Top three of the artists to have received a new wave of deadly threat are emblematic young singers, Stanley Enow, Magasco and Tzy Panchak. Others, however, are not safe as their names will be revealed subsequently for possible assassination. The ugly pronouncement made by a self-styled Defend chief of the “Ambazonian”, Tapang IVO Tanku, has again kept the Anglophone community and the entire nation in an oblivious horizon, as to what these separatists really want!
The supposed crime of these musicians is that they are advocating for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in their regions, Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, that has claimed thousands of lives and more still in danger. Tapang, a long time hardened Ambazonian activist based in the United States of America, declared their possible kidnap of these artists in a Facebook live show, Wednesday October 28th, 2020.
According to the Chief of Rebels, as he fondly calls himself, these artists amongst others met and are deciding that the crisis ends, therefore, jeopardizing their suppose independence, and against their Modus operandi to achieving that dream.
“I want to make this very clear to the international community. We are gunning for war with La République Du Cameroun. Any Ambazonian musician, artist or whosoever you call yourself belonging to Cameroun, be very weary because in the days ahead, you will be arrested. I am calling in particularly, Standley Enow, Magasco, Tzy Panchak and a couple of people earmarked for immediate arrest in Ambazonia. These people are terrorists… These artists are notorious, they are terrorists and attention seekers”, said Tapang.
After the killing of 7 children at the Mother Francisca International School in Kumba, Chief town of Meme Division, Southwest Cameroon, these artists had joined the online campaign hashtag #Endanglophonecrisis, calling for a stop to the killings especially on children and women. In the week that followed, more than 50 musicians, actors, presenters and bloggers had met in Douala to seek for a strategy to get their voices heard.
Though many think it’s an issue to wave aside given the frequency of Tapang’s verbosity and outings of hate, the act has been condoned by many supporters of the Ambazonian ideological stream and goes to stamp the fact that, the movement is somewhat responsible for gross human rights atrocities in the restive regions. Also coming at a time when fingers are pointing at Ambazonian fighters for the murder of those school Children, one can’t sweep the threat on the lives of these celebrities and more under the carpet for the sake of it.
To recall is the fact that, these Activists of Ambazonia had launch a similar manhunt for advocates of school resumption in those areas. Teachers have been brutally murdered as well as students’ hands cut off by the independence Thirsty group. Many have also opined that, these Activists use such opportunities for self-inflicted pain on their people in order to attract international attention, though on the negative note.
Also, not just the musicians but Women, Youths, Footballers, Journalists, Teachers, Lawyers, politicians and many groupings have condemned the killings in Kumba and indict both parties to act under same hashtag, #endanglophonecrisis.
Despite the fact that these artists had released several songs over the years on the crisis, they were more inspired by the #Endsars protest in Nigeria, early October where their peers had played a momentous role in calling for reforms and the end of the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
Government has remained adamant with very little done for a genuine dialogue with these rebel groups despite calls from all over the globe. Fears continue to mount for the dead trap tarries in the cocoon of ordinary Cameroonians. Though musicians haven’t made any public outing on this recent development, it is clear that the war dynamics have shifted from the neighbor’s house back to a man’s bedroom.
