From Abendong Pascal in Kumba
Some eight
Anglophone youths have disappeared after they were arrested by security
operatives in the northwest and southwest regions, human rights campaigners
have said.
The eight
missing youths were amongst dozen others arrested in Anglophone, Cameroon,
during two separate strike actions staged on November 21, 2015 and December 8,
2015.
They had been arrested following days of protests which turned violent in
Cameroon.
Cameroon’s
National Human Rights Commission had earlier raised concerns over the
whereabouts of some of those arrested.
The
protesters had staged a strike action in support of Common law Lawyers and
Anglophone Teachers.
They also expressed frustration with the poor road
networks and limited water supply in the city, amongst others as well as
prevented the ruling CPDM party from holding a unity meeting on December 8,
2015.
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| Chu Vitalis goes underground |
But their efforts met with police brutality as live bullets, tear gas and
water cannons were used on them. Over half a dozen died but government sources
counted just four deaths.
Gaby
Amabo, a human right official told this reporter that while some of the
protesters were detained at the Bamenda Central Prison, and the Buea production
prison, other were airlifted to Yaounde by military helicopter and detained at
the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison and National Gendarmerie headquarters.
Chi
Vitalise Chu, 17, is among the several missing Anglophone youths, family
sources disclosed.
He was last seen when police officers apprehended him in
public last December and till date his whereabouts is still at large.
Several
rounds of investigations by reporters have shown that he was neither detained
in Bamenda, Buea or Yaounde.
It is not
yet known if he has faced extra-judicial killing or is on the run like other
Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC, activists who have been on the run
ever since the 34 year old Biya regime outlawed the activities of the activist and
began a merciless crackdown on some of them.
Chi
Valentine father of Chu who hails from the northwest region is living in
illusion hoping that one day the son will returned home just like the prodigal
son in the Bible.
Case which
orchestrated escape of Chi Vitalis Chu
Oben
Maxwell, for whom SCNC comrades in Kumba were planning a strike for his
liberation, has been in custody for over 30 months, whereas the law stipulates
that such custody should not exceed six months.
This
reporter learnt that when Oben’s case last came up for hearing, the court did
not as much as sign any warrant to bring him up.
The consequence is that the
SCNC leader is yet to be aware of when next the case will come up, a jurist
explained, suggesting that the his case like many others may have lapsed from
the current cause lists.
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