North West Region: Bangolan at risk of starvation as separatist lockdowns imperil agric sector

By Prince Mundi Tanda, Guest Writer

Bangolan, one of four villages that make up Babessi Subdivision of the Ngoketunjia Division in the crisis-plagued North West Region of Cameroon is grappling with a difficult agricultural season due to prolonged lockdowns imposed by separatist fighters. The lockdowns, which took place in August, coincided with the crucial farming period when mostly agrarian villagers were preparing to begin weeding their crops.

Faced with intimidation, blackmail, and death, the villagers were to limit their movements leaving their farmlands and crops competing with weed. Now, with overgrown grass choking their fields and a shortage of fertilizers and farming subsidies, many say food production will be severely impacted, which could lead to starvation.

The two-week lockdown imposed on the village in early August followed the killing of three suspected Ambazonia separatist fighters. During the lockdown period, the entire population of the village was confined to their homes with all activities including economic and agricultural in limbo. Proponents of the lockdown said it was a collective punishment for the community who they suspected collaborated with security forces to kill some of their comrades-in-arms.

When the lockdown was lifted in late August, farmers returned to their fields only to find their crops failing. Grace Mbiponyui, a resident of the Makulung neighborhood, expressed concerns about her family’s survival. “We could starve this year due to poor harvest. We couldn’t effectively work on our farms because of the  lockdown imposed on us. I am tired of this situation and contemplating of relocating to other safer regions of the country” she lamented.

Mbiponyui is not alone—many families are struggling to recover from the harsh impact of the enforced halt to their livelihoods. Besides, community members have also faced challenges accessing markets while those who have attempted economic activities have beared the brunt. To enforce their restriction call, armed separatist fighters have burnt several shops and commercial motorbikes, targeting those who defied the lockdown to earn a living. Among the victims is Pah Emmanuel Ngantcho, whose shop was destroyed. Ngantcho has previously endured multiple kidnappings only being released after paying huge amounts as ransoms.

The separatist fighters have further compounded the economic hardship by reportedly demanding financial contributions from the villagers to cover the burial expenses of their fallen comrades. According to on-the-ground sources, they have taxed FCFA 10k and 5k each fore men and women of the village respectively. This has added the burden of the people who are already severely weighed by the lack of income and poor harvests. They are now crying out for relief.

Bangolan’s fertile land, known for producing crops such as corn, groundnuts, rice, beans, and potatoes, now lies fallow. Mama Salamatou, a local farmer, disclosed that her groundnut crops had rotted in the field, leaving her unable to pay her children’s school fees. “My children are studying in Yaoundé, but I don’t know how we will manage with the way things are going. All my groundnut is bad because I couldn’t work to weed the grass due to the lockdown” she said, blaming the ongoing armed conflict in the English speaking regions of the country for the village’s economic decline.

The village of about 21,000 inhabitants has faced multiple crises since 2015, beginning with a violent chieftaincy dispute that claimed lives and displaced many residents. The ongoing armed conflict has only worsened the situation, crippling the village’s economy and leaving its people in a worrying state of despair. As the people of Bangolan continue to suffer the second  lockdown this September, aimed at preventing children from returning to school, their pleas for government intervention has grown louder. The villagers are calling on both the government and separatist fighters to end the cycle of violence and allow the community members to rebuild their lives. “We just want to breathe, and live our lives like before,’’ said Ndi Bashirou, a resident, echoing the sentiments of many who long for peace and stability in a region torn apart by conflict.

With the village’s agricultural productivity dwindling and the ongoing economic hardship, the people of Bangolan face an uncertain future unless immediate action is taken to resolve the conflict and end the crippling lockdowns.

*Prince Mundi Tanda is a journalist, news presenter and reporter with Vision 4 television in Yaounde.

This report was first published in NewsWatch newspaper No 186 of Wednesday, September 25, 2024.