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Victoria woman, friend rescued from Cameroon
Sandra Mcculloch, Times Colonist, 1 Mar 08
Article link
A Victoria woman is safe today after being rescued from a harrowing outbreak of violence in Cameroon in western Africa.
The Foreign Affairs Department is warning Canadians not to travel to Cameroon after riots earlier this week made the area unsafe.
But for Lindsay Luke, a 26-year-old graduate of Camosun College, the warning came too late. Luke has been in the African country since late September on an employment internship organized by Camosun and the Canadian International Development Agency.
A Canadian military officer who identified himself as Capt. Ed Smith rescued Luke and Taryn Barry of Edmonton yesterday morning from a residence in Limbe, driving them 30 kilometres to Buea, which is in a safer area.
"He got an armoured personnel carrier from the Cameroon military, went into Limbe from Buea and got the two girls back to a safer hotel," said Luke's mother, Tracy Shenton of Victoria.
The unrest in Cameroon started with protests last weekend and escalated into riots in the streets. Taxi drivers are striking over high fuel prices, a foreign affairs travel advisory said. Traffic has come to a halt.
The violence exploded Monday when the women were at work, Shenton said.
"The Canadian high commission in the capital sent them an e-mail and told them to get off the streets, head back to their home -- they're renting a place in Limbe -- and stay indoors," Shenton said.
On their walk through town, the women saw burning barricades in the streets, fights between locals and the police, "and at one point they were surrounded by a mob who threatened to get blood out of them," Shenton said.
A local man came to the women's rescue. He calmed the crowd and pleaded with them to let Luke and Barry go. From Monday until early yesterday, the women were hiding in a house with the power going on and off.
"They were living on mangoes and beer," Shenton said.
The military rescue came as a surprise to foreign affairs officials in Ottawa who had been keeping Shenton informed of the situation.
"They didn't know this was happening, and they started trying to find out who this guy was."
The military confirmed that Smith is a military officer based in North Bay, Ont.
In the hours leading up to the rescue, the women heard gunshots in the streets every hour.
The trip out of the rioting area was relatively uneventful, Luke told her mother: "She felt fairly safe in the armoured vehicle. They got to a hotel where this Capt. Ed Smith had four other Canadians, and they were in the process of bringing another 10 Canadians down from the north."
Once the Canadians are assembled, the military will find a way to get them back home.
Shenton said yesterday she feels much better knowing that the two women aren't on their own anymore. A flight has tentatively been arranged from Cameroon to Canada on Tuesday.
Despite their close calls, the women both feel bad about leaving their work behind unfinished, Shenton said.
"They only had two more weeks to go, but they didn't get to say goodbye. They both volunteer in an orphanage. They have survivor's guilt."
The two women are scheduled to appear with other interns at a workshop March 20 at Camosun College where they will share their experiences.
smcculloch@tc.canwest.com
Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.
Victoria woman, friend rescued from Cameroon
Sandra Mcculloch, Times Colonist, 1 Mar 08
Article link
A Victoria woman is safe today after being rescued from a harrowing outbreak of violence in Cameroon in western Africa.
The Foreign Affairs Department is warning Canadians not to travel to Cameroon after riots earlier this week made the area unsafe.
But for Lindsay Luke, a 26-year-old graduate of Camosun College, the warning came too late. Luke has been in the African country since late September on an employment internship organized by Camosun and the Canadian International Development Agency.
A Canadian military officer who identified himself as Capt. Ed Smith rescued Luke and Taryn Barry of Edmonton yesterday morning from a residence in Limbe, driving them 30 kilometres to Buea, which is in a safer area.
"He got an armoured personnel carrier from the Cameroon military, went into Limbe from Buea and got the two girls back to a safer hotel," said Luke's mother, Tracy Shenton of Victoria.
The unrest in Cameroon started with protests last weekend and escalated into riots in the streets. Taxi drivers are striking over high fuel prices, a foreign affairs travel advisory said. Traffic has come to a halt.
The violence exploded Monday when the women were at work, Shenton said.
"The Canadian high commission in the capital sent them an e-mail and told them to get off the streets, head back to their home -- they're renting a place in Limbe -- and stay indoors," Shenton said.
On their walk through town, the women saw burning barricades in the streets, fights between locals and the police, "and at one point they were surrounded by a mob who threatened to get blood out of them," Shenton said.
A local man came to the women's rescue. He calmed the crowd and pleaded with them to let Luke and Barry go. From Monday until early yesterday, the women were hiding in a house with the power going on and off.
"They were living on mangoes and beer," Shenton said.
The military rescue came as a surprise to foreign affairs officials in Ottawa who had been keeping Shenton informed of the situation.
"They didn't know this was happening, and they started trying to find out who this guy was."
The military confirmed that Smith is a military officer based in North Bay, Ont.
In the hours leading up to the rescue, the women heard gunshots in the streets every hour.
The trip out of the rioting area was relatively uneventful, Luke told her mother: "She felt fairly safe in the armoured vehicle. They got to a hotel where this Capt. Ed Smith had four other Canadians, and they were in the process of bringing another 10 Canadians down from the north."
Once the Canadians are assembled, the military will find a way to get them back home.
Shenton said yesterday she feels much better knowing that the two women aren't on their own anymore. A flight has tentatively been arranged from Cameroon to Canada on Tuesday.
Despite their close calls, the women both feel bad about leaving their work behind unfinished, Shenton said.
"They only had two more weeks to go, but they didn't get to say goodbye. They both volunteer in an orphanage. They have survivor's guilt."
The two women are scheduled to appear with other interns at a workshop March 20 at Camosun College where they will share their experiences.
smcculloch@tc.canwest.com