Since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis, several incidents have been recorded where hate crimes are committed against Aghem people in Wum, Mechum Division of Cameroon’s Northwest region by Aku-Hausa youths, accused by local Aghems, to be operating in complicity with military officers and administrators.
Asked about what is happening, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Menchum Division Abdoulahi Aliou told The Post that the actors in the conflict are playing a double game, making it difficult for the administration to broker peace.
“During our regular meetings, both Fons and Ardos and Sarkis are invited, during which everyone has to give his opinion and orientation on how to assure harmony among communities permanently,” the SDO said, furthering that commissions have been created to include locals and Aku-Hausas to address some of the problems. He said such commissions exist “mainly in quarters like Binjam, Ngoh, Ketcha and others and is encouraged by administrators… we use to invite pastors, priests and Imams to whom we are instructing daily to sensitise their believers on living together in peace and tranquillity,” the SDO said.
Throwing a jibe at Fons, he said they are not ‘sincere’ in their commitment to convince separatist fighters to drop weapons. He also blamed community vigilante groups for receiving training and not doing their job.
“Action for Peace among communities need deep implication of all actors. Administration alone will not create a magical thing to bring peace when many actors are playing double games. We have to choose collaboration and harmony and fight against complicity and so-called fear, to bring back tranquillity and serenity.” The SDO said.
Before the Anglophone crisis erupted, there existed differences and conflicts in the area, between the Aku-Hausa grazers and native Aghems over land issues and other farmer grazer conflicts. With the coming of the Anglophone Crisis and with the administration looking for allies it has been accused by local Aghems of instrumentalising their former adversaries against them in the war against separatists.
In Wum, when separatists carry out out an attack and it happens to involve a Muslim or an Aku-Hausa native, the narrative is tailored to make it look like an intercommunity attack. In apparent moves to revenge, Aku-Hausa youths do not go after the fighters, but rather target the local Aghem community seen by them as families of separatists.
In a recent letter addressed to the presidency, Aghem Family and Development Association in North America (AFADA-USA) asked President Paul Biya, to “act swiftly and decisively against Aku-Hausa youths, civil administrators, and military officers involved in the 2019 and 2021 targeted killings of indigenous peoples of Aghem in Wum”
The letter detailed that in such attacks of the Aghems, the military which is present in the area takes no deterrent measures. There have been seen aiding and abetting the Hausa youths severally.
Citing some cases, AFADA-USA said “On 18 October 2021, the world witnessed inexcusable and targeted killings as Aku-Hausa armed groups attacked the indigenous people of Aghem, destroying their properties. According to reports from local witnesses and victims, 3 Aghems were brutally killed and dismembered, 3 were seriously injured, and several persons remain unaccounted for. Additionally, nearly 7 contiguous villages experienced looting, and there was a burning of 35 residential homes and 16 business premises – including individual property, leaving at least 254 persons homeless.”
In early June of 2019 shocking videos surfaced on social media, showing Cameroon government forces, giving the green light for armed militias, who identified themselves as Mbororos and Muslims, to go on, burn, and kill mothers of those termed Amba boys in Wum Subdivision.
In that video, after interviewing the armed group and telling them that things are ok and assuring them not to be afraid, the Gendarme officers mounted their pickup and watched the armed youths wield weapons and rush into the communities. The videographer a Gendarme Officer then explained in French that the Mbororo Community have decided to fight Amba boys (The boys rather swore to go after women in the villages and kill all).
Videos of that particular incident later surfaced, showing houses burnt to the ground. The Palaces of Naikom and Waindo were also torched. Another video showed a man who has been set ablaze, with part of his skin, peeled off by the degree of burns he suffered.
Since then, several other incidents have happened, where local Aghems are attacked by the Aku-Hausas with no intervention from present law enforcement officers.
Hate speech and hate crimes were among some of the highlighted crimes in the recent EU parliament resolution committed in the execution of the war in Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in its Article 20 (2) forbids such, saying, “any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its Article 2 mandates that “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms outlined in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
Article 3 furthers that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person, but these rights are deprived local Aghems when they are targeted indiscriminately based on ethnicity without respect of human rights and their dignity as persons. In several outings the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa of rights defender, Agbor Nkongho have condemned the attacks, calling on authorities to redress the situation.
By Andrew Nsoseka, JADE