The Illusion of Liberation: Ten Years of Violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions
As the tenth anniversary of the 2016 anglophone protests passes, top military strategist Cyrille Atonfack Guemo delivers a scathing indictment of armed separatist groups. He accuses them of hijacking genuine grassroots demands to serve predatory ambitions, exposing what he calls an “imposture” that has left civilians trapped in a cycle of violence and deprivation.
What began as a call for educational and legal reforms in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions has mutated into a decade-long conflict fueled by well-organized armed factions. Atonfack Guemo, head of Defense Ministry Communications, argues that the spontaneous nature of the movement was a carefully constructed myth.
In his editorial titled “October 2016 – October 2026: Cameroon’s Steadfast Security Resilience”, he challenges the narrative of an organic uprising. According to his assessment, behind the separatist facade lies a meticulously planned insurgency requiring extensive preparation, financial networks, and military-grade training.
From Protest to Predation: The True Cost of Armed Separatism
The transition from peaceful demonstrations to armed rebellion, he contends, was never accidental. The coordination of attacks across distant zones, the execution of abductions for ransom, and the systematic destruction of infrastructure all point to a conflict orchestrated by seasoned operators rather than ordinary citizens.
- Structured violence: The use of firearms by coordinated groups contradicts claims of spontaneity.
- Financial motives: Ransom demands and looting have replaced any genuine political agenda.
- Social destruction: Hospitals burned, schools closed, and healthcare workers targeted have crippled public services.
- Prohibiting civilian activities under threat of violence?
- Blockading access to healthcare and education?
- Forcing families into exile to beg for food in distant camps?
- Subjecting women and girls to systematic sexual violence?
The result? Millions displaced, families shattered, and entire communities left without livelihoods or hope.
Liberation or Exploitation? The Contradictions of Separatist Narratives
Atonfack Guemo dismantles the separatist claim that they fight for freedom and prosperity. If their goal were truly emancipatory, how could they justify:
The so-called liberators, he argues, have brought only destitution. Instead of building schools or hospitals, they loot homes and burn clinics. Women once self-reliant now face slavery-like conditions. Children robbed of schooling are left in the dark.
Even the right to dissent is denied. Those who call for peace or constitutional order are targeted for assassination. Free speech, when it challenges the separatist narrative, becomes a death sentence.
Who Really Benefits? The Hypocrisy of Separatist Leaders
Atonfack Guemo turns his scrutiny toward the diaspora financiers. He asks: if these individuals truly cared for their people, why fund armies instead of hospitals, schools, or businesses?
The answer, he suggests, lies in the lavish lifestyles led abroad—private schools, opulent homes, and legal security—contrasted with the devastation left behind. These are not freedom fighters, but aspiring warlords seeking power over lawless territories.
“Look at the signs,” he writes. “Opulent life abroad while our people starve. The truth? They are not liberators—they are predators.”
A Call for Vigilance and National Unity
As Cameroon marks a decade of conflict, Atonfack Guemo urges citizens to see through the deception. The separatists’ promise of independence rings hollow when their methods enslave rather than liberate.
“Stay vigilant,” he concludes. “Remain patriots. Love Cameroon—truly.”