Clashes reported in Bamali-Ndop, 14 soldiers injured

Elmer Lunga

Fighting erupted between government forces and the people of Bamali village in Ndop, Ngo-Ketundja Division, Northwest region on Tuesday Cameroon Concord has learnt. Our informant from Ndop noted that the situation was caused by a breakdown of communication between one of the traditional rulers and the prefect of Ngo-ketundia constituency.

It has now been made public that the forces of law and order had arrived Bamali village to conduct a search aimed at recovering weapons that were used during clashes over a land dispute. The People of Bamali responded thinking that the CPDM government had sent in troops into their village to oust their leader. A facebook message sent to Cameroon Concord stated that the villagers blocked the main road with tree trunks, piles of stones and fired point blank at the forces of law and order. 14 soldiers and 2 civilians were seriously injured during the clashes.

At the time of writing this report, our chief North West region correspondent revealed that the governor of the North West region Adolphe Lele Lafrique had visited Bamali village and conducted an evaluation of the situation.  It is vital to include in this report that the problems in Bamali village dates back to 2004 when their Fon died and was replaced by a gendarmerie officer named Idrissou Napouo. A few years later, in 2009 he was deposed by the people and replaced by another Fon- Sashua Osca. The two Fons are now simultaneously running the affairs of the village-a kind of CPDM/SDF arrangement.