The history of Southern Cameroons (aka Ambazonia) took a new turn on the 6^th of October 2016, a day that will forever be engraved in the hearts of its people. On this fateful day, what began as a peaceful protest that was initiated by the lawyers and teacher’s trade union (to call for the protection of the common law system in Anglophone Cameroon) degenerated into a genocide which no one saw coming.

Regrettably, instead of dialoguing with the civil society, the response from the Cameroon government was extreme brutality with their military and police raids using violence and torture to suppress unarmed protesters. Outrightly, the regime was being terrified by people expressing and exercising their fundamental human rights. As a nation, Southern Cameroons have been subjected to marginalisation which dates as far back as 1960.  The cruel reaction of the Cameroon government over a protest for better living and working conditions awoke the fringe of grievances against the regime.

The deeds of the Cameroon military were eventually exposed as the weeks following the protest were flooded with scenes of police and military atrocities that were captured on social media. Reportedly, thousands of civilians, protesters and activists were arrested, detained, beaten, and tortured. Dozens were shot, several missing or wounded.  Couple of months later, the situation emerged as an armed conflict, following the spike of violence and war crimes from the Cameroon military.  Southern Cameroonians were now pushed to the point of ‘enough is enough’; as the instinct was to switch to self-defence. Worth mentioning here is the story of a 30-year-old farmer, whose three children and wife were victims of a military crackdown in his village. His house was burned leaving him with just the clothes he had on. With deep anger and bitterness, he picked up his hunting rifle for protection.

In no time, Cameroon militarized the two regions that made up Southern Cameroons, and this erupted into fierce battles with fighters from Southern Cameroons. The indiscriminate killings by the military erased entire households and families, razed to ashes over 300 villages, destroyed vast livelihoods, provoking a precarious humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands internally displayed and others living in the bushes. These widespread human right violations and war crimes perpetuated by the Cameroon military provoked retaliations from Southern Cameroonians as the situation became unbearable.

Since the onset of the conflict, the government has been doing everything in their power to cover up its surge, pretending that it doesn’t exist and denying their gruesome acts.  A prominent example is the Ngahbuh massacre which took place on the 14^th of February 2020. About 40 government forces attacked the village, shotting civilians and burning down homes. Reportedly, 23 people were killed, including children and 7 of which were below the age of 5years. Amongst the victims were 2 pregnant women and two families with five children from the same household. This is just one of several massacres that has been perpetuated by government forces against the people of Southern Cameroons whose only crime was the expression of their right to self-determination. After several national and international investigations proved them guilty, the government of Camerron has still not been held accountable for the Ngahbuh massacre. Instead, they continued with deploring troops to the region to keep up the cycle of human rights violations and war crimes.

Independence versus federation

So far, the end of the conflict is not in sight and the return to stability is far-fetched. The need for a genuine dialogue in the presence of an internationally recognised mediator is crucial and cannot be overemphasized.  The leadership of Ambazonia have made it clear that talks will not be possible in the absence of a mediator. It is the only viable solution to end the armed conflict as the military approach from the Cameroon government has so far proven ineffective. In the event of a dialogue, the options that are available to Ambazonia will either be a federal/decentralised union with Cameroon or the restoration/independence of their statehood.

For Ambazonians, independence is the unique opportunity to rewrite history and secure their heritage as a nation. With rising intensity in the battles between the armed forces of Cameroon and the fighters of Ambazonia, a vast majority have voiced out their firm stand for independence or resistance forever.

Will Ambazonians give up on their sovereignty and right to self-determination after paying the bloody price of going through a genocide?With the majority advocating for independence, federalism is being considered as ‘standing on the fence’.

On the flip side, Many Ambazonians do not welcome the discussions for federalism even when it is presented as a step towards achieving independence. The truth remains that a federation is a deadly mix given that it will not address the root cause of the conflict. It can be likened to ‘removing the cobweb but leaving the spider’. The same grievances that provoke the war will still build up with time because Cameroon as a nation has no regard for the fundamental human rights of Ambazonians.

The question that rises here is, will a federation bring sufficient consolation as to erase the profound feelings of historic alienation and the painful experiences of genocide? Returning to a union whether in the form of decentralisation or federation will never resolve the grievances of over 50years of marginalisation, suppression, discrimination, exploitation, and bloodshed.

So far, the Camerron government has been closed and turning down invitations for talks.

The question that remains is what will happen to the state of the conflict if the government continues to dismiss opportunities for dialogue?

However, until the talks hold, it’s agender and outcome cannot be determined in advance. One thing is certain, the concerns of Ambazonia will not be addressed outside the need to restore their statehood.

While waiting for an eventual dialogue, there is urgent need for a ceasefire, and I hereby appeal to the international community to take actions to end the war in Ambazonia. Heightened continuous violence and insecurity has created rising dead toll and a deeply concerning humanitarian crisis. Immediate response is crucial to save thousands of lives that are languishing in orphanages, bushes, prisons, and detention camps as well.

