Hundreds of Christians within Menchum presbytery, have joined a peace walk in Wum to pay their respect to those killed at the dawn of 2021, and to also commit Wum, Menchum Division, the North-West Region and the country in the hands of God and above all, seek God's face for the sake of our youths. This intercession on behalf of our youths is inspired by the Biblical allusion of the baby Jesus as well as Moses, whose stories with King Herold and the Pharoh of Egypt, are a glearing proof that youths are a threat to tyran rulers because their presence often send shocking waves down the spine of these rulers.
The Organisers, the inter-church committee, said those who came out did not only respect the yearly march for peace, but also turned out to show solidarity with the families of those who died on January 1st 2021, and those who have lost their lives since the beginning of the stalemate in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon.
New year's deadly shootings, however, come as another severe blow to the Wum city that has suffered a lot from the senseless killings and was savouring relative calm. Mothers have refused to be comforted as their children bleed to death on a daily basis and yet nothing is done about it.
As 2020 drew to a close Thursday night, Wum Town was breathing fresh air and dreaming about a peace filled 2021. But as soon as 2021 showed up, sadness filled the air, agony set in and pains rendered each denizen numb. That was the highest murder since the crisis began and since Peace paid a visit to this once abandoned city. There might have been so many atrocities, but two more lives are too more too many.
Rights groups are accusing Cameroonian security forces of waging an increasingly brutal counter insurgency, void of any professionalism, against English speaking separatists after a deadly civilian massacre in recent months, sparked condemnation and fears of an expanding conflict in Wum. The extrajudicial killings come amid a recent de-escalation of violence and the return of peace. Both government forces and rival Anglophone separatists had given peace a chance in Wum.
The peace walk took participants through some major streets across Wum, before culminating in an inter-religious service at the Wum grandstand. The men of God committed the souls of the faithful departed in the hands of God and also prayed for peace in our land while fervently praying against those who are using this crisis for personal gains. The men of God called on Christians to be hopeful in their sufferings, remain a fool in the face of cruelty because God hasn't said his last word. God is with the oppressed. Stay positive in your suffering. Don't think about revenge for God's time is the best.
Eyewitnesses and local residents of Zonghokwo, none of whom are being named, out of concern for their safety, said the new year killing was aimed at punishing the community for allegedly supporting, harbouring and hiding separatist fighters.
This new strategy of "I hear say, this is an amba, point and kill, scores settling, as well as ex-insurgents that have switched sides, reduces the military’s losses in its costly campaign to stamp out the rebels.
The separatists, known locally as the Amba Boys, are estimated to control some 80 percent of the heavily forested Northwest region. Increasingly better equipped and organized, they have recently been carrying out more sophisticated guerrilla-style ambushes and attacks.
“The government has grown quite tired of it. Some of its gendarmes have been killed; some of its military sniped off.”
Experts believe that the record-setting wanton and unjustified killings, not just in Wum, but also in other cities across the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, is due partly to the ongoing crisis, and secondly to the lack of professionalism. This is so because, proper investigations are not carried out. Thereby giving in to scores settling or point and kill phenomenon.
Comments