Adamaoua: FCFA 500 mln ransom paid in 2015

The phenomenon of hostage taking was at its peak between July and December 2015 at Adamaoua.

L’Œil du Sahel reported on January 11, 2016, that the phenomenon can never be proportionate to five months.

This is because figures concerning the taking of hostages and ransoms paid between July and December 2015 are outrageous.

According to the Association for the Promotion of Livestock in the Sahel and Savannah (APESS), about “500 million CFA francs have been paid to kidnappers without counting the thousands of cattle herds washed away by the kidnappers or simply lost in nature."

A member of the association explained that “Soon, we will speak of a lack of food in the subregion. It is known to all today, that it is the cattle from Adamaoua that feed not only Cameroon but also the entire sub-region of Central Africa. We should add to this disaster, the psychological impact of the victims and especially their children. Currently, for example, families are fleeing the villages of the Martap sub-division for the city, and children attending these villages are unable to get enrolled in a school here in town."

This is the consequence of taking of hostages, which has now become a daily affair since July 2015. These are abductions which are always accompanied by ransom demands.

“The situation is very serious. We currently have farmers who have no shepherds, for they have abandoned the herds in the bush. Cattle are animals that must be guided daily. When abandoned for a week, for example, you will not find it again. Our executioners have modern weapons and harass us constantly on the phone. We have no protection," said another member of APESS.

If the phenomenon has grown so much momentum, it is partly because of reduced staff of the defense forces in Adamaoua, mobilized for war against Boko Haram.

In this regard, the newspaper wrote: “… the war against Boko Haram sucked forces towards the far north, depriving other regions, including that of Adamaoua, from the staff capable of offering a real security to people."