Asylum Claim PDF - Cedrick Kwende Mbopda

CEDRICK KWENDE MBOPDA My name is Cedrick Kwende Mbopda, and my DOB is 08.11.1991, Port of Reference Number: AIC/8081376 Asylum Support Ref: 24/03/01755 My Personal Details are as follows: Phone: +44 7301 406724 Email: [email protected] Address: Bibby Stock...

CEDRICK KWENDE MBOPDA My name is Cedrick Kwende Mbopda, and my DOB is 08.11.1991, Port of Reference Number: AIC/8081376 Asylum Support Ref: 24/03/01755 My Personal Details are as follows: Phone: +44 7301 406724 Email: [email protected] Address: Bibby Stockholm Barge, Castletown, Portland, DT5 1GG. I am a native English speaker. My interview shows it’s in French but I will prefer English because I feel more comfortable expressing myself in English. French, Turkish are my second and third languages respectively. My name is Kwende Mbopda Cedrick, born on Friday, 8th of November 1991 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. I left Cameroon on the 7 th of March and arrived the UK on March 8th 2024 via Heathrow International Airport for safety. I fled my country Cameroon due to persecutions that I was conniving with the military against the ‘separatist movement’ (Ambazonia). Asylum Claim I became a Graphics Design teacher at the same college; Laurate Business College, Bamenda upon graduation. I also taught English to students who came mostly from Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Teachers are caught between the Government and the separatists. The government forced teachers to teach while the separatists told teachers they would be targeted if they attend schools and universities to teach. As a teacher, our duty is to help students to become better people tomorrow. The separatist began to burn Educational Institutions forcing students, pupils to stay back at home and live in fear. Schools/Universities are burnt down every day in the English speaking regions so at times we rely on private classes for survival. Since 2017, Monday is considered a ‘ghost town day’. Meaning no one is able to leave his/her house or carry out any public activities. I was kidnapped for the first time by the separatists as I returned from work on Sunday, the 11th of February 2018. 11th February is a day to honor all the youth and embrace the importance of Education. Many towns around the country celebrate the day by holding a parade. They operate as regular taxi drivers so it’s difficult to tell if they are legit or not. I entered the taxi and the drivers stopped and picked other passenger as we moved along. I remember one of the men taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and putting straight to my face. I passed out and only woke up in an undisclosed location in the bushes. In a group of about 18 individuals, we were at the unknown destination. They presented themselves as separatist fighters and said they’ll teach us a lesson. They threatened to kill me as they beat me up sticks and also using the flat surface of a machete. They don’t want us to go and teach in schools. They said they were the ones giving the orders from now on. They demanded money from our families. I called my parents and they were able to send 800.000frs via mobile money which is a means of transaction. They sold a piece of land in the village to raise that amount of money. They will ask for your house location and if you tell a lie they will find out because they always have informants whose jobs are to go out searching for defaulters and reporting back to their camp in the bush. We spent 4 days in their captivity. We were blind folded and taken back to town. The next day I reported to the police and after recounting my experience in the bushes, all they said was they will see what they can do. They didn’t even give me a piece of paper to write down my story neither did they even ask me a statement. I explained everything verbally. They asked me to leave and that they will handle it. I was kidnapped for a second time in the night of Sunday, the 20th of May 2018 at my home. There were about 10 of them in number and they threatened us as they tried to forcefully open the door, walk in and kill us if we didn’t open the door. I was taken to another unknown destination in the bushes. This time around I was alone because I didn’t see any other captives. The reason of my kidnapping was that I refused to obey them, I decided to attend the march past together with my other colleagues while putting on the school teaching uniform (black and pink). 