The Cameroonian army is facing a strong response from armed Southern Cameroons militants following what is being described as an invasion of the Manyu State in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and continues military incursion is doomed to fail, according to our South West bureau chief who is currently monitoring the situation in Mamfe.

“Any military operation led by General Elokobi Daniel Njock against the people of Akwaya will fail as it would elicit a harsh and unexpected response,” Sama Ernest told our news desk late last night.

Last week, a top Cameroon government official revealed Biya regime’s intentions of deploying thousands of troops in the Eyumojock and Akwaya sub constituencies. His remarks followed a series of attacks ordered from Yaoundé on the Southern Cameroons civilian population in Mamfe, Egbekaw, Besongabang and Kembong including Kajifu and Agborkem-German.

On Thursday, Cameroonian military vehicles and helicopters entered Mamfe under escort and staged attacks on Egbekaw. The Cameroon army deployed massive reinforcements to its outposts on the Ekok border in preparations to sending forces into Akwaya and Otu, which is part of a deal with Nigeria to de-escalate the conflict in the area.

“The Cameroonian military presence is aimed at thwarting the Federal Republic of Ambazonia project in Southern Cameroons and imposing a siege on Manyu Division. The Biya Francophone regime is not fighting any terrorist organizations in Southern Cameroons,” said Sama.

The statement was echoed by an aide to the Interim Head of State of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe who spoke to us recently in Calabar in Nigeria. The Cameroon government’s goal in Manyu is to prevent Southern Cameroonians from linking the Bokis of Cameroon to the Bokis in Nigeria including the Ejagham cantons of Eyumojock to those in Nigeria and change the character of the Anglophone crisis.

Yaoundé only controls a pocket of land since General Elokobi Daniel Njock started the operation in Manyu.  Cameroon Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo has previously described the Manyu Division area on the Nigeria border as a “terror corridor” in the making.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai