How the state of security affects pastoral work in Oku/ North West Cameroon.
The anglophone Region of Cameroon has been immersed in a civil war, known locally as “crisis”, since 2016. This war pits the separatists (Amba Boys) against the government. English-speaking Cameroon seeks independence from the central government. This has left many people dead and thousands displaced from their native homes. A situation that has forced many young people to live unbearable lifestyles. Some youths have gone off the rails while others are on drugs, thinking that they will forget their current situation through drug-induced wellbeing. Many young girls are victims of early pregnancies in search of a living. Some run away after giving birth and leaving their babies with their parents. To keep the youths engaged, we organise youth camps regularly and have tournaments of various games like: football, netball, cultural dances, and singing.
The situation seemed under control when I was appointed to Ibal/Jikijem in 2022 to work alongside Fr. Cyprian Taah, who started off a few years before my appointment. Towards the end of last year, Fr. Joseph Kindong was added to our team. But the state of security has sharply deteriorated with numerous shooting incidents that have left many injured and some people dead. This has come as a surprise since many Christians had thought that their prayers had been answered and that they were gaining the peace that they so ardently longed for. But unfortunately, the situation seems to have got out of hand again.
The above situation impacts heavily on the way we do our apostolate. The Oku area was initially a Baptist area. The presence of Fr. Gufler MHM and other Mill Hill missionaries introduced the Catholic presence in Oku. The place needs a lot of catechesis since most of our Christians are converts. Which means, we must be physically present in the mission stations for the sake of accompaniment. It is something we have done successfully until recent when at times we are forced to cancel some programmes with Christians because of security concerns. Our own security is also of considerable concern since we regularly meet up with unknown gunmen while going for Mass, meetings or catechesisi in the periphery of the parish. At times, we find lifeless bodies on our way to various activities. The situation is unpredictable and scary.
Since 20th of May the situation has not been stable and we rarely hear gunshots. Of recent, however, the shooting has restarted. The latest dreadful incident was the killing of a pupil who was sitting for the national exam in the neighbouring parish. He was shot alongside another pupil who survived but was badly injured. The two were shot by unknown gunmen. The series of such insecurity concerns makes it quite difficult to move around freely for pastoral activities. The intimidation and the scary treatment that we receive along the roads from unknown gunmen leave us with a perpetual high fever which is energy draining. We continue praying for peace and hoping that things may get better in the near future.
Fr. Jean-Louis Lekandome, MHM, Cameroon.
