Jitters of social unrest

Ethnic conflict here, Demonstration there, Gunshots mowing down unarmed civilians was the social climate in Cameroon in most of 2007

Once again, the so-called forces of law and order demonstrated that they are still to learn lessons on respect for human rights. In demonstrations triggered by frequent and prolonged power outages in Abong Mbang, mid year and in Kumba in November anti-riot police killed five students, with scores of others injured.

Two unarmed students were shot dead at close range in Abong Mbang, while three died after police opened fire in kumba. There were other demonstrations concerning power outages or the lack of electricity in Mballangi, a village near kumba and at Obala. In Obala, vehicles plying the Bamenda-Bafoussam-Yaounde road waited for many hours as angry residents barricaded roads to protest against a blackout that had lasted several months. Police eventually broke up the protest. Police also did not spare commercial motorbike riders who held a protest in Bamenda to denounce harassment by the forces of law and order. Although most protestors were sitting on the ground, police still opened fire on them and two persons were killed, while several others were injured. Still in the North West, negligence by state officials resulted in ethnic clashes that left at least five people dead, over six thousand homeless, large scale destruction of property, scorching of farmlands and wanton killing of livestock. That was the case in an ethnic conflict pitting Oku and Mbessa. Twice in 2007, clashes broke out between the two ethnic groups over a disputed farmland. At least five people were reported dead, more than 100 injured, over 1500 houses destroyed and about 3000 people rendered homeless. The conflict had been intermittent for decades, but promises by the administration to demarcate the disputed boundary were never kept. It was a similar situation in a conflict pitting the Bali and Bawock ethnic groups. Clashes erupted in March when the Bawocks allegedly destroyed a Bali deity that they said had trespassed on their land. But Bali traditional authorities believe the entire territory on which the Bawocks are settled is their land. In retaliation, Bali marauders went on the rampage, destroying over 1000 houses in Bawock, scorched farmlands, indiscriminately slaughtered livestock and bashed residents, most of who fled to safety in neighboring villages and Bamenda. Over 3000 people were rendered homeless.

The tardy intervention of the administration is blamed for the scale of violence and destruction. That type of violence was not witnessed in the South West even though students there were very angry and made it known. Students in various schools in Fako division and Kumba went on strike to demand the reimbursement of computer fees. The students had paid fees for computer classes but the subject was not offered. However, no deaths were reported in the strikes. Workers of various state corporations and ministries engaged in several strikes over pay. MATGENIE workers barricaded a street in Yaounde to call government’s attention to 27 months of unpaid salaries. Staff at ANAFOR equally organized a strike to press for the payment of many months of salary arrears. Nurses in Yaounde caused panic when they organized a strike to press government to improve their working conditions. They only called off the strike when government promised to look into their problems. University students were also angry.

Students of the University of Yaounde I staged a demonstration to protest against the introduction of a new evaluation and credentials system which they perceived was being applied in an unfair manner. Students of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences in Yaounde, popularly known as CUSS, also held a demonstration to protest against what they considered as attempts by their dean to frustrate their studies. There were equally unrests attributed to witchcraft. This particularly was true for a trance falling phenomenon that hit schools across Cameroon. Only female students were affected. Angry protesters sometimes resorted to destruction and attack on persons suspected of orchestrating the mysterious phenomenon. Trance-falling was reported in Ebolowa, Bamenda, Maroua and Douala, among other towns.

Yemti Harry Ndienla Esq

Senior Journalist,

P. 0 Box 494 Buea,

Southwest Province Republic of Cameroon,

West Africa.

Cell; 237 772 52 03

mcyemtih@yahoo.com