“I joined the armed forces but that was not my call, nor my wish”
A 27 – year – old ex-ambazonian fighter at the Bamenda DDR center has confessed she participated in the war against the state out of despair.
The lady who is today preparing to join students in the National School of Local Administration- NASLA in Buea says her admission into the school is thanks to the administration of the center “When I got to the DDR, my plea was to further my education. I am glad this happened.” During the 2021/2022 academic year, she sat for the GCE Advanced level and was successful. “My dream in life has always been to become a great woman.
The director of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration center in Bamenda, Gabsa Sixtus, admits this success falls in line with the goals of the institution “upon creation, the DDR centers were to give ex-fighters a second chance to rebuild themselves… So far, we have 14 fields in which we train inmates so that they can take care of themselves,” he says.
The success of the lady who sought anonymity due to security reasons has been appreciated by other inmates.
The Cameroon government says it has about 400 ex-separatist fighters at the DDR Centers in Buea and Bamenda and the Bamenda center alone is host to over 150 ex-fighters.
A newly built modern DDR center was received in April 2021made of 18 blocks, with 12 air-conditioned dormitories, a 500 capacity hall, an infirmary, workshops, play grounds, modern toilets, church, a command Post, security Post and security fence, to improve on the livelihood of inmates but the new center in Bafut/Mankon is yet to be inhabited
