As ghost towns turn explosive:

Consortium condemns violence, preaches unity

Students run for safety in Limbe, after being chased out of classrooms 

by vandals as ghost towns paralyzed activities in NW and SW

The president of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has condemned the use of violence during ghost towns operations called by the consortium. Barrister Nkongho Felix AgborBalla says it is regrettable for some misguided individuals to take advantage of the ghost towns to orchestrate acts of violence and vandalism on persons and property.

                Speaking to The Median in a telephone chat on Tuesday morning, Balla said: “Violence is not in our agenda; we stand for non-violence and civil disobedience. Those who orchestrated violence on Monday were acting on their own and not in consonance with what the Consortium stands for.”

                The Consortium president was reacting to questions from The Median as to his take on the violent clashes that were reported in Limbe and other towns during the ghost towns operations on Monday.

                “We hear that some individuals broke into some schools and orchestrated violence on Francophone students who were attending classes. The consortium never asked any persons to occasion violence on any body or property. We stand for peaceful civil disobedience and not violence. We also do not preach any form of divide, be it Francophone-Anglophone or NW-SW or whatever. We are for Unity in diversity,” Barrister Balla maintained, though emphasizing the stance of the consortium for a two-state federation in a peaceful and united Cameroon.

                Hundreds of denizens Monday took to the streets in Limbe in the SW and Ndop in the NW, on day one of the Ghost Town operation, despite calls by the Anglophone Consortium for calm and non-violence.

                In the seaside resort town of Limbe, where one of the fiercest confrontations between civilians and armed security forces took place, hundreds of irate youths stormed schools and business premises shutting them down while others mounted road blocks at major junctions. Some traders who courageously opened their sheds at the Limbe Main Market were chased away by the mob.

                A video that went viral on social media Monday, showed several scores of students, mostly Francophones, running helter-skelter after being forced out of their classrooms by vandals wielding planks and clubs. Students as young as ten were seen running and yelling for help.

                Many of the vandals were arrested and whisked off to detention facilities in Buea.

                For several hours, the demonstrators in Limbe engaged in running battles with the anti-riot security operatives leading to sporadic arrests while some sustained injuries as grenades and water cannons were used to disperse the rampaging crowd.

                “We hear it is red in Isokolo market. There is free for all fight. The police are shooting and teargasing people. We call on all people of Limbe to fall back please. Stay home and no violence,” posted a social media activist yesterday.

                Deadly violence was also reported in Ekona in the SW, where vandals burnt market stalls and mounted road blocks Tuesday.

                Over in the North West, violent confrontations were also reported in parts of the Region including Ndop, Njinikom and Bali.

                In Ndop, hundreds of enraged youths marched on the streets wielding fresh tree branches, shutting down businesses, public offices and schools. The youths who chanted liberation songs also mounted road blocks interrupting traffic for hours.

In Njinikom, Boyo Division, the angry mob, besides interrupting movement into and out of the Division, also shut down markets and shops along the main streets.

                Reports said the town of Njinikom had virtually transformed into a battle ground.

“The Anglophone tussle today has witnessed an open confrontation between the youths and the military from Bamenda. A military action is going on now as security forces continue to teargas the main town of Njinikom, Wombong Down Town,” he reported in a Facebook post.

                Elsewhere in the South West and North West Regions, there was relative calm as most locals stayed home in respect of the call by the Consortium.

                The ghost town operation in Bamenda went on peacefully with no major incidents recorded. This was unlike the previous ghost town on 9 January where violent clashes were reported. Fewer cars and persons could be spotted on the streets while campuses remained closed across the City.

                It was a similar scenario in Wum, Mbengwi and Santa.