#notoimpunity

#endanglophonecrisis

Follow me on twitter for more updates.

Dorothy Arrey

Ambazonia is bleeding beyond mass killings.

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 14^th 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 24^th 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 26^th 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.

#notoimpunity

#stopthegenoideinambazonia

Emilia Efeti Agey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nera 10 are leaders of Southern Cameroons, consisting of professors, lawyers, and teachers. On the 5^th of January 2018, they were holding a meeting at Nera hotel to discuss the growing refugee crisis in cross river state of Nigeria due to the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon. The forcible and illegal abduction of the Nera 10 violated international laws, and not much has been documented about the conditions of their abduction.

They had barely started the meeting when 20 heavily armed gunmen appeared, handcuffed, and blindfolded them. They were then driven for hours to an unknown destination and later detained at the underground facility of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja. They were held incommunicado for 20 days.

On the 25^th of January 2018, they were again driven to the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport where a Cameroon military plane was waiting for them. They had no opportunity to resist because they were surrounded by heavily armed military who were ready to shoot.

Their abduction revealed that the Nigerian government violated its own laws while the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) failed in their obligation to protect asylum seekers. Looking at the circumstances of their arrest, the existence of a conspiration between the security services of Nigeria and the government of Cameroon cannot be ruled out because of the following:

• Given their refugee statue in Nigeria, they were not supposed to be extradited to Cameroon without the engagement of a due process of law.
• Detaining them incommunicado at the Nigerian military facility (DIA).
• Transferring them to the Abuja airport where a military aircraft from Cameroon was waiting to pick them up to Yaounde.

It is evident that their fundamental human rights were systematically violated.

In March 2019, the Federal High Court of Abuja ruled in favour of their release. Furthermore, the UN-HRC Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) also asked for their unconditional release.

They were handcuffed and made to sit on inappropriate seats without seat belts and guns pointing at their faces throughout their flight to Cameroon. The soldiers did not stop threatening them of execution if they make the slightest move.

On arrival in Cameroon, they were taken to the State Secretariat for Defence (SED) in Yaounde, a detention facility renown for the widespread use of torture and abuse. At SED, they were held incommunicado again for 10months on grounds of an ongoing investigation with regards to their arrest. This is unacceptable!

It is questionable to abduct and treat them as terrorist without any conviction.

While at SED, they were routinely tortured and abused. Their bodies were molested as they were made to undress, line up naked, while being touched at awkward places and making mockery of their private parts. The gendarmes took pretext of searching them to abuse them in extremely inhumane and degrading manner, subjecting them to all forms of physical and psychological trauma. They were offered a pair of tracksuits as their only clothing for 46days before given another one. The cell was sprayed with acaricide with them inside to suffocate them with the smell.

Torturing and abusing the Nera 10 is illegal, cruel, inhumane, forbidden, unacceptable and unjustified. This is extreme and inappropriate, a catastrophe against their fundamental human rights.

On the 22^nd of November 2018, they were transferred to the central prison at Kondengui where the population of inmates detained is over ten times the capacity of the prison. Living conditions are extremely poor and deadly, coupled with abusive routine searches and treatments.

As asylum seekers and refugees abducted illegally from Nigeria, they were not supposed to be tried in a military court which does not regard civilian judicial norms. During their trial, they were deprived legal aid, and contact or emotional support from their families and loved ones. They were tried in French, a language they could not speak or understand while on the other hand, the judge and prosecutors were unresponsive to the use of English language. One of them became uncomfortable and collapsed during the court proceedings. The trial continued to condemn him for life imprisonment while he laid helplessly struggling for survival.

The court proceedings which started at about midday on the 19^th of August 2019, ended at 5:30 am the next day, that is the 20^th of August 2019. The trial that was raced for 19hours was grossly wanting in due diligence.

They were charged with crime and sentenced to life imprisonment in a language they neither speak nor understood and without any legal representation.

What is the wrong in advocating for the restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons? As a people, we have the right to self-determination and a voice to decide our future. Justice was denied Southern Cameroons in 1961.We wanted total independence, but the United Nations imposed a plebiscite on us which was reduced to two alternatives. To gain independence by either joining Nigeria or Cameroon, excluding the option of gaining independence as a nation. Southern Cameroons has clearly demarcated international boundaries with a surface area of about 43,000km square. Her territory is larger than some member states of the African Union. A federal constitution was imposed on us by Cameroon, on the day our independence was supposed to take effect, that is, the 1^st of October 1961. Today, we stand for the restoration of our lost statehood.

The Nera 10 didn’t commit any crime known to law. They are languishing in the dungeons of kondengui, detained against international laws and serving life sentences. Their continuous detention is a human right scandal, and this is to call on the attention of the international community to investigate on the extent to which they are unjustly being detained and abused, given that in March 2019, the Federal High Court of Abuja had ordered their unconditional release. This is proof that they are innocent of all allegations laid against them by the Cameroon government. Human rights are for them as well.    

