Urgent: 12 'Dying' Southern Cameroonians in SED ‘Bunker,’ Yaoundé, Announce Hunger Strike for August 7

Geo Tang: Prior to His Arrest 

A video circulating on social media since this August 5 2017 has revealed the detention conditions of some Southern Cameroonians who might be dying slowly under a bunker at the Secretariat D’Etat au Ministere de La Defence , en Charge de la Gendarmerie, better known as SED.   Those detained are Southern Cameroonians, some of them known for standing up against what they consider injustice in the past.

George Mfor Tang, popularly known as Geo Tang, abducted in Limbe on July 4 2017, appears in the video. Family members indicated that they could not tell his whereabouts at the time of filing in this report. Bertin Kisob, son of retired colonel Kisob, well known in Bamenda in the North West of Cameroon is also among those detained. Nothing had filtered about his arrest until the leaked video.

The other detainees who appear in the video include Ayuk Otu Ayuk, Fonyuh Terence, Tangem Thomas, Fabiano Deco, Angwan Benson, Tabe Edward, Kechawa Sylva,Vinvent Bosi and Balla Marvin. But for Geo Tang, the date of the arrests of all the other detainees is not known.

“Look at our condition of detention in this bunker. This is the worst bunker you can imagine. That could give us cancer in less than six months. In fact if you look at our toilet you will pity us. There is no window. Just look at the terrible conditions. No lights, no water. Just imagine the conditions LR government is putting us Southern Cameroonians .It is terrible. Even animals are better,” One of the detainees Asaah Patrick Ndango is heard explaining in the four minute video. 

He said some of them have been held in that bunker for six months now and raised concerns about the fate of others held in hidden cells. 

Unconfirmed   reports say, Barrister Balla, Dr Fontem and Mancho Bibixy, among other detainees presently in Kondengui and Yaoundé Principal Prisons passed through this particular underground cell.

Some of the detainees have grown beards, others were weeping while some looked very determined.  “If dying is the price that we must pay to guarantee our freedom and to reestablish the independence of our country it is a price worth paying.  Do not be afraid. Fear will kill you faster than any bullet. We are beginning an indefinite hunger strike on Monday 7(August) even if it means it has to claim us. We are prepared for the ultimate sacrifice,” said Asaah Patrick said before the detainees could each take turns to present themselves. 

Others arrested are detained here

Attempts at getting Yaoundé authorities react to the video were futile. Most of the officials contacted, declined making any statement and did not even want their names mentioned. A security source hinted: 

“They are seriously searching for the person who gave a phone to the detainees.  Our Southern Cameroons brothers working at SED are being looked at with suspicion.”

This leaked video raises several questions about the detention facilities in Cameroon and the exact number of Southern Cameroonians arrested in connection with the crisis.