Killing of Chiefs in Lebialem, Cameroon: Centre Region Chiefs Condemn, Call For Genuine Dialogue As Way Out

Traditional rulers in the Centre region have condemned the brutal killing of three of their peers in Essoh-Atah village in Lebialem Division in the restive South West region of the country by armed separatist fighters.

Lebialem chiefs perform ritual as they mourn murdered colleague 

According to Lebialem elite, the armed men who carried out the brutal killings were commanded by Lekeaka Oliver aka Field Marshal on the instructions of his USA-based elder brother, Christopher Anu.

Peaking to CRTV radio, some of the chiefs in the Centre region while condemning the act which they said is an attack on tradition, called for urgent return of peace in the regions and urge authorities to dialogue with aggrieve Anglophones.

“This incident is very sad, unfortunate and clear attack on our values, our tradition, our roots and even our institutions. That is why I condemn with the last energy this barbaric acts and beg the indigenes and the population of our Anglophone regions to strongly resist this enemies of our nation,” said His Majesty Viamany Msombo Ambah. 

To his colleague, Bell Luc Rene, “traditional rulers must be respected and are respected in all our areas. Am just very surprise and very astonished with the acts,” he said. The chiefs revealed that real dialogue is the only way out of the crisis. 

“Government should take an action to start real dialogue with the moderate and credible people of these regions…the success of this lies in combining in very strong will to neutralise those raising arms against the state and to have an open mind with those who are going to sit round the table for talks to bring back peace for the population of this area,” stated Msombo Ambah. 

The custodians of the tradition in the Centre also appealed the armed men to lay down their arms and to restore peace in the restive regions. Chiefs Simon Forzizong, Benedict Fomin, Peter Fualeasuoh Fuambeh were pulled out of their houses in Essoh-Attah village and dragged to the market square where they were shot in cold blood and their lifeless bodies dumped in a nearby river Saturday 13 February for refusing to succumb to pressure of gunmen to hand over their proceeds of their farm produce to them and for also reportedly encouraging resumption of classes.