Anglophone Crisis: Bloody Week In NW, West As Suspected Separatist Attacks Kill Eleven

-Gov’t condemns, launches manhunt behind killers of five persons in Momo Division 

-Six others; four security officers, two civilians killed at border control post near Matazen and others wounded 

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde 

Government has in strong terms condemned the recent attack on the convoy of the SDO for Momo Division in the North West region which left four soldiers dead and the Divisional Delegate of Communication for the Division.

Military van damaged by separatists fighters 

In a release issued Wednesday 6 January 2021, Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, said government has “prescribed an investigation in order to fish out the perpetrators” of the act which he described as a “terrorist attack” and bring them to book. 

Sadi stated that the said attack occurred at about 1am on the night of Tuesday 5 January breaking 6, 2020 near Mbengwi, Divisional headquarter of Momo Division.

 

He added that the convoy of the SDO was ambushed by separatist armed gangs with the use of Improvised Explosive Devices made up of large gas cylinders of high calibre and destructive capacity as they were on their way back to Mbengwi after installing the new Divisional Officers (DOs) of Njikwa and Andeck. 

The only civilian dead recorded in the attack the Minister revealed was Mrs. Liwusi Rebecca JEME, Divisional Delegate of Communication for Momo. Sadi disclosed that though the SDO came out unharmed, the attack caused huge material damage as well as left three others injured. 

While expressing the Head of State’s sincere condolences to the family of the late delegate and those of the “heroic soldiers who felt on the field of honour” he said the injured were immediately rushed to the Mbengwi District Hospital. 

Six killed in Matazen Attack

As many were still to come to terms with the attack in Momo Division that killed five, attack was launched by suspected separatist at a border control post bordering Matazen in Santa subdivision with the West region. 

According to West Governor, Awa Fonka Augustine, the attack early Friday 8 January 2021 occurred at about 5:58am claimed the lives of three Gendarmes, one of whom died in the hospital, as well as one policeman and two civilians – the driver of a fuel tanker and his assistant.

Awa added that two other policemen and other Gendarmes injured in the course of the attack were on treatment at the Bafoussam regional hospital. He disclosed that the attack was probably carried out separatist fighters operating in the restive North West region.