Cameroon – Adamawa: The hefty hostage taking – CAMERPOST

  Cameroon – Adamawa: The salty note of the hostage
 

Breeders behind their herds | © CAMERPOST / OB

kidnappers dictate their law in this part of Cameroon. They remove Cameroonians and require tens of millions as a ransom. CAMERPOST did a survey and offers a series of ten articles to better understand the phenomenon.

It all began in 2013. That year, the Adamawa region begins to welcome the Central African refugees. They are fleeing the civil war being fought in that country after the fall of the Bozizé regime. The camps were then opened by various humanitarian organizations, including the High Commission of the United Nations for Refugees (UNHCR). The chosen sites are located mainly in the department of Mbéré. ​​

During the period, settled border crime. “It starts with cattle theft. Oxen are the preferred target. The areas concerned at this time are those located throughout the border with RCA, “said a military source CAMERPOST. These bandits always come in strips. They are armed with rifles. Some former hostages said they are ruthless

They had a clear need. Cattle or money. It is June 2013. The borough of Belel in Vina lives in unprecedented insecurity. Breeders can no longer visit the sheep, where armed gangs absolute master regent beside the shepherds terrified and terrorized permanently. “They asked us to pay taxes to avoid being kidnapped or even killed. We paid. We do not have a choice. The authorities do not help us, “says a breeder now settled in another city

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Frightened Villagers have fled to settle in the city, including Ngaoundere, assumed to be secure. Neighborhoods like Banyamnga Mbideng and saw their populations double in less than two years. These surpluses are the farmers who abandoned their livestock. The bandits heard this rout change strategy. They spend kidnapping. “They stole the horse. They realized that these beasts are cumbersome, especially since they bring in the RCA. They then opted for the hostage. They aim mainly farmers who come once a month in hiding in the sheep. They were informed of their whereabouts. They still claim between ten and 20 million CFA, “says a source. And indeed, the hostages’ families pay.

busines are juicy. The phenomenon has left the district of Belel to engulf other parts of the region. To date, only the department of Mayo Banyo is immune. Since early 2016, more than twenty people are held captive and ransom are claimed. Some were paid. Between July and December 2015, 56 cases of hostage with ransom demand 27 attacks of armed bands have been identified by the security services.

For the Lamido of Meiganga, connoisseur of the phenomenon, the misfortune of the region comes from its hospitality to refugees from CAR. He states that these refugees are not in camps. For various sources contacted, the kidnappers are Central Africans. In all cases, it is feared another source of instability in this part of Cameroon

© CAMERPOST by Ousmane Biri

To be continued tomorrow.

• Life in captivity
• Who is the target of kidnappers

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