There's been no circulation on the Bamenda - Mbengwi road this Tuesday morning. A few passenger cars are stationed at the Mbon motor park but non is loading. The reason for this as we learnt is that an order has been passed by Ambazonia activists prohibiting circulation on the Bamenda Mbengwi road till further notice.
In a social media message purportedly from Ambazonia activist Capo Daniel, spokesperson of the Ambazonia Governing Council "Mbengwi road is suspended for imminent military operations against the Cameroon occupation forces till further notice."
"Airline" is the name of a famous spot along the road precisely at G.T.H.S Alabukam junction. For several years now, Non State Armed Fighters locally called Amba Boys have almost on weekly basis been mounting a control post there to collect money from passengers which they term "support". They target mostly Fridays since it's on such a day that many corpses are transported to Mbengwi, Njikwa, Ngie for burial and as such there's always high traffic flow. The fighters place bags on the ground and when passengers reach at their control post, they are compelled to alight from their vehicles or bikes and go put their "support" in the bag. At times the bag gets full with FCFA banknotes and are replaced with supplementary bags.
In the build up to the forthcoming senatorial elections scheduled to take place on Sunday 12 March, elements of the anti terrorists squad known as Battalion d'Intervention Rapid (BIR) have been stationed at Alabukam by the state and the very spot where NSAFs used to stand and do their "control", the BIRs are now the ones there. The security measure to an extent is to ensure that candidates and voters to partake in the election aren't targeted and kidnapped along the Mbengwi - Bamenda road as they get into Mbengwi for the exercise.
Unconfirmed reports say it's likely the BIRs have come to Alabukam for a long stay. Should the road block persist, then the economy of Mbengwi is going to dwindle. Business persons will run out of stock, health institutions will run out of medication and consequently, lives may likely be lost as families pay the prize in the ongoing tussle.
By
Fongod Primus Ayeh
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