October 7 Election Aftermath. Armed Secessionists Kill Two in Kumba for Voting
Presidential elections of Sunday October 7 took place hitch-free across Cameroon including the two English –speaking regions where the Ambazonia secessionist fighters vowed to perturb polling activities. However, two young Cameroonians were cruelly murdered days after for exercising their civic responsibilities.
Shawn-Nathan EPANG
Emmanuel Akateh (a young taxi driver) in Kumba and Gilbert Ngoh went to the polls in Kumba on October 7, 2018 like the other 6.5 million Cameroonians to decide the future of their country by voting a new president. They happily voted in their respective polling stations and were anxiously looking forward to the Constitutional Council to publish the results of the Sunday’s general election to see if their candidates emerged victorious or not. These two Cameroonians living in Kumba, Meme Division of Cameroon will never get to know if the choices they made won or lost the October 7 polls as they were brutally murdered by armed Ambazonia secessionist on October 10, few days after the election.
Emmanuel Akateh, a taxi driver resident in Kang Barombi in Kumba III sub-division was discovered dead on October 10, killed by separatist fighters for taking part in the presidential election. The same fate hunted Gilbert Ngoh, a native of Barombi Kang in the same Kumba III sub-division also murdered by the same armed group. Their only crime being that they exercised their civic responsibility by voting on October 7 for the candidate of their choice during the presidential election.
It should be noted that prior to the elections, the so called Ambazonia terrorist gangs had been pouring out threats on social media warning residents of the North West and South West Region to boycott the election. They also threatened that they will multiply attacks to prevent the holding of election in the restive Anglophone regions. Despite their threats, elections took place in all parts of the two regions with security tightened to protect citizens and the voting process.
Both national and international observers as well as the administration and the elections management body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) have all affirmed I various press outings that the election was hitch-free in the entire territory. It was only days after casting their votes, that the two young Cameroonians were assassinated by the separatist assassins who are still nursing illusions on separating the two English-speaking regions from the rest of the country against the wish of majority of Cameroonians who see the unity in diversity and the living together promoted by President Paul Biya as an asset for a solidified and progressive Cameroon.
President Paul Biya after casting his votes on October 7, praised Cameroonians for their maturity and responsibility while exercising their civic responsibility for a better Cameroon.
