After 4 days of blockage and hostilities:

 Abandoned Corpses Litter Kumba-Buea Highway  

-20 trucks with goods burnt, drivers & cattle herdsmen kidnapped

-Over 1000 bags of Rice, many cows burnt or carted away

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

A military operation on Wednesday June 20, 2018 successfully opened the Kumba-Buea road after it was blocked for four days by ‘Ambazonia’ separatist fighters. Passengers who witnessed the opening revealed that the military spent two and a half hours in the process. The opening comes after series of gun battles and confrontations between the military and elements of the ‘Ambazonia’ fighters that ensued during the four days.

            The security forces were accompanied in the process by the passengers who helped in lifting the huge tree trunks, sand, bricks, stones, sticks, and other items that were used in blocking the road. An effort to open the road by the military on the Tuesday 19 June 2018 did yield much fruit as it was blocked later in the night by the ‘Ambazoniua’ boys.

            The fighting it should be recalled started on Friday June 15, 2018 along the Kumba-Buea road highway axis around the locality of Ekona. It continued through Saturday June 16 right up to Tuesday June 19.

            Separatist fighters mounted road blocks on several spots on the road especially in the locality of Ekona near Buea, Muyuka, Mbalangi, Ediki and Banga. These halted movement, leaving several travellers stranded and frustrated. Many were forced to trek several kilometres to complete the journey while others passed several nights along the road. Others were forced to postpone their trips and business activities in these towns were all grounded.

            The population has however hailed the military for the successful opening of the road. Passengers who spoke to this reporter said they took off from Kumba at exactly 8:30am on Wednesday and only got to Kumba at 4pm, a distance that normally takes an hour thirty minutes for buses and an hour for private vehicles.

            Passengers who spoke to this reporter revealed that corpses were in several spots along the road in the state of decomposition “we spotted corpses at police check point before Ekona, some other corpses few metres into Muyuka and others around Bombe” the passenger who refused to be named narrated.

            Our interlocutor also revealed to us that few houses were left in most of the villages located beside the road after military reportedly burnt down most of the homes. Meantime, the village of Edikiin Mbonge sub-division said to be to completely burn down reportedly by the military while all the villagers have escaped to nearby bushes or towns for safety and fear of the unknown.

            At least 20 heavy duty trucks were set ablaze along the highway by the ‘Ambazonia’ fighters. According the president of the Fiango Market, 900 bags of rice were burnt along the road by the separatist fighters. Cattle traders on their part revealed that a total of 7 cows were confiscated along the highway by the gunmen while some herdsmen were kidnapped.

            Fresh fish dealers have also stopped distribution in Kumba as a result of the risky nature of the road. Countless cartons of fish have been confiscated from traders and a driver reportedly kidnapped.