The gruesome Social Consequences of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

The Anglophone crisis rocking the two English Speaking Regions of Cameroon is in its third year and there is no clear cut solution in sight. The social consequences have been enormous. According to some savy Cameroonians on socio-political trends in the country, the social fabric of the two English Speaking Regions in Cameroon has been completely ruptured. As such every other thing has fallen out of place rendering the whole society structureless.

A look at the family which is the smallest and yet the most important unit in every community has been one of the hardest hit components in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon. Most families have lost some important family members and for most of the time the affected family members are always the fathers and the sons. When these bread winners are caught in the wave of violence, and homes and property burnt, the general trend in volatile areas like Manyu, Meme, Ndian, Momo, Menchum, Bello, Ngoketunjia, Bello and Bui is for survivors to scurry into the bushes for doubtful safety. The effect has been an increase in the number of ITDs Internally Displaced People as well as refugees in neighbouring Nigeria. Girls have been forced into prostitution to take care of younger ones and sometimes sick parents. Nursing mothers who give birth in the bushes are most vulnerable.

 To get a direct feel of the effect of the crisis on the family, this reporter caught up with a victim called Edang Thomas from Ngi resident in Widikum in Momo Division. This was during a workshop organised by Mother of Hope Cameroon MOHCAM in partnership with the Canadian High Commission on Tuesday January 29^th at Hotel Franco in Yaounde. Edang Thomas recounted that his five sons had been shot in Bali and that he wasn’t allowed to bury them. He was even asked to pay FCFA 450.000 to be allowed to bury his kids. Examples of seriously affected families abound.

Social values have also been hard hit and traditions that were hitherto respected with admirable reverence have suddenly been thrown out of the window. It was unheard of for custodians of tradition to be disrespected no matter the circumstances. This strict respect of culture and its custodians is a strong social stabilizing factor in English Speaking Cameroon. The crisis has brought that era to an end. The kidnapping of many traditional rulers in Fako Division last year and the brutal murder of atleast one of them points to that fact. The Kidnap of one of the most influencial First Class Fons of the Northwest Region HRH Fon Sehm Mbinglo II Paramount Fon of Bui and the eventual slaughtering of two Princes is an indicator of the break down of that social fabric. Countless traditional leaders have escaped from their Kingdoms seeking refuge in Yaounde and other French Speaking towns in Cameroon.

The rise in insecurity has completely changed the livestyles of hitherto happy outgoing Cameroonians. The average English Speaking Cameroonian now takes a close look before climbing on a commercial motor bike and makes sure he doesn’t dismount from the bike exactly infront of his residence for fear of becoming a kidnapping target. Curfews imposed on people have changed even their body chemistry as they become jumpy as curfew deadlines approach. Kidnaps for ransome is now accepted as quasi normal and children as young as seven can distinguish between the sounds of military gunshots and the shots from armed groups. The effects are alarming. People are discrete in the way they speak about burning issues in public.

With the increased movement of people from insecured rural areas to town, the farms have been left empty. Young farmers are jobless in town and this has accounted for the increased banditry as they benefit from the instability and security lapses to look for fast ways of making money. Mbororos and Fulanis who were formerly involved in cattle grazing have joined the trail. 

With the farms, classrooms, grazing lands, agricultural plantations like the Cameroon Development Cooporation CDC and PAMOL Plantations all emptied, too many young men and girls are out in the streets doing just what should not be done. Social vices have reached unprecedented heights and armed thieving groups have only compounded the situation. 

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