By Amos Muang Nsah
Since the escalation of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions, humanitarian workers have remain a source of income for separatist fighters. Workers of Unity Foundation Cameroon (UFC) have suffered from recurrent kidnappings and molestation even those who are out of the crisis hit regions.
A recent case is that of Tagne Noumessi Noel Andre, one of the UFC workers in Bafoussam West region, neigbouring region to the North West.
Suspected separatist fighters locally called “Amba boys” crossed into Bafoussam on September 13, 2021 severely tortured Mr Tagne and left him in the pool of blood.
Before the unfortunate incident, he has been constantly receiving unknown calls and SMSs of threats.
“We know you are a francophone guy working with Unity Foundation Cameroon in Bafoussam collaborating with your colleagues here in the North West to get information about us and give to the soldiers, we will get all of you, beware” one of the messages read.
“You have children and a wife, if you love them, cease from spying us”, another message threatened.
Asked why he could not report the threats to security forces? Mr. Tagne said he did not want to further complicate things.
“I talked to myself that changing my number and residence could solve the problem but I was wrong about it. These guys still fetched me out”, he said.
There is an uneasy calm in Cameroon’s French-speaking towns and villages that share a border with the English-speaking regions after separatist fighters supporting the creation of an English-speaking state from time to time cross into the French-speaking regions, to attack government forces and also targeting some civilians they suspect are not in support of their struggle for separation.
So, Tagne Noumessi Noel Andre’s case is not an isolated one, many even in French speaking regions are living in fear especially when working in an NGO like UFC with its headquarters in the North West.
