Anglophone uprising:

Lebialem division: Menji women led the march to the SDO’s office to demand the  restoration of Southern Cameroons independence

Protesters defy military presence, inundate streets in NW and SW

Popular uprisings were reported Friday all over the former British Southern Cameroons with mammoth crowds comprising of the old, the young and frail taking to the streets demanding an end to the union with La Republique du Cameroon.

                Despite the heavy presence of military forces in the streets of major towns and cities and in some rural areas, thousands of protesters took to the streets chanting songs of freedom and demanding the restoration of the statehood of Former British Cameroons.

                The protest marches which started in the early morning on Friday, 22 September, were reported in towns and villages including Eyumojock, Ekona, Kumba, Ebonji, Buea, Muyuka, Fontem and many others in the South West region.

                In the Northwest region the protests were reported in Bamenda, Kumbo, Batibo, Widikum, Santa, Ndu and many other localities.

                In Ekona in the SW, thousands of people took to the streets bringing traffic on the Kumba-Buea highway to a standstill. Some wore T-shirts with inscriptions such as “I stand with Mancho BBC”. Others told The Median that they want all Anglophones jailed in connection with the current crisis to be freed. The placards also carried strong messages calling on Yaounde and the United Nations to restore the independence of Southern Cameroons.

             

This old mother in Oku, if you are not moved by seeing her march in protest, nothing will move you in this struggle. At her age, why should she subject herself to this?

   Though a ghost-free day, Kumba, economic hub of the South West region witnessed a serious ghost town. Shop keepers said they made a conscious decision to shut their stores to respect the general mobilization and protest March.

                Early in the morning, the streets were completely filled with thousands of people marching and calling for the liberation of all jailed Anglophone activists and reclaiming their freedom from La Republique.

                It was one of the arguably the biggest and most spectacular protest march in recent times. Children, mothers and fathers participated in the march, which was also spearheaded by motor bike riders as usual.

                Prominent among the thousands who flooded the streets were a group of mothers dressed in white blouses and red skirts, with their heads covered in red head scarfs.

                Despite the heavy presence of the military, denizens were not bothered. Some vowed that, “enough is enough, we want our freedom, and Southern Cameroons must be free.”

Eyumojock which has become one of the bastions of militancy since the resurgence of the Anglophone problem last year was not left out. There, youths, bike riders, young and old, did not just march, but carried the blue and white flag which has become synonymous to the Southern Cameroon/Ambazonia struggle.

                The capital city of Buea which has hitherto been rather very reserved was filled with protesters chasing away school children. There are unconfirmed reports of the house of the Mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick, coming under attack and ransacked by protesters. Some reports say, security officers guarding the house took to their heels as the irate crowd approached.

                It was the same defying trend in the North West region where the Governor had prohibited any public gatherings and inter-divisional movements beginning Thursday, 21st September to 3rd of October as a means to thwart the purported proclamation of the independence of the Southern Cameroons which activists say will take place on October 1.

                Though the release of Mancho BBC preoccupied the angry crowd, they also called for what they termed, “an end to occupation by La Republique.”