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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| 'Two shot' in Cameroon taxi riot | 'Two shot' in Cameroon taxi riot |
| (5 days later) | |
| Police have shot dead at least two motorcycle taxi-drivers at a protest against police abuses in north-west Cameroon, local residents say. | Police have shot dead at least two motorcycle taxi-drivers at a protest against police abuses in north-west Cameroon, local residents say. |
| Drivers had invaded the centre of the town of Bamenda to protest at the alleged severe beating of a colleague detained at a police checkpoint. | Drivers had invaded the centre of the town of Bamenda to protest at the alleged severe beating of a colleague detained at a police checkpoint. |
| When police tried to clear away the demonstrators' barricades, stones were thrown and police replied with gunfire. | When police tried to clear away the demonstrators' barricades, stones were thrown and police replied with gunfire. |
| Thousands joined the protest to demand an end to extortion, witnesses say. | Thousands joined the protest to demand an end to extortion, witnesses say. |
| A pregnant woman was also wounded in the shooting and some reports say three taxi-drivers were killed. | A pregnant woman was also wounded in the shooting and some reports say three taxi-drivers were killed. |
| A 'popular upheaval' | A 'popular upheaval' |
| The protests began on Tuesday morning after the detention of a driver on Monday at a checkpoint where he was reportedly stopped for not having the right papers. | The protests began on Tuesday morning after the detention of a driver on Monday at a checkpoint where he was reportedly stopped for not having the right papers. |
| It seems the people want the police to pay for the killings an aide to the governor of North-West Province, speaking on condition of anonymity | It seems the people want the police to pay for the killings an aide to the governor of North-West Province, speaking on condition of anonymity |
| "He was thoroughly beaten until he lost consciousness and one of his eyes," one Bamenda resident, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. | "He was thoroughly beaten until he lost consciousness and one of his eyes," one Bamenda resident, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. |
| "His colleagues went to the police station to seek his release but the police used tear gas to chase them away. | "His colleagues went to the police station to seek his release but the police used tear gas to chase them away. |
| "They then invaded the town, mounting roadblocks and blocking the traffic. When the security forces came out to lift the roadblocks, they threw stones at them and the police fired at them in retaliation." | "They then invaded the town, mounting roadblocks and blocking the traffic. When the security forces came out to lift the roadblocks, they threw stones at them and the police fired at them in retaliation." |
| An aide to the governor of North-West Province, who asked not to be named, confirmed there had been a "popular upheaval downtown" but could not confirm the deaths. | An aide to the governor of North-West Province, who asked not to be named, confirmed there had been a "popular upheaval downtown" but could not confirm the deaths. |
| "The situation is very tense here now," the aide added, requesting anonymity. | "The situation is very tense here now," the aide added, requesting anonymity. |
| "It seems the people want the police to pay for the killings." | "It seems the people want the police to pay for the killings." |
| A local journalist told AFP news agency that passions among drivers were high because police harassment of taxi-drivers had been growing in recent days. | A local journalist told AFP news agency that passions among drivers were high because police harassment of taxi-drivers had been growing in recent days. |
| The drivers are known locally as benskinners because passengers have to "bend their skin" to climb on to the motorcycles. | The drivers are known locally as benskinners because passengers have to "bend their skin" to climb on to the motorcycles. |
Are | Your comments |
| I was called yesterday by the Southern Cameroons National Council¿s (SCNC) head office and told of this gruesome act by the Cameroun police. I am not the least surprise by this shooting. There are two types of Cameroonians. One with a more precious blood; the French Cameroun and another with a less and inferior blood the English Cameroon. When students were killed in the University of Buea last year for asking better educational condition the SCNC in Belgium demonstrated and petitioned the International Community of the inferior standards of English speaking Cameroonians in this Union. This Time around the always trigger happy security elements of Cameroun have done what they know how to do best; Shot to kill if bribe is not given. After-all, all English Cameroonians are second class citizensMorfaw Rene, Brussels Belgium | |
| What has happened in Bamenda is not very strange. Every now and then, when a citizen or citizens want to defend themselves or thier rights, they either end up dead, wounded or being locked up by the police who have the arms and most often it all stems from corruption when a citizen does not want to give a bribe. A similar situation as the one in Bamenda happened last weekend in the University Town of Soa some Kilometers from the capital city Yaounde where a citizen was killed by a Gendarme (paramilitary police) and this led to riots as there were road blocks, blocking the road from yaounde to Soa. This country really needs change . Bongsha Steve, Yaounde , Cameroon | |
