He was speaking in Bafut Friday, May 1, 2020 following a fact-finding mission to the Fon’s Palace. Brigadier General Nka was accompanied by Brigadier General Ekongwese Divine Nnoko, Commander of the 5^th Gendarmerie Region.

“I heard on social media just like you that soldiers had burnt portions of the Bafut Palace. You, men and women of the media, can see for yourselves that there was no attack on the Bafut Palace,” said Nka. He said soldiers are doing all to secure lives and property.

The military chiefs in the North West region were in Bafut at the end of a six-day military operation that led to the destruction of camps run by armed separatists. The commander of the special operation, Colonel Matiang Charles Alain and his no fewer than 300 elements drawn from other detachments of the military including the 501 Air Force Base and the Motorized Infantry Brigade, swept through Bafut for six days from the night of Saturday, April 25, 2020.

From Sop, Mankwi, to Manka Nikong through to Nsani and then Agyati and beyond, the defence forces “neutralised” scores of separatist fights including the notorious “general” Alhadji and “general” Peace Plant. Open sources suggest at least 53 separatists were killed in the operation. Separatist general Alhadji is known to have masterminded the kidnapping on November 5, 2018 of 79 students, the principal and three staff members from the Presbyterian Secondary School (PSS) Nkwen.

Operation Free Bafut also led to the recovery of the Saddle Hill Ranch, a luxury hotel resort that had been transformed into an operational base for armed separatist fighters grouped under the name “Bafut Seven Katta Defense Force”. Assorted weaponry was also recovered along with motorbikes, a Toyota Fortuner SUV and two horses.

Cameroon-Info.Net recalls that in September 2019, news made rounds to the effect that the military had burnt down part of the Bafut Fon’s palace and molested queens and princesses during an operation. Brigadier General Nka Valère has now denied the claims.

Hon. Fusi Naamukong, Member of Parliament for Bafut/Tubah at the time wrote to the President of the Republic decrying the excesses of elements of the defence and security forces he accused of invading the Bafut Palace and villages in the Bafut Fondom.

In the letter dated September 25, 2019, the Parliamentarian addressed himself to the Head of State on the “Desecration of the Bafut Palace and Villages in Bafut Fondom.”

The MP said he had been “reliably informed by senior elites of his constituency that elements of the Cameroon military invaded the Bafut Palace on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.” He wondered why such a thing will be happening when the Head of State is making efforts to bring lasting peace and national cohesion with a call to dialogue.

“The invasion is happening for the second time and saw the military shattering eight houses belonging to queen mothers’, looting property, shattering three ancestral shrine houses, looting its content, shattering the two doors of the museum and carrying away artefacts. One of the Fon’s guards, a 56-year-old prince who is a father of six children was shot, the queen mothers, prince and princesses were molested,” said Hon. Fusi Naamukong, voted out of parliament last March 22.

The representative of the people at the time added that since the convening of the Major National Dialogue, many villages in Bafut Subdivision had been attacked by the military with many houses destroyed, property looted and innocent civilians killed.

“This diabolic action has left the entire population devastated, with many forced to flee into the bushes for safety. The whereabouts of His Majesty the Fon of Bafut is unknown, leaving the entire population of Bafut Subdivision in panic and fear.

“It is worthy to note that the Palace of Bafut is an ancient tourist destination and an imminent UNESCO heritage site. Looting the artefacts exposes the country to international shame.”

Hon. Fusi Naamukong calls on the President of the Republic to bring the perpetrators of these “acts of vandalism, looting and wanton destruction” to book and those affected adequately compensated.

He hoped that government will do everything to create a conducive atmosphere that will enable peace and harmony to return to “this beautiful nation” and Bafut subdivision in particular.

On October 11, 2019, Human Rights Watch said “On September 24, soldiers from the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) attacked and looted the Royal Palace in Bafut, North-West region.”

Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Central Africa Researcher for Human Rights Watch wrote that: “At least 10 BIR soldiers attacked the palace where, according to witnesses, the soldiers may have suspected Anglophone separatists were hiding. They shot and wounded the Fon’s brother before looting the palace museum and taking several precious artefacts, including a bronze mask from the 18th century and golden necklaces. The military operation lasted for three hours and occurred during a traditional ceremony with more than 200 people.”