20th May is considered a unitary day in Cameroon meaning the country will never be separated. I was tortured mercilessly and they used a razor blade to cut my both hands and a dark substance was inserted into the cuts. They hit me on my chest with their rifle. They said if I didn’t want to obey, then I will become one of them. They said “General Nambere” (one of their branch leaders) asked that kidnapped teachers should be brought to his camp. They threatened to kill me and asked for more money. My parents raised the sum of 1.000.000frs and sent to them. “We go use your money buy groundnut” (we will use your money to buy bullets; groundnut = bullets), they said to me. I was blindfolded throughout the 6 day period I spent in their captivity, I slept on banana leaves which were placed on the ground, and I ate only fresh dug sweet potatoes. I could hear them train, prepare charms, smoke, chanting “la republic must go” (The French government must go), and clean their weapons. “General Nambere” walked up to me, grabbed hold of my head and said “We go come back small time, no run because we go daso find you” (We will come back pretty soon, don’t try to run because we will know where you are). If your family can’t pay the ransom, they will want to make you a part of them. I was released and taken to my home during the day. I could hear them walk around and threaten the entire neighborhood as they used the weapons to shot in the air. I was hospitalized again the worst part is even if you report to the police or gendarmes they will give a deaf ear. So we were just confused and didn’t know what to do. The next day in my sick state, I decided to go to the Judicial Police located at Old Town Bamenda and report what happened to me. I also told them I heard a name “general nambere” while I was in captivity. They asked if I knew any more names, I said no because they used another language which I didn’t understand. They didn’t take my statement as usual but promised to come my home the next day. So I gave them my house address which is behind St Jude Nursing School, Travellers Quarters-Bamenda. So I left immediately for the hospital because I thought there was a poisonous substance inside me due to the cuts. While at the hospital, my dad called and confirmed the police was there and saw all what was damaged and promised to get back which till today they never did. There were rumors that I was conspiring with the government forces to track down the separatist. I didn’t pay attention and gave a deaf ear and continued with my activities. You are considered a “black leg” if you are proven guilty to have given out information about the whereabouts of these separatist. Haven been to two different camps twice, they thought I had given information to the government forces to close in on them. The military during their usual patrols will ask for information and at times interrogate everyone on their way to gather every piece of information to track down ‘separatist fighters’. They will walk from house to house and ask questions. They also propose money (huge amounts) if you can lead them to the separatist or give out specific information on the whereabouts. At times, there will be arrest if they find anything suspicious in your home or phone, your hair style, and dressing type. The two English speaking regions had already been militarized and there were military barracks around every neighborhood. Also, there was a soldier standing well-armed and prepared in every 500 meters. There was a relative calm in the regions though there were still attacks on both sides killing eachother every single day. News spread out that one of the self-proclaimed generals (I don’t know his name) was attacked and killed together with a few of his men by the military and their camp was destroyed. Immediately, we started receiving threat messages from the separatists saying they’ll kill me if I didn’t join them. They said they knew I am one of the people who reported their hide out to the government forces/military so they started going about all the people they had kidnapped and brought to their camp in the bushes. Each time one of theirs is killed by the military, there is total unrest in both English speaking regions. My parents decided I must leave the country at all cost. They don’t want to lose their only child. I had no one in towns nor in the capital to live with. My dad was the only child to his parents as well. I also didn’t have anyone in neighboring countries such as Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo. Then a friend of mine (Langha Kum Bryan, currently a soldier in the USA) who also fled from the crisis asked me to come join him in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus so things could cool off a little bit in Cameroon before I return. It’s a visa free country with Cameroon. I applied for a Master’s program and I travelled on the 18 th of October 2019. