The Head of state has also prescribed some special accompanying measures for you which will come soon. The Prime Minister Congratulates you for your patience and discipline throughout your stay in the center
– DOH Belta
At the DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) center in Buea, Capital of Southwest Cameroon and Suppose capital of the “so called Ambazonian Republic”, over 90 ex combatants gathered, December 30th, 2019, with T- shirts of mixed colours, green, red, and yellow of the Cameroon flag for their End of year guests.
In a solemn and calm atmosphere, the representative of the Prime Minister assigned for this Launching exercise of the Reintegration process for the Southwest Region DDR Center, Madam Ndoh Belta announced that the recruitment of the Trainees shall be done in the most equitable manner, with priority given those who have been in the center longer, on” First come, First serve Basis”.
She added.
“The Head of state has also prescribed some special accompanying measures for you which will come soon. The Prime Minister Congratulates you for your patience and discipline throughout your stay in the center”.
She also urged them to go out and be good Ambassadors of the center and Peace Ambassadors, while inviting others still in the bushes to follow the good example of their peers.
Mr Fonjuh Bernard, lead Coordinator of the center for Southwest Region announced that the ex-fighters had waited anxiously for their reintegration and is convinced that the move breeds hope and joy. He re-echoed some of their concerns mainly being the fact that a vast majority of the ex-combatants do not longer have their national identity cards. Accommodation facilities too is a problem for the increasing number of them dropping arms. Of the 4 dormitories with 2 being used by the defense forces and just 7 females amongst the ex-fighters.
Adamou Mussa, also announced another graduation for the 2nd batch to take place in January 2020 and promised alot in store for the center and the beneficiaries from the Head of state.
Of the over 90 ex fighters, it is certain that about 30 will be employed in this pilot phase into vocational training centers across the country with the aid of Government especially in the domain of Arts and Crafts.
The DDR centers were created sometime in 2017 by President Paul Biya to encourage young Cameroonians who have taken up arms in the wake of the Anglophone Crisis to give them up with a similar exercise is tipped for the other centers in Bamenda, Northwest Regional Capital. Note should be taken that another exists in Mora, Far North Region of Cameroon for ex combatants of the Boko haram insurgency.
In October 2019 and by the time of the hosting of the Grand Major National Dialogue, Government had announced that more than 300 fighters for Ambazonia were present in Yaoundé physically to denounce terrorism and sort refuge in the centers.
Critical observers however have wondered how effective and sustainable this exercise can last given that, more than 5,000 of them are announced by Separatists to be recruits of the different Arm wings fighting for the Independence of these two regions from the other part of Cameroon.
Government says, more are giving up their arms as days go by and is putting in alot in terms of logistics to facilitate the exercise.
This action by President Biya’s Government comes at a time when over 100 truckloads of Humanitarian Relief Aids materials have been dispatched to these regions by the presidential couple to salvage the humanitarian needs of the Anglophone distressed populace.
Though Press access was restricted to the ex-fighters who have been at the center for over 7 months, their excitement and commitment towards the process are telling signs of repentance as they pledged to work for Peace and return to normalcy in the entire country.
