General Agha who has led the ruthless war against Ambazonia fighters is now head of the 3rd Combined Military Region with head quarters in Garoua.
He leaves behind a curious legacy. Under him serious attrocities by his men were rocorded across the region. Hundreds of thousands are now displaced, thousands of homes burnt, thousands killed, villages razed.
Under him, hundreds were arrested and parceled to Yaounde or even Bafoussam, some disappeared, whole villages raided with homes and food barns burnt.
Yet he will also be remembered for seriously depleting the Ambazonia forces’ abilities and size with many of them fleeing, shot dead, arrested or disappeared. There were also credible but shocking reports of extrajudicial killings. Ask the people of Wum town and you will be overwhelmed.
He also built a good network of informants from all walks of life including journalists
who pointed out Amba agents or tgeir hideouts for arrests or outright “neutralisation”. Remember the catch phrase of big government people like Paul Atanga Nji his friend the Northwest regional governor Lele Lafrique as they frequently declared that the “terrorists will be neutralised.” And there was no observable limits to the lengths at which the military would go to neutralise their targets.
Well, behold, this is war. And everything goes.
Allegations were also leveled at him about his magnificent house constructed at Up Station Bamenda during this crisis period. The way tongues are wagging one would assume the general must be aware.
Agha was a very jovial man who mixed well with open minded people. Many called him a good man. But Ambazonia diasporans are rather preparing a menu of court cases against him at the international scene.
Yet, some of the horrendous exceses were carried out by overzealous rank and file soldiers. But uneasy lies the cap on general She’s head.
Well, when need be, the general has often appealed to the Amba Boys to abandon the bushes and pass safely to the DDR centres for rehabilitation. Foer those to slow to respond, well, the bullets has been cutting them down slowly but steadily.
And not even the people of general Agha’s native home have enjoyed any privileges in the face of military raids. Just last week, the Amba men ambushed a military convoy escorting the SDO for Menchum. He was on a mission to commission the new district officer for Benakuma. One soldier was killed and several others wounded. It was too sour a sendoff from his own home.
Garoua and the North Region is a peaceful place, perhaps ideal for a man who has grappled with three years of blood, brimstone and fire. May he rest his head well.