Justin, CASA Member, a cocoa farmer

In Cameroon, I had a cocoa farm. I used to spend all of my time at the farm but one day in May of 2018, I left to get some supplies.  When I returned, the military was at the farm and one person was masked.  The masked man pointed at me and said I was the one.  They took me into custody and interrogated me.  As they were interrogating me, I learned that they were accusing me of providing food and information to the separatists. I denied that I was working with the separatists but they still beat and tortured me and locked me up.  I was able to escape the prison in the chaos caused by a fire. I ran to my farm to get my wife and infant daughter then escaped together to a neighbor’s farm where we could hide on their property.  We were there living in the bush for two months until around August when I was able to contact an uncle. I described the horrible situation we were living under, with my daughter very sick from mosquitos, and he invited us to join him.  I sent my wife and daughter on the bus but it was too dangerous for me to travel with them because the military was looking for me. I took a dirt bike through the small plantations so I wouldn’t have to get on the public roads. This way I was able to get to my uncle’s compound.

In October of 2018, I thought things had died down and returned to my home town to pack some things so I could find another place to live with my family.  As I was inside the house packing, I saw some movers I had hired run frantically away.  The soldiers were back.  I was told that because I had escaped the last time, this time they would have to kill me.

They beat me mercilessly and handcuffed me.  As they were trying to transport me to a prison, gunshots started firing from both sides of the bush.  With the soldiers firing back, they stopped watching me.  With my hands still handcuffed, I crawled away.  A good samaritan helped me get up and get me some clothes. I found a commercial bike and went to the hospital.  They treated me but then the nurse advised me to leave because the hospital was regularly stormed by the military.

I returned to my uncle’s house but he was scared. He moved me to a friend’s house for two weeks and while I was there, the military did go to my uncle’s compound (no one was home.)  At that point, my uncle told me it is no longer safe anywhere in Cameroon and you must flee.

It is another story how I came to the US.  But here, I was held in detention for two years.  I tried my very best to tell my story the best I could but I didn’t have an attorney or any help and I lost my asylum case. I am currently appealing.

It would mean everything to me if President Biden grant Cameroonians through DHS a temporary protected status (TPS). I plead with the Biden administration to please grant Cameroon TPS, so Cameroonians like me who flee for our security are not deported to our death.