Troops loyal to the regime in Yaoundé have arrested hundreds of West Cameroonian citizens around the Mile 16 area in Buea and ferried them in military trucks to an unknown destination. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that the action was ordered late on Monday February 13, 2017 by the Francophone governor of the South West region.

The soldiers reportedly staged numerous raids arresting many young people including women and children. A source in Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai’s entourage revealed that the Biya acolyte authorized the military action for the army to help search for some prisoners who escaped after they allegedly took part in the Youth Day March pass celebration. The prisoners were presented in front of CRTV cameras as students from the University of Buea.

The prisoners appeared at Bongo Square in shining haircuts justifying claims by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium that they were police trainees and prisoners hired to sabotage the boycott action.

At the time of filing this report, news filtered from Wum capital of Menchum Division in the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons that dozens of young men and women were arrested today and are currently being held at the local Gendarmerie station. A sister publication, Cameroun Info.Net confirmed the news and reported that today’s arrest took place in front of the convoy of North West Governor Adolphe LELE L’Afrique who is on a working visit to schools in Menchum Division.

By Rita Akana