Ngarbuh Saga:

Court Charges Three Soldiers with Murder, Arson

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Three soldiers have been charged with murder in relation to the killing of at least 23 persons including children and women during a military reconnaissance mission to Ngarbuh village in the restive Northwest region on 14 February 2020.

The military Court has charged three soldiers with murder

                The charges were delivered following preliminary inquiry before an Examining Magistrate at the Yaounde Military Tribunal. As reported by RFI while quoting AFP news agency, the three Cameroonian soldiers have been charged for murder and placed in provisional detention in Yaounde military prison.

                In addition to being charged with the murder, the three soldiers, Sergeant Baba Guida, Commander of the Ntumbaw Joint Regiment, Gendarme Sanding Sanding Cyrille and private first class Haranga Gilbert are also accused of disobeying orders, destruction of property and arson.

                Government had initially denied involvement of soldiers in the killings, describing allegations against security forces as “fake”. The Ministry of Defense, MINDEF and Ministry of Communication claimed the deaths resulted from an “unfortunate accident” when fuel containers exploded in the crossfire between separatists and troops.

                But according to the April 21 report of the commission of inquiry that was set up by President Paul Biya to dig into the incident following national and international pressure, singled out three “uncontrolled” soldiers – a sergeant, gendarme and private first class to have being behind the killings with the help of Fulani herdsmen and some members of the vigilante.

                “Following an exchange of gunfire, during which five terrorists were killed, and many weapons seized, the detachment discovered that three women and ten children had died because of its action. Panic-stricken, the three servicemen with the help of some members of the vigilante committee, tried to conceal the facts by causing fires,” partially read the commission report, adding that Sergeant Baba Guida who led the operation upon his return submitted a deliberately biased report to his superiors on which government based her outings.

                Sergeant Baba Guida is said to have involved armed civilians in a military operation, failed to control his troops during the operation, ordered the burning down of houses, and deliberately produced a false report on the operation and its toll while Gendarme Sanding Sanding Cyrille and Private 1st Class Haranga Gilbert, took part in an operation that caused the death of several persons and the burning of houses as revealed by the April report.