Tibor Peter Nagy Jr., the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs says as the situation in Cameroon’s restive North West and South West Regions deepens, the belligerents must now “stop [the] violence and start talking.”

Taking to Twitter Monday, May 18, 2020, Ambassador Nagy says the killing of civilians is inexcusable, citing the killings in Ngarbuh attributed to state forces and the killing of the Mayor of Mamfe by armed separatists.

His words: “Government killing of civilians in Cameroon is inexcusable. I urge follow-through on Ngarbuh investigation and many other incidents of this nature. I also condemn separatist attacks on local officials such as the murder of Mamfe’s mayor. Stop violence, start talking. ”

On February 14, 2020, at least ten children and three women were among those killed when soldiers carried out an operation in Ngarbuh, a village in the country’s North West Region.

Government initially blamed the deaths on the separatists. But on April 21, 2020, the report of the commission of inquiry into the incident faulted Major Nyiangono Ze Charles Eric, Commander of the 52nd Motorized Infantry Battalion (BIM) in Nkambe and all the servicemen who took part in the Ngarbuh operation.

It emerged that Major Nyiangono authorized the “reconnaissance mission” which was led by Sergeant Baba Guida commander of the Ntumbaw joint regiment. The detachment comprising three servicemen and two gendarmes enlisted seventeen members of a local vigilante committee.

In faulting the state forces, the inquiry said: “Following an exchange of gunfire, during which five terrorists were killed, and many weapons seized, the detachment discovered that three women and ten children had died because of its action. Panic-stricken, the three servicemen with the help of some members of the vigilante committee, tried to conceal the facts by causing fires. On his return to Ntumbaw, Sergeant Baba Guida who led the operation, submitted a deliberately biased report to his superiors, a report on which the Government initially based its statement. ”

We also recall that on May 10, 2020, armed separatists ambushed and killed Ashu Prisley Ojong, Mayor of Mamfe in Manyu Division. Two service men were wounded in the attack according to authorities. These are only isolated cases of the violence and abuses taking place in the restive area.

Many are those who have proposed a US led mediation to end the crisis.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net