbengwi just like in many other parts of the region and nation hitch free. Before, it was like heaven and earth were going to meet on 7th October. Over 80% of the population had flown into the suburbs and other urban towns.

To the greatest surprise of all and probably out of God's making, nothing serious happened. At first, 1st October was dreaded yet it came and passed successfully. Secondly 7th October was dreaded yet it's now history. No gun exchange, no life lost, no excesses, no burnings, no breaking into houses.

Between morning till around 5pm, the streets were completely deserted. Only 3 mad men were found at Mbon motor park. Voting was to take place in the Mbengwi Council Hall, Gov't Nursery School Mbengwi and Gov't Bilingual High School Mbengwi. However, this reporter successfully failed to make it to any of the poling stations due to accreditation, mobility and security challenges. But efforts are still being made to get to the divisional administrative authorities and ELECAM officials for valid information on the outcome of the voting exercise in Mbengwi and Momo.

At 5pm, few persons came out of their houses and strolled on the streets to feel some breeze  and relax themselves from the stress of staying at home all day long. Many within these past days have come into reality with how losing one's freedom means. They tasted prison life and are already agitating to never ever experience such house arrest again.

The excitement many have been expressing because 1st and 7th October passed successfully can only be compared to the soul of a sinner that successfully made it to the pearly gates (heaven) after days of waiting in purgatory. They crave and yearn with so much appetite for the day the good old days will come again, when life was 24/7, when military and civilians wined and danced together.

It is highly anticipated that in the days ahead, many of those who had escaped will start returning to their darling sub division for normal life to regain its lost steam and stamina. The presidential election results shall be declared in a maximum of two weeks time by the constitutional council though trends are trending on social media already and they are seemingly not favourable for the ruling government reason why the ministers of communication and territorial administration have frequently been granting press conferences cautioning the public that no one else but the constitutional council has the prerogative of declaring election results. MTN too has been forwarding messages to its users in the same like.

Regrettably since Friday, Mbengwi has been without MTN and Orange networks. People can't communicate with their loved ones and family members. Mobile Money transactions can't be executed. Only those who are connected to the Nexttel network are communicating now. The water crisis that had hit the municipality is intensifying as many other areas are getting effected. Fortunately, electricity on its part has been stable, thus many inhabitants have been spending time at home either watching TV or browsing.

The Day After

Life is returning to Mbengwi at a geometric progression rate. As early as 6:30am this Monday morning, persons could be seen walking up and down the streets already. The de facto house arrest has been unbearable.

At the Mbon Motor Park, there wasn't any man made movable object on wheels yet the loaders/pack boys answered present. They'd been missing their park like a cigarette addict. They just felt loitering there again and chatting is medicinal to the spirit. In Wumfi, Njembeng, Mile 17, Mile 19, G.R.A, Muswe and other areas, people have been moving around freely. Many don't really have a specific destination but they just want to stroll around and see other faces.

They walk around with every sign and symptom of mental freedom after over a week of psychological and house imprisonment. Approximately, over a hundred inhabitants have come out of their homes this morning. No shop has so far been opened because unfortunately it's a Monday, instituted as Ghost Town day by leaders of the Anglophone struggle for over a year now.

At Mbon Motor Park, boys and men are in clusters and caucuses with folded arms chatting on almost a uniform subject matter, yesterdays presidential elections and the trends circulating on social media. There's joy and excitement to see faces that have been missing for long.

Even the lone community radio station, Rainbow Radio that shut down transmission for a week because of security concerns is back on air this morning hitting the airwaves with good music, giving so much liveliness to the town and making the inhabitants feel back at home.

Information from the suburbs like Munam, Bessi Fomukong, Sang, Touembeng, Chup etc indicates that many of those who had escaped there for fear of the unknown are already getting set to start moving back to Mbengwi centre after the unknown never happened.

