The injustices suffered by the people of Southern Cameroons as British Colony was officially extended on the eve of October 1961 which was UN mandated date for Southern Cameroons to attain independence. Instead of declaring the Southern Cameroonians independent with a sovereign authority, the Britain handed Southern Cameroons to French Cameroun without due regard to the full implementation of the Resolution UN 1608(XV) on the independence of Southern Cameroons.
French Cameroon upon assuming authority over Southern Cameroons, wasted no time in establishing authoritarian rule, abolishing the post of Prime Minister that was assumed by Dr Endeley as the first Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons between 1954-1958 and John Foncha. In 1958-1965, Southern Cameroons became the first country in Africa to have democratic elections that saw the peaceful transfer of power from KNC party of Dr Endeley to KNDP party of John N. Foncha. Apart from abolishing the post of Prime Minister, they equally shutdown the lower and the upper houses of Parliament, dismantling the police force and replacing all Southern Cameroons administrators.
French Cameroun under Amadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya – led regimes have since treated Southern Cameroons as if it had been conquered. Faced with these injustices, many Southern Cameroons human rights fighters and independence advocates immediately gained courage from the words of Thomas Jefferson (Wheninjustices become law, resistance becomes duty) and have for decades fought for the independence of Southern Cameroons.
The brave Fon Gorji Dinka, founder of the Republic of Ambazonia-1984 and writer of the Ambazonia’s Athem. Albert Mukong consider as Prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International for speaking out about the right to self-determination of the people of Southern Cameroons, Dr Kevin Ngwang Gumne leader of SCAPO in 2006, formally declared the Republic of Ambazonia. Late Mola Njoh Litumbe dreamt of seeing an independent Ambazonia state in his lifetime. In 1995, the SCNC rose to political prominence with a host of efforts to push for independence of Southern Cameroons under leadership Ambassador Henry Fossung, Dr Martin Luma, Dr Chief Ayamba, Frederick Ebong, and Dr Nfor Ngala Nfor, who is sentenced life imprisonment in Yaounde Central Prison since August 2019. Between 1993 and 1994, the charismatic Architects of the All Anglophones Conference (AAC) Dr. Simon Munzu, Barrister Elad Ekongtang and Pr. Carison Anyangwe called for the restoration of the Sovereign State of Southern. This resulted in several arrests and incarceration by French Cameroun’s Biya-led regime.
Under President Biya – led regime the French Cameroun enacted in 2014 the Anti-Terrorism law.
The law was intended to target, silence and supress Southern Cameroons defence movements advocating for independence such as the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) Movement for the Restoration of Southern Cameroons (MRSC), Southern Cameroons Governing Council (SCGC). Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and the Southern Cameroons People Affairs Committee (SCAPAC) etc, that are clamouring for the independence of Southern Cameroons also known as Ambazonia.
The Anglophone crisis which debuted in 2016, has escalated over the years with government forces of the Biya regime committing genocidal massacres on an extensive scale. This has significantly contributed to immense and lasting trauma for the people of Southern Cameroons (aka Ambazonia). The Cameroon military are the perpetrators of extrajudicial and targeted killings, summary executions and uncountable massacres in Southern Cameroons. The rate at which the government forces are slaughtering Southern Cameroonians daily has become a potential existential threat. The conflict has seen some of the worst atrocities and crimes against humanity ever spoken of in our times.
The anglophone conflict is gross futility because for decades, the people had called on the Cameroon government to address their grievances through negotiation and genuine dialogue. Turning down all calls for dialogue and negotiation, the government has now turn around to killing the same people who appealed for talks. It is a shocking and brutal reality that the government has resorted to systematic genocide as a strategy to silence the voice of self-determination.
The conflict began in 2016 as a peaceful protest by teachers and lawyers who were calling on the government to amend their working conditions which have been suppressed and marginalised by the dominant civic law system of French Cameroon. These grievances which had accumulated for over 50years of economic, political, and social marginalisation/discrimination attained new heights when the government instead of dialoguing with the civil society resorted to brutal killings of unarmed civilians.
This article attempts to summarize some of the massacres perpetrated by the government forces of Cameroon against the people of Southern Cameroons. It is however, our sole responsible to remember these genocidal massacres that violated international laws and fundamental human rights and continually ask for justice according to international standards. Holding the Cameroon government accountable for genocide is a crucial part of delivering justice to the people of southern Cameroon whose fundamental human rights have been abused and undermined by the over 40 years regime of Paul Biya. Left alone to the defective court proceedings of Cameroon, justice will never be delivered to the victims.
