Ambazonia Uprising: Ground Zero fighters are losing diaspora financial support ⁰

Financial support for armed separatist activities in the North West and South West regions has “declined over time,” largely due to government actions, according to a report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled).

The report which examines the separatist conflict, notes that the Cameroonian government intensified its monitoring of financial flows between the diaspora and armed groups starting in 2019, two years after the conflict began.

“As a representative for the Agence Nationale d’Invéstigation Financière (ANIF), the Cameroonian national financial crime agency explained, the government realized that separatist armed groups tended to collect their transfers in the early morning or late evening, and security forces began monitoring pickups at these times, which led to numerous arrests,” the report indicates.

According to the report, the government’s crackdown involved tracking financial movements. This tracking led to “serious consequences for some of the individuals involved.” For instance, one person was arrested after security forces examined his bank account, which revealed a transfer from the diaspora, resulting in his imprisonment at Douala New Bell prison.

However, tighter monitoring of financial flows isn’t the only factor behind the dwindling financial support. The report highlights a loss of trust among members of the Anglophone diaspora, driven by suspicions of embezzlement and the opaque use of funds by some well-known separatist leaders. Many donors, initially under the impression they were funding humanitarian efforts, were disillusioned upon discovering their contributions were being diverted to fund armed conflict. “Reportedly, many of the donors who had given money to activists fundraising for the separatist cause had been led to believe they were funding humanitarian, not militant efforts,” the report explains.

Another key factor in the decline of financial aid is the atrocities committed by separatists against civilians, which has repelled some financial backers. “A decline in the credibility of the diaspora leaders was an important factor in the decline of diaspora donations. However, this decline was also linked to a decline in the credibility of the armed groups themselves, particularly in regard to their treatment of civilians,” the report concludes.

In response to the reduced funding, armed separatists have turned to forced “taxation,” extortion, and kidnappings for ransom to sustain their activities.

Source: Business in Cameroon