Witnesses say Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria

 By AFP, July 8, 2014

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured," during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria - witnesses

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured,"

By AFP, July 8, 2014

 during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

- See more at: http://cameroonjournal.com/Suspected%20Boko%20Haram.html#sthash.DBv8jqiw.dpuf

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria - witnesses

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured,"

By AFP, July 8, 2014

 during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

- See more at: http://cameroonjournal.com/Suspected%20Boko%20Haram.html#sthash.DBv8jqiw.dpuf

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria - witnesses

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured,"

By AFP, July 8, 2014

 during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

- See more at: http://cameroonjournal.com/Suspected%20Boko%20Haram.html#sthash.DBv8jqiw.dpuf

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria - witnesses

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured,"

By AFP, July 8, 2014

 during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

- See more at: http://cameroonjournal.com/Suspected%20Boko%20Haram.html#sthash.DBv8jqiw.dpuf

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 near border with Cameroon and Nigeria - witnesses

Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday. The gunmen, five of whom were also killed, razed a police station and a military camp during the late Sunday attack in the restive region, which has been among the hardest hit areas during Boko Haram's five-year uprising.

"The gunmen split into three groups and launched simultaneous attacks on the military camp, the police station and other buildings in the village," said Abor Grema, a resident of the targeted Krenuwa village in Marte district.

Marte was one of the areas in Borno state where Boko Haram chased out the government last year, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the region while launching a military offensive to crush the uprising.

Six residents were shot dead during Sunday's raid, while a member of a local vigilante force which has formed to help the military was also killed, said Grema.

His account was supported by other witnesses including Musa Bulama, who said the gunmen torched homes, a police station, a military camp, homes and shops. "Five of (the Islamists) were killed and five others were captured,"

By AFP, July 8, 2014

 during fierce gun battles that followed the raid, according to Bulama.

A vigilante was "dragged from his home and slaughtered... on the streets" by extremists who returned to Krenuwa later in the night to seek revenge against locals who had fought with the military. Police and military spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the attack.

Escalating violence along the border and Boko Haram attacks within Cameroon have led to calls for a more coordinated regional effort against the insurgents.

Nigeria has long said that Boko Haram fighters flee across Cameroon's porous borders to evade capture after carrying out attacks. The latest unrest in the region came after the escape of 63 women and girls kidnapped by the Islamists in June in Damboa, reportedly while their captors were battling the security forces.

The military claimed that it killed 53 Islamist rebels during the Friday clashes. The 219 girls seized by Boko Haram from a secondary school in April are still missing,

AFP reports.

- See more at: http://cameroonjournal.com/Suspected%20Boko%20Haram.html#sthash.DBv8jqiw.dpuf

Editorial:Indigenise appointment of governors

The last minor shake-up in the appointment of governors and the shape this exercise has taken is a welcome development but for the purpose for which it was deemed necessary. In this shake-up we noticed that the governors of the Far North and North regions are now indigenes of the respective areas

As it is usually the case, no reason was given for this exchange of regions, but the guess cannot be far from the truth, that with the rising threat of Islamic extremism in those regions, which has provoked a mass mobilization of troops in that part of the country, it needed indigenes of the area to supervise this security operation.
Otherwise, we do not see any urgent call for such a change.
Nonetheless, since the security of our territory and its people is paramount and if it is the wisdom of government that an indigene will take the task as a personal challenge, all that Cameroonians need to do is to add their blessings to his assignment, knowing very well that he is there first, in the interest of his kith and Kin of the region and the country Cameroon at large.
This mission obviously places the new governors in a position where compromises become sacrilegious. After all, it is their indigenous regions, the land of their birth, a pride they must defend at all cost.
While we appreciate all this in good faith, there is another broader dimension to this development. We think there is a moral lesson to learn from this appointment of indigenous governors to administratively supervise the management of affairs in the area from which they hail.
This is stated with every authority drawn from the aphorism that, all wealth, all wisdom, all virtue is held in trust for the community to which the individual belongs, and that, to acquire their value, they must be ploughed back to the same community.
An indigene therefore owes his community this debt of serving his people with every available zeal in him.
Experience has shown that the present system where governors, or even SDOs are appointed to areas not of their own origin have usually acted like rulers of conquered territories, knowing that they have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.
Firstly, they are answerable to no one in the region or division they rule. They are answerable, according to their self-esteem only to the authority above that has put them there and that any time that there is a shake-up they simply leave with impunity.
In short, their assignments in most places have proven to be counter-productive.
It is therefore a better option for government to embark on a policy of appointing governors and other senior administrators to areas of their origin as a kind of balancing act.
It is certain that such an appointed administrator will feel guilty among his own people if he acts outside the rules or in most cases where he behaves like a tyrant.
As our democracy advances at a steady pace, it is necessary we start drumming the beats of a solid landing on the shores of our dream land.
These beats are certainly advocating for a review of the constitution to include the election of regional governors. This is a veritable option for genuine development of our various regions. The bottom line for now is the indigenization of the appointments of governors until such a time that the Cameroonian will be offered the opportunity to elect his own governor.

