Bamenda grounded to a halt by ghost towns

Young men spent time playing football on deserted streets in Bamenda on Monday

The city of Bamenda went into a complete lockdown as a Ghost Town declared by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) was observed to the letter across towns and villages all over West Cameroon. The Consortium declared the ghost towns after trigger-happy police agents opened fire at rampaging crowds around the up-station neighborhood on Thursday night. Four persons were reported wounded by the gun shots. One of the victims later died, according to hospital sources, while three others are responding to treatment.

                The unfortunate event unfolded after crowds of people rushed up-station to the Northwest Governor’s office at about midnight, when rumors went viral that leaders of Anglophone teachers trade unions had been held hostage by the authorities, who allegedly forced them to sign a resolution calling off their strike.

                In the early hours of the morning from about 6:00am to about 9:00am, only few petty traders notably road-side eateries, hawkers and some motorbikes timidly carried  on with their activities. Things later went completely dead as the day grew older. Major streets in the town like SONAC Street and Commercial Avenue remained deserted by noon until nightfall. The Bamenda Main Market never even opened.

                Many street corners were transformed into makeshift soccer fields where youths could be seen running around kicking plastic containers.

                Some denizens of Bamenda who accepted to talk to us expressed exasperation and the wish for things to return to normalcy sooner than later.

                 “I don’t know what to make of this anymore but I wish that the teachers and lawyers should have frank discussions with government and each party should be genuine about what they say,” a lady who preferred to remain anonymous told us.

                “The fact that soldiers are ready to kill people for no reason is clear indication that government does not want to address these issues but wants to remain on its high horse. Can you imagine that teachers raise problems and the government instead goes around bribing traditional rulers who have nothing to do with education directly?” a man whose names we got only as Nchinda wondered aloud.

                At press time, a fight had almost ensued between a stubborn bike rider and a mob at a neighborhood in Bamenda when the crowd demanded that the rider park his bike but he insisted on doing business. The problem was only resolved when police who are all over the town, got to the scene.

                Following the shootings the Consortium reiterated its call for a return to a two-state Federation. It said all youths arrested following protests on December 8 and November 21st must be released, while ghost towns would be observed all over West Cameroon on Monday 16 January and Tuesday 17 January.