John Adoyi, PBA Journalism Mentee
Two Separatist Generals in the ongoing conflict in Cameroon and 16 of their fighters have quit fighting the government and laid down their arms in Mundemba, a town in South Western part of the country.
The 18 fighters which include David Dibo, alias General Baron, and Ekpe Jerome, alias General Jer Boy and their 16 fighters dropped their weapons on Tuesday and urged other Ambazonian fighters to do same if not they will be killed by hunger, diseases or die in battle.
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According to a VOA report, leaders of the Ambazonian separatists have vowed to track down and kill the defectors.
Though, since the beginning of the conflict, many fighters have surrendered to the government and have been integrated to the nation, this is the largest defection ever recorded in the war since 2021 when 14 fighters also defected.
According to government officials, the former fighters will be taken to the center for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration in Buea, capital of Cameroon’s English speaking southwest region where they will be reintegrated into the larger society.
Since 2017, separatists from the two English speaking regions of North west and South west Cameroon have been clashing with the government military as they try to break away from the majority French-speaking part to form the country of Ambazonia.
According to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, more than six thousand people have been killed.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that more than two million people have been affected in the two Anglophone regions. OCHA also estimates that at least 628 thousand people have been internally displaced by the conflict while more than 87 thousand persons from the regions have fled to Nigeria who share borders with Cameroon.
