Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
Reverend Father Ndong Bonaventure, a priest from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda, was freed on Thursday, December 19, 2024, after being kidnapped by armed individuals in the Meta neighborhood, according to Lebledparle.com.
The reasons behind his kidnapping remains unclear, and no group has taken responsibility for the act. However, attacks on the Catholic Church have surged in recent years in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, which are caught up in an armed separatist conflict. Separatists are frequently blamed for these abductions, which are often aimed at securing ransom or pressuring the government.
The kidnapping and release of Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, as well as the abduction of five Catholic priests, three Christians, and one nun from the Mamfe diocese in 2022, underscore the vulnerability of clergy members in the region. The targeted killing of Reverend Father Alexander Sob in 2018 left a significant impact.
Despite these attacks, the Roman Catholic Church continues to call for peace and dialogue between the separatists and the Cameroonian government. Church leaders, including Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Bamenda, have strongly criticized the government’s violent response to the conflict while condemning the actions of the separatists.
Despite calls for international mediation and a constant military presence on the ground, the security situation in the English-speaking regions remains unstable. With the 2025 presidential elections on the horizon, the resolution of the separatist conflict remains unresolved.