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design and a Master of Science in Computer Engineering within a four year period. My maternal grand mum was kidnapped on Monday 3rd October 2022 while at the farm which was a “ghost town day”. My parents called me and informed my Grandma was kidnapped by the separatist. They said I was out of the country and I should send money for ‘groundnut’ (bullets) and she would be released. I barely survived in North Cyprus and couldn’t even fed, pay tuition fee, cloth etc. I slept on the couch in a living room for 4 years while in North Cyprus. I barely worked because there were not enough student jobs for everyone. We believe she was killed because we have never heard from her nether have we seen her body till date. I just graduated from school and didn’t have a resident permit which means if caught I will be deported back to my country Cameroon. In the month of August, 2023 on two occasions i tried crossing the border from North Cyprus (one through Lefkosia and one through Magusa) into the Republic of Cyprus where I could seek asylum. But it wasn’t successful due to too much military patrol by the border. My uncle in Canada (Denis Ndeloh Etiendem) organized my conference Visa to the UK and told me from there I am on my own. And also that I shouldn’t mention this to anyone. I travelled back home in hiding on the 25 th of September 2023 and obtained my visa to the UK on the 12th of October 2023. But had no money to pay for flight. I also had nowhere else to live. I couldn’t go to live with my piblings because they thought my dad had something to do with the separatists or military so they preferred to keep their distance. I put myself and family at risk again. It was the only choice I had at the moment. In the night of the 18th of Dec 2023, the separatists came to our house and started firing gun shots in the air calling me to come out. My parents panicked and went out and pleaded with them but they were refusing. I used that as a distraction so I managed to escape via the back door (through the kitchen). There were some cloths on the dry line which I pulled as I ran through. I ran all night in Bamenda town from Travellers to Finance Junction where in my state I pleaded with a driver and he accepted to transport me from Bamenda to Santa. There were so many of us and we had to squeeze ourselves until we reached Santa town. Santa is also a town controlled by the separatists so I was not still safe. They found out that I was in the country, they’ll come for me because they’ve always had informants. Another car passed by road at about 12:30am and I ran towards it and waived by the hand, it stopped. I entered and it took me straight to Buea, the South West Region of Cameroon. Buea is also controlled by the separatists. There are always frequent ambush attacks on the military by the separatists and vive versa. I lived on the streets a couple of days and moved to the Presbyterian Church Great Soppo in Buea. I managed to call my dad and mums phone but it didn’t go through. How many people will get injured or die because of me? I was already considered a ‘black leg’. My visa for the UK had to expire in April 12 2024, my passport as well had to expire on the 18 th of April 2024. I had to find a way to escape. I called my uncle again in Canada who paid my flight and come over to the UK. Even though my daughter lived in Buea, I was unable to see her. I didn’t want to endanger her life. I haven’t seen her for almost 7 years now. I finally got to my parents over the phone and all they mentioned to me was “a section of our house was burnt, don’t come back here again”, that was it. They also destroyed my father’s car he used for his transportation business. I felt very sad. On March 4th 2024, I took a bus from Buea to Douala but unfortunately we were attacked at the outskirts of Buea town. From the bushes they shot multiple shots which attended the driver of our bus, he lost control and our bus fell on one side. We were all stranded and didn’t know where to go to. We waited for another bus to come but it never came. I had to take a boat from Buea to Douala where I was able to fly to the UK. We sailed for 3 days before reaching Douala. We slept in the bushes when we were tired till I finally arrived the airport. The warm reception, accommodation and food I received gave me great relief and comfort. Having my basic human needs met in such an organized and coordinated way gave me a sense of hope. I have found peace here. I hope with my absence my family will be able to find peace as well. I have hurt them in so many ways I wish I hadn’t. I, therefore, plead with Home Office to hear my cry, to help me. *** I recognized “General Nambere” (by name Nanje Leornard) as he was often called as one of the separatist fighters brought into the hotel (Holiday Inn, Wembley) I was lodged at breakfast. As a matter of fact he was the leader of the separatist who sent his group to kidnap me from my home the second time back in 2018. I wrote a letter to Migrant Help on the 10th of April 2024 at requesting a change of accommodation because of my sanity. Family Details: Daughter: Audrey Maffo Kwende I assert that if I am returned to Cameroon, the separatist will find me and kill me. I have already been considered a ‘black leg’, received severe torture at the hands of the separatists, and there for fear for my life. Signed: Date: 01/10/2024