Francis Wache & Azore Opio With Field Reports
3 March 2008
Calm has now returned to Cameroon after a week of demonstrations that crippled the nation.It all started on Monday, February 25, when taxi drivers called a strike to protest against the hike in fuel prices.
Nobody on that Monday, February 25, could have predicted that the nationwide transporters' strike action would take such a dramatic and bloody clash.Though the strike action by the Syndicate of Transporters had been announced, the State owned CRTV, said on Sunday, February 24, that the strike action had been called off by the leaders of the Syndicate of Transporters after clinching a deal with the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Prof. Robert Nkili.
And, so, both the government of Cameroon and the population were surprised when, on Monday, February 25, not only were the streets without taxis, but the inter-urban and intra-urban buses were grounded paralysing all movements.
The situation soon degenerated when disgruntled and mostly unemployed youths seized the opportunity and took to the streets expressing their discontent. They complained that those in power had not created enough avenues for employment and economic opportunities.
The strike action, peaceful at first, quickly turned violent with the rampaging and sometime marauding youths engaged in running battles with the forces of law and order. While the troops fired gunshots into the air, the mob responded with volleys of stones. Then the troops riposted, tossing teargas canisters.
Worse, bandits and petty criminals soon joined the fray and then began an orgy of violence, savagery, brutality and the looting of private property and the destruction of public buildings. Lives, too, were lost and trigger-happy forces of law and fired live bullets at fleeing demonstrators.
The situation was not improving faster as expected. Cameroon was progressively plunging herself into the abyss of endless destruction. Calls for peace and calm began to surface from all nooks and crannies from the country. But the angry youths and Cameroonians in general felt that the most soothing words must come from the Head of State.
Biya's 'Declaration Of War' Speech
President Paul Biya, on Wednesday, February 27, made a declaration on the situation. He castigated the opposition that had failed to win power by the ballot for turning to the bullet to destabilise the country.
In a vitriolic tone, and in less than five minutes, he defiantly told the "demons" instigating the demonstrators that their efforts were doomed.Immediately after President Paul Biya's address, the protesters, in Bamenda, for example, infiltrated by bandits, went amok, destroying and looting anything on their way.
Targets: PMUC, Breweries, Taxation Offices
In most towns, demonstrators targeted PMUC offices. When they could not torch them, they turned to the ubiquitous PMUC kiosks planted along the streets and set them ablaze. In Bamenda, they ransacked all the offices of PMUC building owned by the SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, on Commercial Avenue.
The angry crowd evacuated computers, electronic gadgets, money and other valuable property and burned them outside the building. They tried to make away with the safe in vain.
The same scenario was enacted at the Cow Street Taxation Office, Nkwen, where the rioters could not remove the safe. They, however, carted away laptops and valuable documents and set them ablaze outside the office.
The protesters also ransacked and burnt down the Nkwen Post Office immediately after Biya's speech on Wednesday night. The angry youths proceeded to the Bamenda Urban Council, where Abel Ndeh's three cars were all razed.
An inventory conducted by The Post indicated that two seven-ton loaders were burned, one trailer damaged, three vans "Keep Bamenda Clean" vandalised, windscreen of European Union service car shattered, two salon cars and a motorcycle parked on the Council premises were burned; and six tippers had their windscreens shattered. Several private vehicles impounded at the Council premises were also destroyed.
The rioters left the Council premises at Ntarikon and stormed a primary school known as County Primary and Nursery School, owned by Abel Ndeh's wife. They inflicted some damage on the structure.
In Nkambe, Donga Mantung, the Police Post at the Nkambe Main Market was razed. In Kumbo, the protestors vented their anger on some government institutions and private establishments. Despite pleas from Bui Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Daniel Panjouono, they stormed the Transport Delegation at Bam-bui Quarters; a building that also housed the Public Works Service and Radio Meteo and set fire to it.
They later ransacked the Divisional Delegation of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Delegation of Commerce, where they emptied offices and burnt documents, furniture and damaged computers and photocopiers. Brasseries Du Cameroun depot at Ta Mbve, the Guinness Depot and a police van did not escape the wrath of the protestors.
The Taxation Office and Finance Control Service at Mbve received the same treatment, while some taxation officials were equally visited and their property destroyed. Indeed, the youths went out of hand as they extended their ire to billboards at the Tobin Roundabout mobile phone kiosks.
In Mbengwi and Babito and other parts of Momo, protestors set administrative installations on fire. Meanwhile in Santa, rioters burned the DO's office and a vehicle. In Kumbo, Bui Division, Divisional Delegation of Transport, Public Works were burned as well. At Taxation Office and that of Education and Youth Affairs, the protesters brought out all the office equipment and set it on fire. Guinness and Brassieres were depots were looted.
Meanwhile, in Kumba in the Southwest, the Delegations of Taxation, Education, Social Affairs, Town Planning and Treasury were burnt. The most affected was PMUC, which had all its properties and kiosks burnt. Les Brasseries du Cameroun had its Kumba Regional office completely burnt. Demonstrators also burnt down and destroyed Kumba I (Kumba Town) and Kumba II (Mbonge Road) and Kumba Central Police Posts.
Also, two Total Filling stations were destroyed. Demonstrators equally looted treated palm oil from a timber company near the train station. The looters have reportedly sold the 'poisonous' palm oil, which was meant for the treatment of timber. The timber company has put up a notice cautioning the population against consuming the oil, since it might be harmful. This has caused general panic, as the local population are unsure of palm oil.
Muea in the Southwest Province witnessed part of its police post burned down.
Arrests, Torture, Rape
Over 150 youths arrested in Bamenda are now undergoing severe torture in various detention camps. Rumour holds it that in the days ahead they would be transferred to Yaounde.
When over 200 Koutaba special troops landed in Bamenda in the wee hours of Thursday, they treated nearly every home at Mile Two, Foncha Street Junction, Ntarikon, Commercial Avenue and Hospital Roundabout to a good dose of torture.
They even raped a soldier's wife whose names we are withholding. Several cases of rape were reported in Mile Three, Ntarikon, and Hospital Roundabout, where the soldiers broke into private houses, forcing boys out to clear off the debris and road blocks.
On Ghana and Cow Streets, most of the houses broken into were owned by free women. Most women were deprived of their cell phones and money. One woman who spoke to The Post regretted, "when they broke open my door, they pulled out my brothers and beat them to near death.
The reason was that two of the soldiers pulled down their trousers and were about to rape me in front of my brothers, but my brothers protested and the soldiers thrashed them severely."
Also, two students from Progressive Comprehensive High School, PCHS Bamenda, were reportedly raped at Ayaba Hotel.
In Kumbo, no death was reported, but over 30 persons were arrested. Meanwhile, in Nkambe, the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga-Mantung, Godlive Mboke Ntua, declared that over 20 youths were arrested and would be prosecuted.
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