Akwaya, in Cameroon’s Southwest Region, has, since the coming of the Anglophone Crisis, been one of the most-affected areas, with armed groups harassing, fleecing, killing locals and, at times, burning down whole communities that stand up to them. In all their operations that have always left locals in misery, there has neither been any government intervention, nor support to the victims who keep crisscrossing between Cameroon and Nigeria in search of a calm place to rest.
The attacks on several villages in Akwaya Subdivision have been recurrent, and each time an attack occurs, locals are forced to either run to some border communities in Nigeria, or flee to other areas like Mamfe.
The most recent of such attacks is that of Kekukesim, a village in Akwaya, which was, in the night of August 11, breaking August 12, 2023, invaded by a coalition of two armed groups. Some locals said the armed groups were Anglophone separatists fighting for independence of the two English-speaking Regions. Some of the villagers who spoke to The Post also claimed that the groups, in principle, are not separatist fighters, but rather a band of armed gangs who do nothing but terrorise the locals and fleece money from them. Asked whether the said groups, led by a certain Eta, and the other led by a certain Ako Giant, attacked soldiers like separatist groups do, those who spoke to The Post said they couldn’t recall any incident where the said groups had been seen or heard fighting the troops.
Locals say the two groups have over the years been levying the villagers to pay huge sums to them, as some sort of tax, so as to avoid been tortured or even killed, or have their property destroyed. Severally, the villagers paid the sums, especially as they were helpless because there is no military or state protection for them.
“They have been coming to the villages {Kekukesim I, & II} and demanding money. When it is not given, they assault people. They will come and make an immediate announcement that everybody should gather at the village square. Those who come late are usually flogged, and kicked by those boys,” a source in Akwaya, whose identity we are concealing for their safety, as well as that of their family members told The Post.
Our source narrated that, after assembling everyone or most of the people in the village, the armed men would proceed to announce that everyone must pay a total sum of about FCFA 400,000. The villages will then coordinate among themselves and task everyone one or household and they will chip in the little sums and tally it up to the amount demanded by the armed men, and then hand it over to them. The group will then leave, to come later.
On the immediate cause of the recent incident that led to the burning down of Kekukesim village and the ensuing killing of at least four persons with others reported missing, our source said it was because, instead of asking for the usual hundreds of thousands, the armed groups demanded that the villagers must pay a total sum of FCFA 10.5 million. Since raising that sum was not feasible, the villagers said enough was enough, and that it was not sustainable to keep paying for their existence and survival.
“The villagers decided that the best way to go, was to set up community vigilante groups, to keep guard and fight off the armed groups, so this angered the groups and since they are better armed, they joined forces and invaded the village. They burnt every house in the village, except for some five that were not touched – and that was because they were hidden in the bushy areas and they did not see them,” our source narrated.
Ambazonia IG Group Says The Men Did Not Carryout the Attack
The Post got to one of the leading separatist groups, the Ikome Sako-led Ambazonia Interim Government, IG. In a response to a question of whether they or any sister faction is responsible for the attack and whether the two armed groups in that area of Akwaya operate under their leadership or any of the other separatist factions, Sako’s group denied, claiming that the groups’ and its activities are a making of the Cameroon government. “That attack was orchestrated by La République du Cameroun, and executed by LRC Atanga Nji soldiers disguised as Ambas,” the IG said.
The villages that housed over 1,500 people are now deserted as villagers have fled to Danere, in Cross River State, Nigeria, while others have also fled to Mamfe.
Akwaya Suffers From Decades Of Administrative Neglect
Akwaya Subdivision is one of the vastest Subdivisions in Cameroon. It measures 488 kilometres square. Unfortunately, it is one of the most enclaved too, as most of its communities are not accessible. To get to some parts of Akwaya, locals have to travel from Cameroon, into Nigeria first, before entering back, because it is easier that way, than travelling within the country to such parts of the Subdivision.
Most of the area has no administrative or even military presence, and it is largely due to the lack of roads, which makes it difficult even for government forces to get to the area. As such, the armed groups operate with a free hand in the area. The groups have attacked villages in other areas like Ebonyi I&II as well as other communities but there has been no government effort to stop their atrocities as well as protect the civilians there.
Various administrators have blamed the lack of action on their part on the inaccessibility of most parts of the vast areas. With lack of roads, troop’s movement is almost impossible in the area. Locals say they are several communities with no roads, and no administrative presence, so in the event of an attack, they are left on their own. Two attempts to talk to the Divisional Officer for Akwaya, Augustin Ewe Mbua, failed. He was never in “a position to talk on the issue”, whenever we contacted him on phone.
The Southern part of the Subdivision, which is a forested zone, is mostly enclaved with no roads. Only Kesham, in the Southern part, is accessible by road. Soldiers who are in Dadi move either through water, or are dropped using a helicopter.
The decades of government and administrative neglect is responsible for turmoil in Akwaya Subdivision. In order to effectively carry out its responsibility of providing security to citizens and others within its territory, the Cameroon Government has to first of all make sure that their areas of residence is accessible.
The government has, in Akwaya, failed to protect its citizens, as per Article 2 (3) of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The state failed in its obligation to prevent the violation of their right to life, and property. By signing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Cameroon has made an undertaking to respect and guarantee to all individuals inhabiting its territory the right to life. This is as per Article 2 (1) of the Convention.
The State also has a responsibility to protect the right to life of its citizens as per Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, but the lack of military or state presence in most parts of Akwaya has allowed armed groups to operate freely and carry out killings, unperturbed.
The people of Akwaya also have a right to security. Villagers have been forced to flee their homes and villages due to insecurity caused by armed groups. The absence of military or state protection in the area deprives citizens of their right to security. This is closely linked with the deprivation of the villagers’ right to property, which is continually taken away from them by the burning of their homes and property by armed men who take advantage of the state’s decision to not secure locals and their property, to attack and burn. This is causing significant material losses for the villagers. Cameroon has a responsibility to protect its citizens’ property rights, but the lack of administrative or military presence in the area has allowed armed groups to destroy villagers’ property.
As per article 13(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State”. By failing to construct roads and disenclave most parts of Akwaya, the government has failed to give them their right to movement and in the process, they too cannot move freely to patrol and protect locals from armed groups. The lack of administrative or military presence in the region, as well as the lack of roads, makes it difficult for citizens to exercise their right to freedom of movement.
By failing to provide adequate protection to citizens and allowing armed groups to operate freely, the state of Cameroon has violated the human rights of the region’s inhabitants.
By Andrew Nsoseka, JADE