Anglophone Crisis:

More Fleeing Refugees find Succor in Kumba

Many more war victims have sought refuge in Kumba

More and more internally displaced persons (IDPs) have continued to flood the streets of Kumba in the Southwest Region. The fleeing populations are victims of renewed hostilities between government forces and separatist fighters in several towns and villages of the SW. The fighting at times culminates in the burning of private homes and whole villages. This has caused many people to flee to safer abodes.

            The suspected presence of separatist fighters on the outskirts of Kumba III that borders with Mbanga in the Littoral Region and Tombel in Kupe Muanenguba, has triggered the influx of many refugies into Kumba, where there is relative calm and better security guarantees.

            Displaced persons and their relatives easily get immersed into the frenzy of the city, while those who cannot find a host have sought safe abode in churches.

In one of the battles against separatists around Mombo, a neighbourhood in Kumba III, a gendarme was feared killed. Security sources said they neutralized separatists who stormed the zone.

CDC workers chased, factory halted

            Still within the context of the military campaign, unknown men are reported to have surfaced around a camp of the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, Laduma, and chased employees away from work. The suspected separatists are reported to have halted work at the rubber factory. Reports which could not independently confirm suggest that, there were attacks on some vehicles.

Farmers receive beatings

            A victim who talked on condition of anonymity confirmed information of beatings on farmers within the rubber estates in Kumba III.  Our source said, last weekend, unknown men on board brand new bikes surrounded farmers and engine saw operators in one of the rubber farms.

            “We were ordered to prostrate on the ground for over hours… during this period, nobody was harmed but we all were given snake beating for over four hours. They said we were working our money when they (gunmen) were busy fighting for us,” our source stated.

            The same source maintained that the attackers carried sophisticated guns claiming they were going for work somewhere. He said farmers were ordered to escape when the attackers sensed the presence of government soldiers who had stormed the area. The same source confirmed reports of a gun battle.

Houses burnt

            On Monday June II, renewed pressure in Teke Village, Kumba III on the Tombel-Kumba road, resulted in the burning down of houses. This is said to be the area most hit following the recent developments.

They could not independently confirm if it was the military or separatists that set certain houses in the said locality on fire.

Microfinance looted

            A micro finance institution in Teke was shattered and money reportedly stolen in the process. Images have emerged showing the properties of village financial institution destroyed. Even the door to the apartment was forcefully and brutally opened.

            These developments of Monday come within the crossfire between Cameroonian security forces and separatists fighters.

Pressure of the Anglophone crisis had relapsed in Teke for a while before the Monday’s incident, which sent hundreds of families headed for the unknown.