Reporting from Yaoundé
October 1 marks the anniversary of the birth of the Federal Republic of Cameroon. On that day in 1961, the former French colony and Southern Cameroons, then under British administration, came together. But that reunification is rejected by some anglophone separatists. On October 1, 2017, Ambazonian separatists unilaterally declared independence for the North-West and South-West regions.
For the ‘ghost town’ day called in several towns across the North-West and South-West (NOSO) by anglophone separatists, Cameroonian authorities, fearing protests, set up a heavy security grid. By midday, no major movement had been reported. But activity is sluggish in the main cities, with residents choosing to stay home on this symbolic day.
Online debates reflect ten years of crisis
A resident of Bamenda, in the North-West, said he went out to exercise in quiet streets before returning home, where he will spend the rest of the day. At intersections in Bamenda, tanks and numerous military patrols are visible, ‘as a deterrent’ according to some residents. The mood is much the same in Buea, the main city in the South-West, and in neighboring towns, where people have also remained indoors.
On social media, such as TikTok, several panels—some showing the blue and white colors claimed by separatists—are hosting debates about the ten-year crisis affecting the two anglophone regions.
In a reflection published on October 1, Khongor Félix Agbor, a lawyer and former detainee of the anglophone crisis, remembered ‘the families who have buried their loved ones, the displaced, the children whose schooling has been interrupted, all those who are afraid, and the detainees of the anglophone crisis.’
According to several NGOs, the anglophone crisis has caused more than 6,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people over ten years.