In William Golding’s 1954 book “Lord of the Flies“, savagery and evil engulf innocent youths unchecked on an island. Here they manifest this freedom with cruelty by first viciously killing a pig and perching its head on a pole where flies congregate. Just around the time, Golding wrote this fictional novel, true heads of humans adorned French colonial Cameroun roadsides in the Bamileke and Bassa regions. Till date France has concealed this genocide from the world. Colonial French Cameroun citizens who were scared of being the next trophy head to be displayed by the roadside emigrated to the Free, peaceful British Southern Cameroon for safety. The French Cameroun colonial beasts could not trespass into British Cameroon to get any more heads to put on staffs, until the UNO and Britain handed over the British Southern Cameroons to the beast – France and French Cameroun in 1961. Like Jack and his friends in Lord of the Flies with no laws, nor formal control on the island, thus the anarchy and cruelty, French Cameroun soldiers are scofflaws, violating every global law, ethics or biblical cannons in the British Southern Cameroons.
The Invisible smoke?
With the world seeing the smoke rising like it rose for rescuers in Lord of the Flies, but deliberately looking the other way, French Cameroun Bulubeti militias – soldiers, have not only hung heads on sticks, but charred villages, and roasted citizens in their abodes. Like in Lords of the Flies, where the kids first lit their fires in the night, thus delaying their rescue, French Cameroun authorities have not only lobbied western governments to silence, but have silenced internal opposition. Churches have been silenced through co-option with threats and largess. Formal institutions with global appeals have been choked with cronies, ready to write a clean Bill of Rights to the international community.
The latest reality is in Bafut, home of the Chairman of the ruse called National Commission for Human Rights in Cameroun, Mr. Chemuta Divine Banda. Mr. Chemuta is a former diplomat with several ambassadorial years in the west. As usual with the ruling Cameroun Peoples’ Democratic Movement (CPDM) Party in Cameroun, being a senior citizen is one of the cherished criteria for acceptability and advancement in the party. Returning home, Mr. Banda did not fail to enlist in the party. He ran unsuccessfully as a CPDM member of parliament in his native Bafut. Such open militancy was no doubt assuring to the king pins of the party. As a former diplomat as well, he was suited to conceal abuses to the West, after all, they have known him well as a diplomat. With such firm beliefs, Mr. Chemuta Divine was thus appointed by dictator Biya as the Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms. With abuses documented all over the country, the stooge has remained mute, with his title used as a ruse to the global community that, there is a watch dog on abuses in Cameroun.
The Genocide in British Cameroon and his weakness
With thousands killed and villages burnt in the territory by French Cameroun Bulubeti militias, the commission was no where to be found. The last evidence of the commission’s worthlessness was on 9th May, 2019, at a conference in Yaounde, when the chairman was rudely interrupted by his two vices from dictator Paul Biya’s Bulubeti clan – James Mouangue Kobilla and Professor Atangana nee Ngo Oum Therese). Mr. Chemuta Divine Banda, had revealed that he had called the octogenerian – Paul Biya, to ask him to halt the war in British Cameroon and engage in inclusive dialogue. The vice persons, in the midst of observers and journalists made it clear to Mr. Chemuta Banda, that he as chairman was to get an authorization from them to mention anything about the killings and burning in British Cameroon. Since then, Mr. Chemuta has remained mute on the Atrocity Crimes, while the French Cameroun authorities use his position to deceive the world.
The Bafut Rape, massacres, Beheading and Chemuta’s silence
Mr. Chemuta has remained silent on the destruction in his own village, Bafut since the onset of the British Cameroon uprising. Several people have lost their lives from the Bulubeti militias. Bafut has been burnt, with the soldiers attacking even the sacred Bafut Palace – UNESCO world Heritage site. In all, more than 300 people have lost their lives in the village.
Gallery of Some of the Killings and Destruction in Bafut since 2016
The latest gruesome murder was on the 26th of April, 2020, when the marauding French Cameroun soldiers invaded the quiet village. The shooting, destruction and looting were the rule. The sacred palace was desecrated, personal properties like goats and chickens were seized, some roasted in the same compounds after chasing the owners away. A lucid warning was sent to the world and to Mr. Chemuta in particular, that titles and positions don’t matter as long as you are from British Cameroon. Awa Pius, an innocent civilian who had quenched the thirst of the marauding soldiers was beheaded by the same soldiers and his head hung by the roadside for all to see their “professionalism”. An innocent mother in her sixties was gang-raped by the soldiers. More than 32 people were also killed with more than 15 homes torched by the soldiers (details later). In all these Atrocity Crimes,, the Human Rights crusader – Chemuta Banda, is no where to be found. His close collaborators and friends at their social groups are still to get a word of remorse from the head of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms in Cameroun. Who doubts the fact that, when a people (British Cameroonians) are called dogs, they deserve to die.
British Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) Genocide Library 