During conflict in English-speaking region, Cameroon bishop cultivates peace
YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – As the raging separatist violence in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions continues, a remarkable story of resilience and hope is unfolding.
Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo Diocese in the North West region has been journeying with groups of young men, known as the “bike boys” – commercial motorbike riders – who are determined to build a better future for themselves without resorting to violence.
Kumbo has long been a flashpoint of separatist violence since segments of Cameroon’s English-speaking population began fighting in 2016 to break away and form a separate nation called Ambazonia.
The International Crisis Group reports that at least 6,000 people have been killed, and over a million have fled their homes due to the conflict.
Decades of perceived marginalization culminated in strikes by Anglophone lawyers and teachers in 2016, which were met with a hardline response from the government of the majority French-speaking country, turning peaceful protests into violent conflict.
“I’ve tried different ways to bring about peace in Kumbo,” the bishop told Crux. The latest approach is to empower communities with sustainable economic activities.
Nkuo said his first focus is commercial motor-bike riders known locally as “bike boys or Okada riders” – the same demographic from which most of the fighters are recruited.
He said many of the motorbike riders have constituted themselves into groups and unions.
“They have caught my attention,” Nkuo said.
“They are very hardworking young boys, very determined, and want to make a future for themselves in the middle of this crisis,” he said.
The first of these groups to approach the bishop came from the locality of Kai. Rather than seeking advice, they asked for financial support to invest in farming. They said they would farm beans and potatoes.
“I went to the Bank and took a loan of 5 million CFA (about $8,000). I paid the interest on the loan. I gave them the money and told them: go Cultivate your potatoes and beans, sell the produce and pay back the money. They did it and paid back in six months,” the bishop told Crux.
“They not only refunded the money but also demonstrated the potential of their initiative,” Nkuo added. He said the success story has spurred even more youth’s to come forward, as they seek to diversify the sources of their income.
“They don’t want to put their eggs in one basket. They want to do more things. And there is discipline, a sense of responsibility, and they want to make a future for themselves and their families,” he said.
“The ‘bike boys’ in Kumbo are rising up,” the bishop stated.
Inspired by the success of the Kai motorbike riders, Nkuo has been visiting other parishes in his diocese to replicate the experience.
During a November 31-December 1 visit to Elak Parish in neighboring Oku, the bishop met with commercial motor bike riders, giving them one message: They have to reject violence and elaborate projects that can result in a better life for them and their families.
“My experience with Okada riders in Kai moved me and changed my whole perspective and I have been working with them,” Nkuo told motor-bike riders in Oku.
“They are a very solid group, a very serious group, a very determined group, a disciplined and very responsible group because they are people who want to make a future for themselves,” he explained.
The bishop expressed admiration for the capacity of the Kai bike riders to manage meager resources in very difficult financial times.
“So I have to encourage them, to support them in my own little way – to open up doors for them so that they can do a lot more,” he said.
Nkuo said he was glad that the commercial motor bike riders in Oku were coming together in unions, and expressed the need to see in them the same seriousness, commitment, responsibility and accountability exhibited by their peers of Kai.
“I think you can make that difference,” the bishop said.
“Once you determine what you want to do, come and let’s talk. I will be part of the business. I want you to join us and make a difference, peacefully, and the future will be very bright,” he told his audience.
A strategy for peace
The Kumbo bishop says for now, he is working with young people who have said “no to violence” and who want to make it in life.
“In the middle of this crisis, these young people are saying no to violence. That’s what they’re telling me,” the bishop told Crux.
He said as the young people succeed, others have heard and want to be part of that success.
“I want to use them to see how peace can return. Maybe that’s my own way to bring about peace in these communities,” Nkuo told Crux.
He said he hopes to build on the changing dynamics on the ground. The bishop told Crux the destruction, the torture of people, and kidnappings for ransom that initially characterized the war have gradually given way to young people just mounting controls to beg for food.
“When you see these boys on the road, they are just hungry boys. And they’re not really sabotaging and terrorizing and kidnaping people. When they stand on the road, they’re only asking you to give them food,” he said.
Nkuo said by empowering the young people, they may eventually all leave the roads for the farms.
The bishop also emphasized the importance of collaboration with traditional leaders to achieve peace. During a Mass attended by the traditional leader of Oku, His Royal Majesty Fon Ngum IV, the bishop called for unity and collective efforts as they move into the Jubilee year 2025.
“Raise your hands,” the bishop told his congregation.
“We are asking God to bless our Fon for the work he is doing for us,” he said.
Fon Ngum IV pledged to govern his people in the way of the Lord, urging continuous efforts from religious and traditional leaders to restore peace.
“We really need peace because without it, we wouldn’t be happily sitting in Church here today,” he remarked.
As the community strives for peace, Nkuo’s initiative with motorbike riders stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that even amidst conflict, resilience and unity can pave the way for a brighter future.