Anglophone crisis:

Gov’t vindicates social media reports, cuts internet in NW and SW

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

P&T minister, Libom Li likeng

Government of Cameroon gave credence to speculations in the social media that internet would be shut down in the two Anglophone as Southern Cameroons enthusiasts braced up to celebrate their on 1st October. 

                 The Minister of Post and Telecommunication, Minette Libom Lilikeng had announced in a release that the speculations on social media were false. But it turned out that the minister was “lying”, as internet was put out in the entire NW and SW regions for all of Sunday 1st October and up to about midday on Wednesday 4 October.

                So, Minette Li Likeng did not only dribble Cameroonians, she also vindicated social media speculators.

                Ahead of the Southern Cameroons Independence celebration, information went viral on social media that the government had hatched another plan to deprive Anglophones of internet for the second time despite criticisms that were levied on government when it she cut Internet in Anglophone Cameroon for 90 days running.

                To counter the “rumours” on social media, Minister Minette Li likeng on 27 September 2017 published a release debunking the rumours circulated on the social media about the hatching plans to cut internet in the two Anglophone regions.

                "The Minister of Post and Telecommunications hereby informs the general public that; information circulating on social media for some time, claims that the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications intends to proceed with a cut off of Internet in the Southwest and Northwest regions in the days ahead" partly read the communique adding that "The Minister of Post and Telecommunications categorically rejects these allegations and strongly condemns before the national and international opinion those abuses and manipulation of irresponsible users of social media".

                Despite the Minister's assurance, Internet services have been seized in the two Anglophone regions since Sunday October 1, 2017. Before the actual Internet cut, some social media applications like Whatsapp and facebook were blocked and sundry users could not access it. Many Cameroonians in these two regions told this reporter that they bypassed the technical internet restrictions on some social media applications by downloading and installing the VPN technology in their phones that gave them access to the Internet.

                Reliably informed on the situation, the government has finally deprived the entire English speaking regions of the country from Internet services since Sunday October 1. We gathered from sundry internet users that the move to cut Internet was a move by government to frustrate the moves of Anglophone secessionists during their planned demonstrations across major towns and villages in the two regions.

                Others say the Internet cut by government is a move to hide the killings that have been recorded as a result of the demonstrations on October 1 where it is revealed scores of persons were killed and hundreds rendered severely injured.

                The recent internet cut it should be recalled came barely days after the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump castigated and condemned regimes that limit internet access and destroy satellite dishes from their citizens. This was during his address at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly. To Donald Trump, it is time to end such regimes in the world.