#freethenera10

#endanglophonecrisis

Follow me on twitter for more updates.

Dorothy Arrey

Summary of Historic realities of Southern Cameroons

It has been clearly established in history that La République Du Cameroun (LRC) was known as Kamerun under the German administration from 1884 to 1916 and constituted Southern Cameroons, LRC, Parts of Chad, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Nigeria.

The question here is, why is LRC nor claiming ownership of the other territories that made up German Kamerun but choses to annex and murder the people of Southern Cameroons over their heritage? It is deeply disappointing that LRC as a nation has no regard or respect for international laws and international boundaries.

At their defeat during World War 1, Germany lost Kamerun to Britain and France. At the Versailles Peace treaty in France (1919), article 22 of the League of Nations Convention confirmed the partition of German Kamerun into British Kamerun (Southern Cameroons) and French Kamerun as mandate territories with clearly defined boundaries.  British Kamerun and French Kamerun therefore became United Nations Trust Territories under Britain and France respectively.

Eventually, on gaining its independence on the 1^st of January 1960, French Kamerun became known as ‘La République Du Cameroun’ (LRC) with clearly established and defined boundaries. British Kamerun on the other hand was not part of this process. However, on the 1^st of October 1961, British Kamerun obtained its own independence from Britain. To this date, there is no treaty nor historic record that extended the boarders of LRC to include that of Southern Cameroons

Cameroon	Flag of Cameroon from 1961 – 1975	Flag of Cameroon
From 1919-1961 Governed by Britain, Southern Cameroons emerged from the British League of Nations Mandate to the UN trusteeship as a gateway to independence which was attained on October 1st, 1961.	From 1961-1975 As a UN Trust Territory, subjecting us to ‘independence by joining’ and leaving out the option to consolidate our independence was a violation of international laws. We have the right to self-exist as a nation. Instead of federal unity of equal states, LRC annexed, absorbed, occupied, and colonised Southern Cameroons.	From 1975- present day The Federal Republic of Cameroon was established after the Foumban Conference, and amidst strong protests from Southern Cameroons the constitution was again amended to the Republic of Cameroon, repressively dissolving the government and parliament of Southern Cameroons.

It deeply concerning that Southern Cameroonians are being accused of secession and killed by the government of LRC. Southern Cameroons obtained her independence separately from LRC and what we are seeking now is the restoration of that statehood which was lost through a hidden annexation agenda during the UN Plebiscite at Foumban whose proceedings were not in conformity with international laws in the context of decolonisation. The fact remains that we are claiming something that is rightfully ours and why should we as a nation be ravaged over our right to self-determination?  

As a UN trust territory in the 1960’s we were autonomous with a prime minister as head of government, a parliament with ministers and a judiciary system from 1954 -1961. We wanted independence but were imposed a plebiscite that was reduced to two alternatives, which was to attain independence by either joining Nigeria or LRC.

Come to think of it, if Southern Cameroons was never an autonomous nation, how come we obtained independence from Britain?  As a nation, we have endured over 50years of persistent marginalisation, discrimination, oppression, and repression from LRC and this conflict kicked off over our quest for the restoration of national sovereignty, legality, identity, truth and justice. 

Southern Cameroons was misrepresented at the UN Plebiscite in Foumban which violated our rights to self-exist. The option ‘attain independence by joining’ was fought by our political elites who called for a thorough interpretation of the results but were flushed out and any form of resistance was suppressed. The resulting Federal Constitution from the Foumban conference was illegally imposed on Southern Cameroons just when the independence of 1^st October 1961 was supposed to take effect.  Cameroon then used this as access to dismantle and Francophonise the Anglo-Saxon system of Southern Cameroons.

The francophone civil law system will never become a replacement of the Anglo-Saxon system and that is why we are seeking for the restoration of our stolen patrimony. We firmly believe that the restoration of our statehood is the only just solution to end the anglophone crisis.

In 2016, teachers and lawyers went on a peaceful protest to denounce the professional constraints imposed on them by the Cameroun government, who rather than dialoguing with them responded with acute military brutality killing hundreds of unarmed civilians including women and children.

No end of the conflict is in sight with very little hope of any cooperation between Cameroon and the international community. As of now, several sources have recorded that more that 6,000 people have lost their lives with over 1 million internally displaced. Over 600,000 students have not had access to education since the onset of the armed conflict in 2016. Our leaders were abducted from Nigeria and unjustly sentenced to life imprisonment. Thousands have been executed and killed in abominable ways. Several thousands are languishing in prisons across LRC. Only an end to the conflict can ensure the security of the people of Southern Cameroons.

#endanglophonecrisis

Follow me on twitter for more updates.

Dorothy Arrey