Home Town Massacres: Santa’s Waiting for Atanga Nji’s Apology (1)

The question that has eluded press men to Mr. Atanga Nji, has been his qualification to be a Minister in Kamerun. From his utterances of using “The President” in all actions and conversations, even private ceremonies, shows loyalty is the criterion for him being a minister in French Cameroun. Having no credentials that can keep one employed elsewhere without political appointments/compensations, you certainly becomes what the late Nigerian Afro-beat Artist Fela calls Zombie – A human robot who acts without reasoning. “Tellam make e go kill, jorojara jo” sings Fela. Atanga Nji, is one of those forfeited British Southern Cameroonians who has banked his entire life in executing every fetal mission from French Cameroon, even on his people. History teaches us that warriors seldom turn their guns on their own people, talk less to your own village kinsmen. Atanga Nji’s Santa Sub Division, ushered in the genocide with arrogant grandeur.

After his appointment in March 2018, by the 86-year-old Paul Biya, as the Territorial Administration Minister, the former prison graduate who exudes more anger than reasoning orchestrated the first gruesome massacre of his people, in the ongoing genocide in British Southern Cameroon. The date was May 25th, 2018, in Santa.

That night of 25th May, 2018, shall forever live in infamy in the minds of British Southern Cameroonians. The entire people of Santa precisely around the village of Menka, woke up to see their green scenery transformed into blood and gloom. Even the chirping savannah birds in this usually beautiful spring morning could not squeeze a smile from any citizen of the village. Yes, every face was united in anger and grief. Even the masterminds are said to have felt remorseful for the job their boss – The french-speaking appointed governor of the region Mr. Lele Afrique ordered them to do. The story from the lying government of Issa Tchirouma and the armchair global media was “terrorists killed” in Santa. Beneath these inaccurate global headlines lies the anguish of parents who saw close to 37 of their kids slaughtered by the same government that is responsible for their safety.

In the mangled and blood soaked bodies was that of young Sidonie, Atanga Nji’s terrorist hanging from one of the ceilings of the rooms in the building. The seemingly isolated building is where village teens usually congregate every night to play card games, and do other fun things that communities that lack televisions or other entertainment gadgets usually do in the evenings. Her red jacket like that of Michael Jackson Thriller, remains indelible in the mind and conscience of sympathizers till date. For the home town, boy turn villain – Atanga Nji, they were terrorists.

One person who survived the massacre was whisked off from his hospital bed in the nearby village of Akum, alongside his two siblings and massacred by the French Cameroun military. They wanted to delete any living witness of the genocide. The local government authority in the area failed even to visit the bereaved families. A confirmation that they knew the planned assassinations. This prompted the local opposition leader Mr. Fru Ndi to put the planned massacre squarely on Atanga Nji’s French Cameroun government (Video). A village hearse – clunker pickup did the door-to-door identification and delivery of the corpses to the devastated parents and community. Biya’s trumpeted reconciliation sham commission is still to ask Mr. Atanga Nji, to apologize to the bereft families.

While Santa was weeping, Atanga Nji, as the commanding minister had ordered more extra-judicial killings in nearby Momo region. They were murdered and dumped in Bali, some 15kms from Santa. Sympathizers later buried them in mass graves. Till date, accountability and remorse have been absent. Paranoid anglophones credit Atanga Nji, for inflaming the conflict. His bogus utterances on state TV they say helped distanced many people from the government. For the “genociders” like Atanga Nji, the grieving families just have to suck it, as open mourning is an invitation to more fire power.

But just how many has Atanga Nji killed in his native Santa Sub division, whom he is supposed to protect as kinsmen. What are his chances of him being at ICC docks one day? (Read part 2)