Ngarbuh Massacre:

Gov’t Refutes Allegations Against Military

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Reactions have continued flowing in from both national and international personalities and institutions to condemn the recent killings in Ngarbuh, in the North West region after government denied all allegations concerning the involvement of the military.

                Contrary to reports that over 25 persons were killed during the incident, government through the separate voices of the army spokesman, Colonel Cyrille Atonfack Guemo, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Defense, Joseph Beti Assomo and later through a press conference organized by Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Communication Minister and Government spokesperson debunked all claims saying only five civilians were accidentally killed in the incident.

                The trio in their separate outings revealed that the deaths were as a result of an “unfortunate accident” which happened when fuel exploded in an exchange of gunfire with separatists in the area during a military operation in the area in a bid to dislodge a “separatist arms and logistics base”.

Agbor Balla reacts

                Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor head of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA, has called for an independent commission of inquiry into the case.

                “I just read the reaction of the Ministry of Defense on the Ngarbuh Massacre. My recommendation is that, In order to lay this matter to rest, an independent Commission of Inquiry should be set up to investigate the killings. The Commission should include members of the civil society, clergy and government. The Commission should be headed by a clergy of impeccable character.”

                In an earlier reaction shortly after images of the gruesome act emerged on social media said, Balla, said, “The death toll from the massacre in Ngarbuh-Ntubaw in Cameroon has risen to 32 with some children and pregnant women still missing. The military officers responsible for these heinous crimes must be brought to justice. These crimes clearly amount to crimes against humanity. The culture of impunity must stop. No to Impunity and Yes to Accountability.”

Gutterres Shocked

                Antonio Gutterres, Secretary General of the United Nations has expressed concerns over the same killings and called on government to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

                “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over reports about the killing of civilians, including children, in an attack on the village of Ngarbuh in the North-West Region of Cameroon on 14 February. He extends his deepest condolences to the families and calls on the Government of Cameroon to conduct an investigation and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” partly read a statement of the UN scribe.

                “The Secretary-General calls on armed actors to refrain from attacks against civilians and to respect international humanitarian and international human rights law. He reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to work with all stakeholders towards a political solution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon through meaningful dialogue,” it added.

Commonwealth Condemns

                Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, has also issued a statement condemning the massacre and calling for an impartial investigation so that the perpetrators of the act can be identified and held accountable.

                “I strongly condemn the recent killings of civilians, including women and children in the Northwest of Cameroon on 14 February 2020. We noted the Government announcement that there would be a full investigation into the incident. We encourage the Government to conduct an impartial investigation, for perpetrators to be held accountable and for results to be made public,” she said.

                “The Commonwealth strongly condemns all forms of violence, and in particular, the loss of lives of innocent civilians including women and children. Cameroon is a noted member of the Human Rights Council and as such we are minded of General Comment 13 to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to freedom from all forms of violence which is underscored by the understanding that no violence against children is justifiable, all violence against children is preventable,” Scotland said, adding, that the Commonwealth stands ready to support solutions that will address the root causes of the conflict that has dragged on since 2016.

SDF Party

                The Social Democratic Front (SDF) party while condemning the perpetrators of the cowardly and wanton murders that clearly defy all the norms of engagement, and more especially national and international conventions on warfare revealed it was currently carrying out its own investigation into the killings to establish the facts as they really happened and to ascertain the number of victims. The party urged government to have the miscreants that perpetrated the act to be brought to justice extends its most profound sympathy to the bereaved families and its solidarity to the people of Ngarbuh and the entire Donga and Mantung.

US Embassy

                The Embassy of the United State to Cameroon has equally reacted to the Ngarbuh incident and condemned the acts in strong terms while urging government to investigate and bring perpetrators to book. “The U.S. Embassy condemns the killing of civilians in Ngarbuh, Northwest Region, and offers condolences to the victims’ families. We call on the government to authorize an independent investigation, ensure safety of witnesses and bring perpetrators to justice. The violence must stop,” read the statement of the Embassy.