Anglophone Crisis: Woman Caught In Between Devil And Deep Blue Sea

 By Amos Akoh

Since the start of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, civilians are frequently accused by both armed separatist groups and state authorities of supporting opposing sides.

The case of Moto Marie Nwangolo, an Anglophone woman from Bole Bakundu, South-West Region, illustrates how such accusations can expose individuals to sustained and nationwide risk, putting her in a fixed situation described by many as being in between the Devil and deep blue sea, with no option than to run for safety.

Moto Marie Nwangolo is a mother of three and a former seamstress and subsistence farmer. prior to the escalation of violence in 2017, owned a residential property and a tailoring workshop in Bole Bakundu, where she lived openly and maintained her livelihood.

In 2017, as the Anglophone crisis intensified, Mrs Moto Marie  was in a relationship with a serving Cameroonian soldier, with whom she had two children. As a result, Ambazonia separatist fighters reportedly accused her of collaborating with government forces and labelled her a “black leg”, a term commonly used to denote alleged government informants.

On 1 February 2019, she was reportedly arrested by separatist fighters, detained, physically assaulted, and threatened with death unless she ended the relationship. She was released after two days, reportedly following the payment of a ransom. Around the same period, her tailoring workshop was burned by separatists

On 11 February 2019, clashes occurred between Cameroonian military forces and separatist fighters in Bole Bakundu and neighbouring villages. Several individuals were killed, including Mrs Moto Marie  partner. Later that day, separatist fighters reportedly entered her home and shot her daughter dead in her presence. Mrs Moto Marie was immediately arrested and detained in a separatist camp for approximately fifteen days. During this detention, she reports repeated physical abuse, sexual violence, and death threats. Her daughter was buried by villagers while Mrs Moto Marie remained in captivity.

Mrs Moto Marie  later escaped during renewed fighting and fled to Kumba, where her mother and remaining children were living. Despite her escape, separatist fighters allegedly continued to contact her, demanding regular financial contributions. She reportedly refused, citing fear of arrest or harm by government forces.

In 2020, Mrs Moto Marie relocated to Yaoundé. However, available accounts indicate that Anglophone civilians in the capital are often subjected to suspicion, harassment, and discrimination, raising concerns about the feasibility of safe internal relocation. In 2024, Mrs Moto Marie travelled to the United Kingdom.

In July 2025, separatist fighters reportedly seized her house in Bole Bakundu and converted it into an operational base. In November 2025, Cameroonian military forces raided the area and burned the property. Following the raid, separatist fighters accused Mrs Moto Marie of collaborating with the military and issued death threats. At the same time, government authorities accused her of supporting separatists, citing the use of her property.

Subsequently, local authorities reportedly visited her family home in Kumba. An arrest warrant and wanted notice bearing Mrs Moto Marie Nwangolo name and photograph were publicly displayed. Sources indicate that she is now wanted nationwide, and that security forces have sought information about her whereabouts.

Earlier this month , separatist fighters reportedly kidnapped Mrs Moto Marie  mother and her two eldest children from their home in Kumba.

Photographs were sent to Mrs Moto showing them in captivity, accompanied by threats to kill them and Mrs Moto Marie should she return to Cameroon. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.

Available information indicates that Moto Marie Nwangolo is targeted by both Ambazonia separatist fighters and Cameroonian state authorities, each accusing her of supporting the other.

Given the public arrest warrant, nationwide wanted status, prior detention and abuse, the alleged  killing of her child, and the kidnapping of close family members, the risk she faces appears to extend across Cameroon.

This case is not isolated. Since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in late 2016, human rights organisations and independent monitors have documented thousands of arrests, detentions, and enforced disappearances in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West Regions.

Many detainees have reportedly been accused of separatist links without formal charge, while civilians perceived as insufficiently supportive of separatist groups have faced abduction, killing, and forced displacement. Numerous individuals named on wanted lists are reported to have gone into hiding or fled into exile, with family homes repeatedly raided by security forces.

The case of Moto Marie Nwangolo reflects this broader pattern, in which civilians perceived as non-aligned face serious harm from both state and non-state actors, and where effective state protection or safe internal relocation remains largely unavailable.