| I am severely disturbed by the latest sad events in Bamenda. For several years now, residents of this city have been living in total fear and insecurity due to the upsurge in criminal practices. In Bamenda, you dare not go out of the house or return home after 8 pm, else you become a victim of armed bandits. Instead of fighting crime in the city, the forces of law and order prefer to spend several hours on the roadside preying on poor taxi-drivers/riders who are simply trying to eek a living. There is evidence that the police service is Cameroon has been distinquishing itself as the most corrupt sector. Cameroonians cannot continue to rely on the state for protection. They have understood this and that is why there is a proliferation of mob justice in major cities in Cameroon. This, too, has created other human security dilemmas. Yet, the rulers of this country are always quick to declare that Cameroon is an island of peace in turbulent sub-region. Since 1990, the city of Bamenda has been at the forefront of the fight for freedoms and for that it has paid a heavy price. Walters Samah, Yaounde, Cameroon | |
| Talking about lawlessnes and constitution. How many countrues on earth are governed by two constitutions?, I think the answer is one, Cameroon. The actor decides which constitution to use. Nonetheless, both constitutions favour the ruling party. Its a shame politicians ro administrators can not learn. Why can some sensible politician, govenrment miniter or governor not use this situation to theur advantage? Set the ball rolling. do the correct thing for once so people can feel safe and like humans again? This is not the first incident in Bamenda and Cameroon in general. I remember nthe early 90s when the election saga got to its heights. We could not go to school, you had to buy a red card to be able to travel across town. My family lived near the governor's residence in Douala, and this was not the safest loccation, baring in mind there was a petrol station acors the road that had been raided by rioters. People should wake up, take action against guilty parties and make the! se actions known to the public. I dont think Bamenda will have any better news than knowing the officer(s) who shot on these bendskiners are brough to Justice. Freedom of speech is dead. On the other hnd (and eventhough it is not easy) these bendskiners and drivers should try their utmost best to have complee documents. They on oe side encourage the offeicers to demand bribe. In many cases, these bendskiners offer the bribe so as to make a safe passage. We should not encourage these practices. I was faced with a similar situation when i arrived at Douala airport and the customs officer asked for bribe, which i refused to give, saying, "I would rather pay these charges and get a receipt that give you a quarter of what u have demanded" he felt insulted and called me "badluck pikin" (pekin= Child). but this made me feel so good about myself because change starts from somewhere and if people come together and decide to stop this, then the country will probably move forward.ndip arrey, Aberdeen, Scotland | |
| Is this history repeating itself? Remember the 1984 burning of the GMI police station in Bamenda by youth due to unnecessary police brutality? How often will we go though the same thing over and over? I'm not saying that police shouldn't do their job if someone were operating illegally, but hey what's this about beating and torturing and killing of tax payers? Dear policeman where do you think your training, uniform, gun and salary come from? Sadly nothing is going to be done by the lethargic authorities... Nji Ateghang, Edison, USA | |
| This situation is particularly disturbing. I do not understand why there is so much lawlessness in Cameroon... There is no such thing as freedom of speech or human rights in Cameroon. I am not sure why policemen who should protect the citizenery would resolve to beating and ruthlessly killing innocent unarmed civilians. Bribery and curruption has eaten extensively deep into the core of Cameroonian society. Police officers are particularly notorious for taking bribes and would care less if a motorist has the right documents. Sometimes those hard core criminal officers will tell you that they do not eat papers, they need money. It is that simple. In a situation where a taxi driver or motocycle taxi rider (Bendskin) refuses to give money because he has the right documents, upset police officers merely detain the individual without cause and this person might just well rot in jail. It is hard to deal with curruption in Cameroon given the present government in place. In my opinion, a good constitution, I mean a revised constitution void of all pro CPDM clauses would realy set the tone for a new Cameroon where there will be accountability in every corner of the civil service. Cameroon is realy in ruins like a car running on its reserve tank and just waiting for a total breakdown. I have faced similar situations, though not as a driver but as a passenger being delayed and almost locked up because I dared to speak out against the bad practice.Lucas Chibong, Bamenda Cameroon | |
| I find this appauling. Something should be done about this. What gives an officer the right to shoot at unarmed civilians? The fact is that most of these bendskiners have no papers and the police use them as some form of income, becaue they claim they are not well paid. point taken, but does this make the innocent civlian at fault for not having papers? and if for any reason this bendskinner went out of line, gives them no right to lay their hands on him/them. Or where they acting on orders from the Boss?... And if this is not the case, Shoudl the Governor get involved to stop this violence and eventual upheavals. WE have to bare in mind, that a good number of these people are poor and live on close to nothing. They are wounded and incidents like this do not make it any better. The guilty parties should be dealt with accordingly. Its such a shame this country has specifically decided to move backwards. What has happened to human rights? or at least respect for one another, respect for human life and dignity?ndip arrey, Aberdeen, Scotland |