By Clauticlaire Zamba Zamba
The Mayor of Buea, a war torn town in Cameroon’s South West Region has sealed hundreds of shops, Monday January 21, 2019, locals have told National Telegraph. Ekema Patrick is forcefully sealing shops after residents respected Ghost Town, a traditional sit-down strike that occurs every Monday across the two English-speaking Regions of Cameroon during which all businesses are voluntarily closed and transportation paralyzed.
Patrick has been reportedly angered after the Ghost Town was maintained by locals despite all his efforts at dynamiting it. On Sunday January 20, 2019, on the instructions of South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, several taxis were impounded with the release condition being that owners sign documents stating they won’t respect Ghost Town. Many of the taxis were spotted at the Buea Council building early Monday morning. The Mayor and the Governor have been disrespected, a thing that must have angered the Mayor.
Locals around the storage facility of Supermont, a Mineral Water Producing Company directly opposite ETA PALACE Hotel, Molyko, Buea, one of the areas affected by the Mayor’s action say it’s a wrong approach. Others have vowed to continuously respect Ghost Towns. Heavily guarded by armed to the teeth soldiers, the Mayor sealed all shops from TOTAL Petrol station in Molyko to Checkpoint and to Bonduma and other places across the Municipality.
The two English-speaking Regions reports say exercise the Ghost Town as a form of rebellion against the Government in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital from which they’re demanding a total separation from and Restoration of the statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons aka Ambazonia. This demand has so far met with a heavy hand from the Regime, leading to the death of thousands. Armed groups have developed, fighting the regular army to achieve this goal.
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