A wounded Soldier Writes to Biya from Ambaland
A Cameroonian soldier penned an open letter to Mr Biya and the Minister of defense from the NOSO Frontline
To His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
To the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Defense,
Mr President, Mr Minister,
It is with the respect due to your rank, but with my throat tightened by fear and tears, that I write to you from the bushlands of the North-West and South-West regions. I write under the sound of gunfire, where death lurks every second, where the blood of my brothers-in-arms and that of my civilian compatriots is spilt on the same Cameroonian soil.
Today, I do not speak to you with the cold voice of a service matricule, but with the broken soul of a son of this nation who lives daily in hell.
The Reality of Our Hell
When I embraced the military profession, it was to defend the integrity of our territory, protect our borders, and make my family proud. But the reality of the Anglophone conflict is consuming us little by little.
The Invisible Fear
Every day, we walk with fear in our hearts, constantly watching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that have already chopped away the legs and lives of so many of my comrades.
Psychological Distress
Sleepless nights, hunger, mud, and the sight of Cameroon destroying itself have become our daily reality. We are exhausted, both physically and mentally.
The Human Tragedy
Behind every assault are Cameroonian families left grieving. Whether in uniform or civilians, they are our brothers, our sisters, our children who are falling.
The Illusion of a Military Solution
Mr President, Mr Minister, we hold our positions out of duty and discipline, but the truth on the ground is undeniable: this war will not be won through weapons.
Every village burned, every life cut short, only deepens hatred and prolongs this nightmare. We are not fighting a foreign invading enemy; we are tearing ourselves apart as children of the same nation.
“The true courage of a leader is not measured by the ability to prolong a war, but by the strength to order peace.”
A Heartfelt Appeal for Immediate Peace
In the name of all my comrades who have fallen in the line of duty, in the name of the widows and orphans that this crisis continues to create, I beg you: stop this war.
Order an immediate ceasefire to stop the bloodshed.
Prioritize sincere, inclusive, and lasting dialogue.
The solution is political. It is human. It lies in dialogue, not in bullets.
We swore to serve our country, not to watch it destroy itself in an endless war. Mr. President, Mr. Minister, hear the cry of distress from your soldiers who suffer in silence. Restore peace to the North-West and South-West. Allow us to return home alive, and allow Cameroon to once again become the haven of peace that we love so dearly.
With the desperate hope of a return to peace,
A Soldier of the Republic, Anonymous but Wounded in Spirit.
A wounded Soldier Writes to Biya from Ambaland
