Cameroonian jazz bassist Richard Bona denounces silence on Ngarbuh massacre

Bona, who lives in the United States and is known for his activism and criticism of the Cameroonian government, wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday: “NGARBUH was February 14th!!! No artist, athlete or influencer from the Anglophone zone dares to talk about or even post a message on this tragedy…”

Bona, who is from the Francophone region of Cameroon, expressed his disappointment and anger at the lack of solidarity and empathy from his fellow Cameroonians, especially those who have a large audience and influence in the country and abroad. He said that they should use their voice and platform to raise awareness and demand justice for the victims of Ngarbuh, and for all those who have suffered from the violence and the repression in the Anglophone regions, where a separatist conflict has been raging since 2016.

The Ngarbuh massacre took place on February 14, 2020, in a village in the North-West region of Cameroon, one of the two Anglophone regions where separatists are fighting for independence from the Francophone-dominated state. According to a report by Human Rights Watch¹, Cameroonian soldiers and armed ethnic Fulani militia raided the village and killed 21 civilians, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and burned and looted homes. The attack was a reprisal against the local community, which was suspected of harboring separatist fighters.

The Cameroonian government initially denied its security forces were responsible for the massacre, describing allegations against them as fake and launching a smear campaign against rights groups and media who exposed the killings. In March 2020, only after national and international pressure, authorities established a commission of inquiry, which found that the military attempted to cover up their actions and identified three security force members as responsible for the killings. In June 2020, the government announced that the three had been arrested and charged with murder. In December 2020, a trial opened before a military court in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, marking an important step towards accountability for the massacre. However, the trial has been postponed several times, and has been marred by irregularities and obstacles, such as the lack of participation of the victims’ families, the refusal to admit key evidence, and the absence of senior officers who may have been involved.

The Ngarbuh massacre is one of the most horrific and emblematic incidents of the Anglophone crisis, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people and displaced over 700,000, according to the United Nations². The crisis stems from the historical and cultural grievances of the Anglophone minority, who make up about 20% of the population and who have long complained of marginalization and discrimination by the Francophone majority and the government. The crisis escalated in 2016, when peaceful protests by Anglophone teachers and lawyers were met with a violent crackdown by the security forces, leading to the emergence of armed separatist groups who declared the independence of a self-proclaimed state called Ambazonia. The security forces and the separatists have both been accused of committing serious human rights violations and abuses against civilians, such as killings, torture, kidnappings, and arson.

The Ngarbuh massacre has sparked outrage and condemnation from various national and international actors, such as the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations³. Several civil society organizations, human rights groups, and media outlets have also denounced the massacre and called for justice and accountability. However, the response from the Cameroonian artistic, sports, and influencer community has been largely muted and timid, especially from those who hail from the Anglophone regions or who have ties with them. Some of the most prominent and popular figures, such as football star Samuel Eto’o, singer Charlotte Dipanda, rapper Stanley Enow, or comedian Valery Ndongo, have not publicly addressed or commented on the massacre or the Anglophone crisis in general, despite their large following and influence in the country and abroad. Some of them have even been accused of being close to or supportive of the government of President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982 and who is widely criticized for his authoritarian and corrupt rule.

Richard Bona, who has over one million followers on Facebook, is one of the few Cameroonian celebrities who has spoken out and taken a stand on the Ngarbuh massacre and the Anglophone crisis. He has repeatedly expressed his solidarity and sympathy with the Anglophone people, and his opposition and contempt for the Biya regime. He has also used his music and his art to denounce the injustice and the violence in his country, such as in his song “Ngarbuh”, which he released in April 2020, and which pays tribute to the victims of the massacre and calls for peace and dialogue. [4]

Richard Bona’s message on the anniversary of the Ngarbuh massacre is a powerful and courageous reminder of the need and the duty to speak up and act for the rights and the dignity of the Cameroonian people, especially those who are suffering and oppressed in the Anglophone regions. It is also a challenge and an invitation for his fellow artists, athletes and influencers, especially those from the Anglophone regions, to join him and use their voice and platform to raise awareness and demand justice for the victims of Ngarbuh, and for all those who have suffered from the violence and the repression in the Anglophone crisis.