culled from The Sun Cameroon, first published in The Sun Newspaper No. 269

“We’re Muslims, not Boko Haram”

Cameroon Headlines, Buea, June 23 - Muslim faithful in the South West Region have said they are being stigmatised by members of the public as being members of the dreaded extremist sect, Boko Haram. They say being a Muslim does not automatically make you a member of the sect.

The said they are in support of Boko Halal (western education is good) and not Boko Haram (western Education is evil).

South West Muslim Community

Meeting in Buea during a conference organised by the South West Muslim Community (SOWEMUC), Sunday, June 22, at the Buea Youth and Animation Center, they can never sympathise with Boko Haram.

“We’re Muslims and not members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. We the leaders of the South West Muslim Community join forces with the government to denounce all obscurantist practices carried out in the name of Islam,” they declared.

Declaration No. 001/SOWEMUC/SWR/2014 expresses the wish of Muslim faithful in the South West to collaborate with the administration and forces of law and order as ways are being sought to crush the terrorist movement.

“We are here today to declare or support to the Head of S to the Head of State, H.E. President Paul Biya against this group. We shall not allow any room, in our region for this group. We assure the President of the Republic that  the creed in Islam is the quest for Knowledge, Justice, Progress, Peacee and Development,” the declaration reads in part.

It further states that “we should promote ‘Boko Halal’ which in Hausa means that education is allowed as quoted in the Quran and the teachings of our Prophet Mohammed.”

They reminded Muslim faithful that Prophet Mohammed calls on them to “seek knowledge, any knowledge for both boys and girls even if it will take you to far away China.”

El Hadj Mohaman Nayelwa, President of SOWEMUC said Boko Haram is not Islam because Islam is synonymous to peace. He said Islam is about peace and unity and since Boko Haram threatens the peace of the nation, it is thus a big enemy.

“I want to plead with you to preach the message of unity, peace, development and solidarity. We are  a week to Ramadan and should remain vigilant,” Nayelwa said.

Haman Dahirou, Inspector General of Services at the South West Governor’s Office urged the Muslim community to stand against the infiltration of Boko Haram, assuring them that government is on the alert.

Rev. Pastor William Linonge said on the occasion that Boko Haram militants, when unveiled, will be crucified among lions and they will be crushed through prayers and fasting.

The declaration was signed among others by: El Hadj Mohaman Nayelwa, SOWEMUC President; El Hadj Ousseini Adamou Labbo, President of the Council of Muslim Chiefs for Littoral and South West; Imam Mohamed Aboubakar, SOWEMUC Secretary General; Maina Tanimou Salissou, SOWEMUC Youth President; El Hadj Moussa Aboubakar, South West President of the Bororo Social, Cultural and Development Association; Chief Sule Mbua, Chief of Buea Muslim Community and Organising Secretary SOWEMUC; El Hadj Adamou Maina, South West Chief of Elders; El Hadj Mohamed Adamou Ouba, SOWEMUC Vice President and Chief of Kumba Muslim Community; Amadou Mussande, Chief of Bamoun Community in Limbe and Hadja Fhadimatou Nayelwa, President of Moslem Women Association in Limbe.

It was signed in the presence of Chief Endeley, Paramount Chief of Buea.

The conference was held under the theme: “Peace and Unity as Factor of Development”.