Several Francophone government officials have downplayed the ghost town operation and non resumption of schools in Southern Cameroons describing the Anglophone strike as a non event and nonsense. Large segments of Southern Cameroonians have already engaged in a three-day civil disobedience campaign called by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium to protest the recent rapes, killings and militarization of the Anglophone regions of the country by the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime.

Southern Cameroons activists launched a wide electronic campaign to mobilize West Cameroonians to engage in the second phase of the civil disobedience action starting Monday the 23rd and to run through Tuesday and Wednesday the 24th and 25th of February 2017.  Opposition forces and groups have expressed support for the general one month strike called by the detained leaders of the Consortium and Southern Cameroonians including those in the Diaspora and their affiliates are expected to play an active role to ensure its success.

This week, the 83 year old dictator, Paul Biya who has been in power for 34 years boastfully told one of Cameroon Intelligence Report’s informant at State House that his government wouldn’t be overthrown by “WhatsApp” and Face Book including Twitter pointing he wouldn’t hand over the country to a new leader but arrest and jail any Anglophone activists hiding behind the “keyboards”. The Minister of Communication and the Francophone government spokesman, Issa Tchiroma told reporters last night that the outcome of the previous ghost town operations in Southern Cameroons was zero and the upcoming one would be a big zero since the presidency has shut down all internet and telephone services in the British Southern Cameroons territory.

Issa Tchiroma accepted that his government was holding many Southern Cameroons political detainees including the Chairman and Secretary General of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, Barrister Agbor Nkongho Felix and Dr. Neba Fontem. We got intelligence that the leader of the Anglophone teachers trade union, Wilfred Tassang has seek refuge in the American embassy in Yaoundé and the whereabouts of Barrister Bobga Harmony is still unknown. Commenting on the recent crackdown including rapes and extra judicial killings going on in the Anglophone regions of the country, the Minister of Communication said the Yaoundé authorities have the right to take all the necessary measures to maintain the security and stability if there is any security threat to the country.

Boko Haram is now a thing of the past as the Francophone dominated Intelligence and Security Services has recently intensified crackdown on journalists for publishing news reports and articles on the Anglophone Problem. Radio stations and newspapers houses have been forced to close down. With the world turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the Francophone regime in Southern Cameroons, the Yaoundé government launched a large arrest campaign and has detained senior Anglophone officials including attempts at arresting Justice Ayah Paul of the Cameroon Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has said the civil disobedience could be extended beyond February with the sole aim of paralyzing all economic and academic activities in Southern Cameroons. Southern Cameroons youth have been called to join a telephone campaign to increase participation in the ghost town operations and the Anglophone struggle.  At the time of filing this report, Consortium forces announced more detentions among its members across Southern Cameroons as Monday the 23rd 2017, the date of the civil disobedience approaches.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Sama Ernest and Sonne Peter