Security wise, the streets are free from the presence of uniform men. Since Sunday before 1st October till date, there's been no deployment of any extra military force to Mbengwi. It's been observed anytime military excesses are reported in Mbengwi, it is when a back up force comes in from elsewhere. Officers having Mbengwi as their base have shown some relative level of professionalism. Even when arrests are made, the probability is always above 50% that the arrestees shall be freed, contrary to other areas where they are just shot at and killed. The cases of some Back Mbon and Mile 19 inhabitants plus the pastor of Christ Embassy Mbengwi are a glaring example.

However the military is still very much dreaded. At the sight of their patrol van from a distance people still run into hiding. They still have the notion that the military arrests and kills at random. It's a mentality that's been imbibed in the minds of many a person from children to the old.

 Hierarchy probably understands this reason why the boys are now being confined to their barracks more than ever before and brought out only when need be. Because of their absence from the streets, citizens are able to move around freely. This morning, persons have been passing in front of the gendarmerie and police posts at Mile 18 to go to Mbon or Mile 19. It wasn't like this days back. To go to Mile 19 from Mbon, people were going though Njembeng to Muswe then Mile 19, to avoid any contact with the officers.

The way out will be for a gradual sensitisation and mindset rebuilding on the role of security officers. They are part and parcel of the society. They are for the people not against them. They must avoid harassments and excesses and show love and friendship to citizens. Obviously not until the escalation of the crisis, the military in Mbengwi had been friendly with the population except when provoked or attacked by separatist fighters called Amba Boys.

It is highly anticipated that with the gradual return to normalcy, by tomorrow Tuesday, many shops will be opened and there will be circulation.

Fake News, Stray Animals, Deserted Town & More; A Bird's Eye View of the Struggle in Mbengwi

As the count down to the historic October 7th 2018 presidential election in Cameroon narrows, as Cameroonians go to the polls this coming Sunday to vote a new president,  Mbengwi Online brings to you a bird's eye view of the Momo Divisional Headquarters.

Barely hours left for the grand event, the town of Mbengwi remains highly deserted. Previously inhabitants of Ngyen-Mbo, Mile 19, Mile 20, Njinibi, Nyen, Kob, Tudig, Acha-Tugi and Ngwokwong were first to escape because the exercise of military might started in these communities especially as they were in records to be hosting separatist fighters known locally as "Amba Boys". While these communities tasted gunshots and military excesses like burnings and killings, life went on unperturbed in G.R.A, Njembeng, Bome, Mile 17 and Mile 18, the heart of the sub division. Ngyen-Mbo being the entry/exit community of the sub division had long been deserted because the last remaining control post in the entire sub division is located here. Because of attacks, the post had been relocated severally from New Lay Out to near the Presbyterian Church, to around Monastery junction and finally to Wednesday Market. The villagers abandoned their homes because of rampant gun exchanges.

Stray Pig Wandering Around

Villages like Bessi Fomukong, Sang, Munam, Touembeng are now playing host to these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who hadn't the means to travel to Douala and Yaounde as many others have been doing. But life in these host communities is full of fake news and fright. Despite being located kilometres away from Mbengwi central town where uniform officers have been stationed, the inhabitants of these communities tend to live in more fear. On uncountable occasions, they've had to flee their homes into the bushes just because someone blew a false alarm that soldiers are coming. These communities are enclaved with very bad roads yet one is baffled how fake news continues to frighten them. People escape from Njindom to Zang Tembeng, those here abandon them in their homes and escape to Munam and it continues. At the end of it, one realises that the quest to relocate is inexplicable. Psychologically, the people feel unsecured in their own homes. They just feel okay to relocate even if its to their neighbours house.

