Cameroon Concord News Group is concerned that the reboot conference called for Washington DC may already have been infiltrated by agents of French Cameroun intelligence services. Cameroon Concord News Group has no reason to doubt or call to question the patriotism of some of the organizers or participants in the conference. We of this publication are however concerned about the indiscretion of some of the conference organizers and the apparent insensitivity towards the abduction of our leaders assembled in a Nigerian hotel and the consequences towards their freedom, that all our abductees and the total freedom of our Ambazonia homeland. Whether the indiscretion and insensitivity are intended or not, the potential consequences of such conduct may have untold consequences for the Ambazonia revolution.

For example, no reasonable persons are on record as advertising the convening of a conference open to all and sundry, intended to discuss strategy relating to their country at war.  They will anticipate that the enemy will infiltrate and gather the intelligence required to subvert their war efforts. Hopefully the conveners of the reboot conference are aware of this.

Cameroon Concord News Group does not make value judgment about whether the said conference is intended for best interest of the Ambazonian revolution. Indeed, Cameroon Concord News Group   accuses no one of treachery. Cameroon Concord News Group does not call the patriotism or loyalty to of the conveners to the cause into question.  Although planned before the abduction of our President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and members of the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia on 5th January 2018, Cameroon Concord News Group is concerned that coming so soon after the said abduction, the timing of the conference may call its legitimacy into question.  Some of the conveners of the conference have been adversely mentioned in the treachery that aided Nigerian and French Cameroons to abduct our leaders in a joint operation supervised by Martin Belinga Eboutou, President Paul Biya’s Director of Cabinet and Babagana Munguno, Buhari’s National Security Adviser.

Cameroon Concord News Group is not suggesting that similar abductions or disappearances of our frontline leaders who convened or are participating in the conference were it to occur, will take place during the conference or on American soil. What is obvious is that some of the participating organizations may already have been infiltrated by La Republique du Cameroun in several ways, known and unknown. This should not be a reason to dispel because the different organizations must have effective and efficient intelligence to confront the enemies on their own terms. Vigilance is however warranted.

Whether these organizations and their leaders are aware of the infiltration is not known; indeed, some of them may not be aware of this fact even when there are clear indicators within their reach. It may not be lost on them that they may consciously or unconsciously allow French Cameroun by proxy into the conference. The intrusion of French Cameroun might have commenced right from the moment of conception, planning and the holding of the conference.

Cameroon Concord News Group is aware that what united the organizers of the reboot conference when the idea was first conceived was their opposition to the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.  It was a false premise motivated by the search for power. It was not an honourable premise to seek a united front to prosecute the Ambazonia liberation agenda.  Today the conveners are ideologically, strategically and tactically far apart and a single reboot conference may not bridge the ideological, strategic and tactical gap between them.  What unites them as they attend the conference, is the common desire to mobilize Ambazonians to contribute generously towards the realization of the liberation and defense objectives of each organization. That goal can be better attained by reaching out and working with the Interim Government. Without the interim government on board, the objectives no matter how laudable will not be entirely successful.  If the liberation of the President, members of the Interim Government, all abductees or disappeared Ambazonians held in captivity by French Cameroun is placed on top of the agenda of the conference, it may attain the highly required legitimacy to rally many Ambazonians around the liberation goals which the Interim Government and a majority of Ambazonians stand for.  This regrettably so far seems not to be the prospective focus of the conference. In the result, the conference may come out with resolutions and structures that will not resonate with a majority of Ambazonians.

Again, Cameroon Concord News Group is of the considered opinion that serious and reasonable organizations do not summon conferences with high possibilities of infiltration to discuss strategy about the defense objectives of their countries at war. If they are under the illusion that they can discuss strategic matters of such sensitive nature in the reboot conference with the significant possibility of French Cameroun’s agents in attendance, then they must be mistaken.

The conference will surely lay an elaborate mechanism for Ambazonians to fund the war of liberation through structures which they will put in place. But the unintended consequences of the conference may occur weeks or months after the conference. If care is not taken, these unintended consequences may outweigh the gains obtained at the conference.  The elaborate strategies for the defence of the home land that will be discussed at the conference will almost immediately be betrayed to French Cameroun intelligence operating from its Embassies in Washington DC and in New York.  From then some of our over confident but unsuspecting leaders will be approached by all manner of persons and organizations with promises to assist them realize our defence needs and objectives. An uncritical acceptance of such assistance or endeavour may be very costly.

