Mayor shot, kidnappings rise in restive Bui
A deputy mayor was wounded in a shooting Sunday, the latest attack in a surge of violence in Cameroon’s restive Bui in the North West region.
Separatist fighters pulled Deputy Mayor of Oku, Bongnjioh Quinta from the CBC Elak Church during a service and shot her in the hip, authorities said. It was the third attempt on her life in less than a year. Last year, the same group stormed the church and tried to abduct her, but congregants intervened.
The motive for the attacks remains unclear.
Beyond the targeted attacks on officials, civilians in the North West region are grappling with a wave of kidnappings and extortion. Travelers plying the vital Kumbo-Bamenda road have become unwitting victims of armed separatist checkpoints.
Eyewitnesses describe a harrowing ordeal, with armed fighters forcing motorists to halt, demanding hefty sums of money with at least Six checkpoints costing them about FCFA 6000, before allowing passage. The financial burden has become unbearable for many, forcing businesses to close and families to make difficult choices.
The education sector has also been severely impacted. At least three teachers and an unspecified number of students have been abducted since the end of the GCE exams in June. The kidnappers, linked to a self-styled separatist commander known as General Talk and Do, are demanding a ransom of 2 million francs per teacher.
Human rights groups have condemned the kidnappings as a blatant violation of human rights and called for the immediate release of the hostages. International organizations have also expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
The government of Cameroon has yet to issue a comprehensive response to the escalating violence. Critics argue that the authorities have been slow to address the root causes of the conflict, allowing the situation to spiral out of control.
