by Hans Ngala
The murder of 11-year-old Divine Mbarga who was raped before being viciously murdered by a man old enough to be her father – has rocked the moral conscience of our country. Residents of Bamenda, who are themselves already dealing with years-long insecurity and deadly violence, chose to still speak up in support of Divine Mbarga who was murdered miles away in Yaounde. Protests against the murder of Mbarga, have been announced for April 2 in Bamenda.
Let us be clear, there is no justification or excuse for ever raping anyone. It is even worse, when this is done to a child, who is robbed of their childhood and then murdered by the same person who raped her. Little Divine deserved a normal, happy childhood like other children and the monstrosity of her rape and murder, must be condemned in the strongest terms. Not only that, but those behind it must face the full wrath of the law – if we still have any left in this country.
Divine Mbarga’s story should prick the conscience of any sane, moral and upright Cameroonian.
As I look at people in Bamenda standing up (rightly so), to demand justice for Divine Mbarga murdered hundreds of miles away in Yaounde, I cannot help but notice the silence of our Francophone brothers and sisters across the Mungo in relation to the Anglophone Crisis. Anglophones have been teargassed, beaten, maimed, jailed and killed for 9 long years, but we have not seen ordinary Francophones take to the streets in Yaounde and Douala to demand justice for Anglophones. Imagine how far we would have gone as a country if solidarity was being shown on one side when the other side suffers crisis.
It appears that the people of the NW, SW are the ones who show more concern for their Francophone brothers and sisters, but Francophones are either unwilling or unable to do same for their brothers in the NW,SW. Anglophones are always abandoned in their hour of need, yet they have to stand up for themselves while also standing up for everyone else, but no one ever stands up for them.
Nevertheless, this moment should not end with outrage alone, it must become a turning point for national solidarity. Justice for Divine Mbarga must be pursued transparently and relentlessly. Beyond that, all Cameroonians must begin to see each other’s pain as shared, not distant. Civil society, religious leaders, and the media all have a role to play in bridging this empathy gap by amplifying voices from both sides and refusing selective outrage. Francophones must speak up against injustices in the Northwest and Southwest, just as Anglophones are doing now for a child killed in Yaoundé. Likewise, Anglophones must continue to model this empathy without being repaid with silence or indifference by their Francophone kinsmen. Ultimately, justice and unity are built through consistent, collective action. If we only rise when it is “our own people,” we deepen division. But if we stand together—always—we begin to build a country where no suffering is ignored, and no life is considered less worthy of justice, be it Francophone or Anglophone.
And if Francophones had shown the same support which those in Bamenda are now showing for a child who was sadly killed in Yaounde – maybe the Anglophone Crisis would have long been solved by now.
– Hans Ngala is CNA Political Affairs Editor. He also serves as copy writer and edits our Health column.
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