Exhumed remains of researchers burnt alive prepared for proper burial

Mounsi Frédéric, Dr Bello Bienvenu, two researchers working on an agricultural project, with their guide Oumarou Dakalay, were brutally killed by panicked locals who were misinformed in the Soulédé-Roua locality of the Far North region on March 2. The three men were mistaken for members of Boko Haram, a terrorist group active in the region, before facing mass beating and burnt alive. Their bodies, initially buried in a mass grave by the local authorities, have now been exhumed and handed over to their families. Forensic pathologist Paul Essama explained that the exhumation was aimed at formally identifying the victims in order to organise a dignified funeral.

The bereaved families, devastated by this tragedy, are demanding justice and denouncing the inaction of the local authorities. According to some sources, the families are requesting that the authorities give them a proper burial conferring on them the honour they deserve.The scientific community, in a state of shock, is calling for reinforced security measures for researchers working in high-risk areas.

The Cameroonian authorities, under pressure, have promised a thorough investigation, and to this day 21 people connected to their deaths have been arrested and are currently in custody.