The Ngah-buh massacre
This gruesome killing of at least 21 civilians, 13 of which were children, and a pregnant woman took place on the 14th of February 2020, at Ngah-buh. Ngah-buh is a remote village located in the Donga Mantung division of Southern Cameroons. During the incident, many homes were razed to ashes and some of the bodies were found burned inside their homes. evidence from several national and international reports revealed that government forces stormed the village and started firing down civilians. This was also confirmed by several local eyewitnesses.
Of particular attention is the story of a 32-year-old man who witnessed the dead of his wife and all four children as well. He narrated how his wife was first shot, and one by one the bodies of his four children fell on that of their mother as they were being shot before the home was set ablaze. What a bitter and horrific experience for him
The government directed the blames of the incident to fightings with Ambazonian fighters that led to the explosion of a fuel container. Eyewitness and investigations amongst which include reports from Human Right Watch confirmed the killings were deliberate as there was no fighting between government forces and the fighters of Ambazonia, neither was there explosions of any sort. Difficult to Imagine that after the art, the military warned the villagers of a worser outcome if they continue to shelter fighters from Ambazonia. They accused the villagers of housing Ambazonian fighters but found none during their raids. How inhumane and cruel for the regime to use a genocidal massacre as punishment for unarmed villagers following unfounded accusations of them supporting Ambazonia fighters.
The Kumba massacre
The 24th of October 2020 was a deadly day for school children in Kumba. Government forces attacked the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy situated at Fiango Kumba, and gunned down 7 children, 6 of which were girls and a boy. The victims were aged between 10 and 15years.
The military stormed the school in broad daylight and opened fire on children undertaking a class lesson. Obviously, the shooting frightened the rest of the school and in the cause of escape, about 13 other children were injured. The firing blew off the heads of some of the victims. Brain tissue and blood was filmed scattered all over the classroom. Some of the victims laid lifeless in their own pool of blood. Devastating to have learned that for the family of Victory, the only boy amongst the victims, he was the only child.
Worth mentioning here that attacks on education facilities are a gross violation of children’s rights. The act was condemned at the national and international level as it violates children’s right to life and education. Again, the government of Camerron as usual denied the responsibility to its endless cycle of extreme violence towards Ambazonians. The attack significantly derailed efforts for school children to resume education due to the conflict.
The Mbonge massacre
This took place on the 26th of March 2021. Mbonge is a small village situated on the outskirts of the town of Kumba. According to eyewitnesses, the government forces came to the village under the pretext that Ambazonian fighters were hiding in the village. They raided the village, arrested civilians including the aged, women and children. They led them to the execution ground, where they commanded them to sit on the bare ground and executed them all in cold blood.
Summary execution of unarmed civilians without trial by the government forces of Cameroon is a war crime. There is no justification for the forces of the Biya regime to use such tactics against innocent civilian. It was reported that some of the civilians picked by the military, were just returning from the farm. About 5 children were among the more than 40 civilians that were massacred at close range by the Cameroonian forces.
Government forces led civilians to the execution going. Take note of the aged, woman and children among the victims.
Mortal remains of the Mbonge massacre.
The above massacres are horrific reminders of ongoing genocide in Ambazonia. Time will fail us to talk about the Mautu, Pinyin, Muyuka, Ekiliwindi and several other massacres. Massacres are a pattern that has continually been employed by the government forces since the onset of the conflict in 2016. Although the massacres are executed with military precision from Cameroon military men and weaponry, the government continues to deny responsibility. They tend to accuse the fighters from Ambazonia until the testimony of local eyewitnesses/residents, as well as both local and foreign investigations prove otherwise.
While the Biya’s regime should be held accountable for genocide in Ambazonia, the urgent need for ceasefire cannot be overemphasized. The regime is responsible for innumerable violations of human rights and war crimes and should be held accountable.
It is our responsibility to remember the horrific dead toll that the crisis has on the poeple of Ambazonia and keep appealing for those responsible to be held accountable for justice to prevail. Impunity empowers abuse. The regime should be accountable for extreme violations of human rights.
Massacre is a war crime. By shedding light on horrific incidents of gross human right violations, massacres remain vivid proves that the regime has failed in its responsibility to protect Ambazonians in times of armed unrest. They do all on the front stage to present a safe and peaceful nation while perpetuating genocide on the backstage. It is time for the international community to intervene and stop the genocide in Ambazonia.
