Cameroon-Anglophone Crisis:Cameroonian Student Urges Belgian PM to Seize Nationality of Separatist Mark Bareta, Accused of Keeping Thousands of Children Out of School

In the letter, the student expresses his frustration over the fact that the Belgian government is tolerating someone who incites “violence encourages the chopping-off of hands and heads of teachers, students and other innocent citizens, sponsor terrorism, support burning of schools, hospitals with patients”, it says.

His frustration is expressed more as he asks the PM what the future holds for many of them who have been out of school due to the violence championed by Anglophone separatists living in the diaspora, especially Mark Bareta.

“ Education is a fundamental universal right for all children worldwide. They have been deprived of the right to education. One of the violators of this right is Mark Bareta. He is based in Antwerp, Belgium. Mark Bareta has been promoting the campaign against school resumption. Our peers in Akwaya, Ndop, Benakuma and other areas are fast becoming imposed illiterates caused by Mark Bareta.”, said the letter.

He further regrets the fact that despite an international warrant of arrest issued by the police against Mark Bareta, Belgium continues to protect him.

“The police has issued an international arrest warrant against him. Yet he lives and resides like a prince in Belgium…Mark Bareta has posted and keeps posting on social media and different media forums from Belgium inciting terrorism and violence  for school boycott in Cameroon Anglophone regions for the September 2019/2020 school year.”

The sociopolitical crisis in the Anglophone regions began in October 2016 and has since then being controlled by the diaspora, who dictate laws to fighters on the field. Mark Bareta is one of the activists, who has on being encouraging the violence. More than 4400 schools have been shut down in the North West and South West regions, due to continuous violence.

Victor Esso Tiki