Reporter on the Run

 Last Sunday September 30th I was in a village called Barakwe. Christians had just finished service from the presbyterian church when a young boy probably out of imagination shouted in the vernacular that they are coming. Within 30 seconds, the village square was empty. Old mothers and fathers with walking sticks disappeared into thin air, some arriving home panting and sweating. In this very Barakwe, many villagers have continued to abandon their homes at night and go sleep elsewhere. About two weeks back, over five military trucks on mission to dismantle a separatist fighters camp in Mile 16, Norngmeukwe lost their way and instead went but to Barakwe. Within no time, news went round of the looming danger. A lady jumped out through the window into the backyard and that was how all took to the bushes. The news spread to Wumnebit, Njindom, Wumnemburg, Chenam, Bessi that they are already in Barakwe. Its was a bad day for the poeople of Tondig. Many slept out that night. The military actually realised they were in the wrong place, made a U-turn without any gunshot or atrocity to their real destination, Mile 16. Today, the trauma is still haunting many people in Barakwe reason why they don't still sleep in their homes at night. The still hallucinate the sight and imaginations of how they cheated death. But why do these people fear the military so much? Because of the atrocities they cause on the field when sent on mission. If it happens to "A" why not "B"?

Deserted Mbon Motor Park

That same day, upon arrival in Mile 16, Nongmeukwe, the military engaged in serious heavy gunshots to destroy the camp that was there. The sounds could be heard kilometres away. Again, someone raised a false alarm in Munam that the firing is approaching their community. That was how inhabitants here took to the bushes. Munam is the last border town to Bafut. From Mbengwi, one needs to pass through Bessi Fomukong, Njindom, Sang to get to Munam. The soldiers didn't near any of these villages yet those at the extreme end took to the bush.

On 1st October 2018, inhabitants of these rural communities stayed indoors. They had been made to believe that a flag will be hoisted in Buea. So on several occasions I had to be answering questions like "What's the latest?", " How's Mbengwi?", "Where did they hoist the flag?" and I was like who brainwashed these persons? What has hoisting a flag got to do? I gave them correct news as a newsman.

Brisk Business at Kwe Market, Bessi Fomukong

Before relocating, many of the villagers in fierce fighting areas had to free their domestic animals like pigs and goats to stray, to fend for themselves. And so passing in these scary communities, all what finds is stray domestic animals and birds. The homes are empty. But back in the hinterlands, life is booming. Villages still having functional weekly markets like Bessi Fomukong and Munam are now booming. I was at the Kwe market in Bessi last Tuesday. I saw communalism. Apart from Sunday service for Christians, the only place where people from all walks of life gather is at the village market squares. After undesirably staying indoors for days, many found the market as last bus stop to once more meet and commune with others since funerals and wedding ceremonies are now rare and low keyed. Reports say just like in Bessi, hundreds always gather at the Aje'eh weekly market in Munam to do business and have fun.

Mile 17 had been enjoying relative calm not until when the military stormed Norngmeukwe for an attack on a separatist fighters camp. The inhabitants of Mile 17 flee. Mile 18 was the last remaining peaceful area in the whole Mbengwi probably because it hosts the gendarmerie and police posts. It's the heart of the sub division and so was considered a difficult to attack area. But hell broke lose last Saturday September 29 when in the early hours of the morning, the lion was dared in its den. Separatist fighters came attacking the gendarmerie and police posts. For over 30 minutes, the population danced to the music and tunes of various gun sounds. When the government forces successfully repelled the fighters, calm returned and that same day, doubting Thomases in Mile 18 took to their heels.

Armoured Cars During an Intervention in Njikwa
Cr: Honneur et Fidelité, Cameroon Military's Official Facebook Page

That was how an entire sub division emptied its vulnerable population into urban towns and into the suburbs. However as the adage goes in Meta, _Not all ants will ever leave the hill._ They are still few persons in these deserted areas that have made up their mind that until death do them part, they are going nowhere.  Even at the sight of an armoured car (what many dread the most), they still stay put. An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility and defensive capabilities. To them, soldiers are human beings who reason, who go after an enemy and not just any person. So if they aren't the enemy why should they escape?

The clock is ticking for Sunday morning when the polls will be opened. The fate of Mbengwi in this election remains undetermined. Will voting take place? In how many polling stations? How will the exercise go on? How will the post election atmosphere look like? Your trusted news blog, Mbengwi Online shall cover and report the events as they unfold ceteris patibus.