By Ticha Melanis in Limbe
Ghost towns have finally hit Limbe after residents
promised some time ago they would never observe it again. Monday 16 July 2018
saw a dramatic turn of events as Limbe denizens witnessed one of the worst
ghost towns ever. Shops and offices remained closed for all day; bikes and/or
taxi cabs were packed, not to talk of the streets that were completely void of
people.
Many
people hold that the ghost town was observed in Limbe because of the attacks by
armed men alleged to be "Amba boys" at mile four motor park and at
checkpoint where a truck belonging to the Brasseries du Cameroun was set
ablaze. The incidents signalled a warning to those who had planned to boycott
the ghost town instructions given by the Ambazonians.
When the
Amba hit-and-run fighters attacked parts of the town in the evenings of Friday
and Saturday, the whole city was thrown in total chaos. People were seen
running helter-skelter going in opposite direction to the sounds of gunshots.
Authorities
in Limbe have condemned the violence, saying that violence is not the best way
to express grievances to the government because most often than not, it is the
population that suffers from such violent acts. They hold that such acts will
never lead to any positive change but will instead increase the number of
deaths, increase the number of internally displaced and refugees out of the
country.
It
should be recould that attacks in Limbe are not new ever since the crisis
started in 2016. The seaside city has had its own share of attacks with several
schools burnt down, students attacked and the Limbe market burnt.
When the
market was burnt on 31 March 2017, residents marched on the streets in protest
against the burning of properties and the continuation of ghost towns.
With the
recent attacks on Limbe, many are wondering what could become of the city and
its residents especially if the attacks become more frequent and intense like
in other areas.
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