CAMEROON: Let Go and Give Peace a Chance

Amid an ongoing civil war in Cameroon, Achiricons calls for an end to violence and a revival of unity and peace.

I cry out for peace. I cry out for justice for the innocent. Restore the peaceful Cameroon we once lived in. –Achiricons

The year 2016 was full of hope and great expectations. I had my first job and was planning a visit to my village to share the good news with my grandmother.  While preparing for my trip, I saw on TV something terrible had happened. Anglophone boys publicly complained about how politicians ran the country, and a violent government response marked the beginning of what has become known as the Anglophone Crisis — a violent civil war in my homeland. 

I thought I’d wait temporarily for the political tensions to subside before traveling. But unfortunately, I became stuck in the city with the fear of the unknown looming over me. It’s been over seven years since I’ve returned to my village, and the crisis is just as fraught in Cameroon.

Today comes with a heavy heart — I am recalling the case of my dear colleagues who were brutally murdered while conducting fieldwork. They ventured out during working hours and unfortunately did not return. The military searched for them for two years, then we heard on TV a separatist fighter confessed to killing and dumping their bodies.

The nation of Cameroon mourns because the country is fighting against itself. Brothers on one side killing brothers on the other side. The country is losing its strong, intellectual men who could push Cameroon in a positive direction. The citizens now find themselves living with animals in the bushes because their homes have become death traps where armed forces can locate them any time. 

Thousands have lost their lives or primary caregivers, leaving the dependents to suffer. Many who have escaped to the cities beg on the streets, prostitute, and steal, as thousands have lost properties, their houses burnt to ashes and their animals or livestock killed. Perpetrators rape women and render children helpless orphans as they feed fat from it all. 

Even in the animal kingdom, animals do not kill or eat themselves. We wear clothes, proof that we are a more advanced species, yet we destroy ourselves. For how long do we keep confessing the name of God in our country yet do things contrary to God's will? One day, God will rise to judge those who are intensifying this crisis and claiming young Cameroonians' lives. 

If we stop our young ones and children from attending school and work, are we planning to have a nation full of illiterate people who are economically frozen? The perpetrators of these acts are among us pretending to be sorry, yet they keep fanning the flames of the war. Let us stop shedding innocent blood as we pray. Stop the war and give peace a chance. 

What kind of Nation do we intend to have or hand over when we can't even work freely and contribute to the growth and development of the nation? We are hopeless, clouded with the fear of the unknown. We can't even work peacefully because we wonder who will be next. 

Those who intend to live in peace must first rest in peace with humanity. Are we ready to rest and live in peace? What if you perpetrated the war and suddenly realized your wife and children were caught in the crossfire? What would you do?

We live each day with the fear of not seeing the next day. We leave the house to hustle for food, yet we worry about whether we will come back intact to meet our families. Still, we cannot sit at home and remain hungry. At this point, what can be done? 

I cry out for peace. I cry out for justice for the innocent. Restore the peaceful Cameroon we once lived in. I pray the unborn generation will cultivate peace among themselves. Peace begins with individuals, then at home with family, and later the broader society. 

We must teach peace education in schools, churches, and the home to help the younger generation grow up with the spirit of peace. I call upon the Cameroonian government and separatists to engage in a dialogue, alongside the international communities as mediators, to take a stand for peace.

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