I am ready for the worst - Fon CHAFAH

Fon CHAFAH Isaac XI, Fon of Bangolan in the Northwest Region who seems to have lost grip of his throne after a village coup has told the Cameroon Journal that his entire family is ready for the worst. He spoke to The Journal’s Nfor Hanson Nchanji by phone; he began by recounting the genesis of the scuffle of last Saturday.

CJ: Good afternoon Fon Chafah

Yes good afternoon.

CJ: Can you tell us the situation in the village at the moment?

Well it is horrible what we are living through in the village. On Friday night I heard rumors that some Bangolan people had constituted themselves in terrorist groups and were planning to attack the village. When I informed the competent authorities, they proceeded by making road blocks and blocked all access into the village.

Then on Saturday at about 3pm, I was resting in my bedroom when I heard a gunshot outside. I immediately jumped out of my bed, took my gun and headed outside. There was pandemonium – my children and my wives were all running into the palace. I came and met my first son who is a student, a law student in the University of Eheheh SOA doing his masters, lying down in a pool of his own blood and I actually saw the person who shot him running away.

When he heard my voice shouting that they have shot my son, he turned and tried to shoot at me, but I don’t know what happened, the gun jammed and he could not get me. Then I now realized that he was not alone, they had surrounded the palace so they started firing from all directions to the palace. So I quickly mobilized my Nchindas who were in the palace to riposte. So from 3pm to midnight when intervention came from Bamenda, we were fighting with them, some of them we successfully took some guns from them and even a telephone from one.

CJ: We are told that Palace guards first fired gunshots at protesters.

How can that be true? First, of all protesters, they were coming armed, is that how protesters go for protest? Do you go for protest armed?

CJ: Who is the Fon of Bangolan now?

I am the Fon of Bangolan for 34 years and am answering you from my palace, am not answering from out of the palace. There is an impostor, my step brother – when our father died and they made me Fon, where was he that he wants to be Fon only today?

CJ: We hear the village has been militarized, what do you have to say about that, especially those who were injured, what is their situation.

I don’t know about those who were injured because I know about my son who was injured. My son was injured, they shot my son, they shot my son. I don’t know whether somebody was shot on their side, up till this moment I don’t have that information. And let me tell you, people like misinformation; do you go to protest in your palace firing guns? Is that protest? They are operating like terrorists and they have started kidnapping people and taking them to the forest and tying them there. Is that how people protest.

CJ: So what are you doing to bring calm into the village, it is in chaos.
But the village is in chaos caused by them, do you come overnight and say you want to overthrow a Fon by force? Is that how we do it? Is that how they change a Fon in the Northwest? Those who are sponsoring it know for what reasons they are sponsoring it and we know all of them, it is being sponsored and we know those who are sponsoring it. Am in the palace and we are ready for the worst am in the palace with my family, I have never left my palace since I came up here, I have never left my palace.