We learn from Mbah John Akuro who did not attend the meeting in Nigeria when our leaders were abducted that French Cameroun and their corrupt collaborators within the Nigerian Government played on the consistent request of our President and the Interim Government for an inclusive dialogue as opposed to war to resolve the conflict. All-inclusive dialogue which our President and the interim government endorsed, we all know, is the stated position of the United Nations, The African Union, The Commonwealth, The United States of America, Great Britain, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, France and most of international organizations. Our Interim Government endorsed this all-inclusive dialogue option over armed conflict. This position which is favoured by the international community and our interim government has been clearly endorsed by most of our people. This stated position of our interim government was rejected by French Cameroun on the one part and some of our constituent organizations participating in the reboot conference. To the extent that French Cameroun opted for war and indeed declared it; a number of our liberation organizations saw no need to claim an elusive all-inclusive dialogue while our people are systematically slaughtered in their thousands in their ancestral homes by French Cameroun’s terrorist regime.  They opted for self-defense, an option the interim government did not rule out but was slow to adopt. The interim President stated this in his end of year address to Ambazonians and the communication secretary Chris Anu re-emphasized this in his follow-up comments after the President’s widely received and applauded speech.

John Mbah Akuro did not attend the meeting in Abuja Nigeria in which the President and members of the interim government were abducted.  He was not invited but somehow knew that the objective of the meeting was not to discuss assistance to our refugees in Nigeria. According to his recorded and widely publicized audio address to Ambazonians, all and sundry, he said that the alleged conference was convened to commence preliminary discussions on the all-inclusive dialogue proposed by the international community and endorsed by the Interim Government. How he knew about this is not the subject of our enquiry now.

The information is important for two reasons.  Nigeria to whom the Interim Government made several entreaties to act as a mediator and to host the all inclusive dialogue proposed by the international community, upon receiving huge bribes from French Cameroun, abused the confidence placed on the Federal Government by the Interim Government by using the all-inclusive dialogue to lure and entrap the President and members of the interim government to be abducted by a combined force of Nigerian national intelligence operatives and French Cameroun’s special operations operatives. Nigeria provided operatives of French Cameroun’s special operation forces uniforms of Nigerian national intelligence operatives for the special criminal operation.

Our investigators in Abuja serving with Cameroon Intelligence Report have obtained credible intelligence reports from inside the National Security Adviser’s services who participated in the operation. According our intelligence sources whose have opted for anonymity to protect their identities,  Martin Belinga Eboutou bankrolled and oversaw the operations in Nigeria on behalf of  French Cameroun while Babagana Mungano the National Security Adviser to Buhari oversaw the operation on behalf of President Buhari and his Vice President Professor Yemi Osibanjo.  The captives were transported to French Cameroun the same day, after the option to execute them was scuttled by the alarm raised by Millan Atam twenty-four hours after the abduction.  Although Millan Atam who was supposed to participated in the conference failed to participate ostensibly for yet controversial reasons. He has so far not made a statement about the purpose of the meeting.  Cameroon Concord News Group investigators have   obtained information from sources close to the National Security Adviser’s services in Nigeria corroborated by other Nigerian and French Cameroun intelligence services about some details of the criminal operation.  At some point in time, Nigeria gave clear indications, that it could play a mediating role in the conflict, urged on by key international organizations and reached out to French Cameroun to convey its availability in doing so. While some members of the Nigerian diplomatic community were warm about this option and were preparing for it, through the influence of the French mission in Abuja and technical intelligence tending to show strong international support for such an initiative, French Cameroun opted to scuttle the international effort by corrupting the close circle of power around President Buhari, including the Vice President Yemi Osibanjo who influenced Buhari to go ahead and sabotage the mediation option through an abduction.

A plan was therefore conceived and put in place for President Buhari and Vice President Osinbanjo to abuse the faith placed in Nigeria to mediate in African conflicts for pecuniary reasons. The amount of the money offered them was such that they could not resist the humiliating bait at the cost of the honour and dignity of Nigeria whom they represent.   With the evidence of the criminal operation coming out to the public domain, and the possibility of an investigation in Nigeria  and internationally after Buhari leaves office, it is increasingly obvious that Nigeria must do so much hence to be trusted as a credible player in the mediation of African disputes.

Cameroon Concord News Group having corroborated in part, the narrative provided by John Mbah Akuro, is conscious of the fact that John Mbah Akuro is one of the organizers of the reboot conference.  He has publicly stated that he will not be attending the conference because he is fleeing for his dear life and may have left Nigeria. It should concern other organizers and attendees that one of the proponents and organizers of the reboot conference will not be attending due to security challenges that he is facing prospectively from French Cameroun and its Nigerian partners.  He should provide his reboot colleagues with intelligence relating to the forces deployed by the enemy to go after him and the reasons why.

The reason for revisiting the abduction of the President and members of the interim government is to explain to the reboot conference organizers and members of the constituent organizations to be careful of persons or organizations coming to them proposing to help realize their objectives.  If the peace option that was genuinely proposed and pushed by the international community hoping Nigeria will play a mediating role can be manipulated to abduct the President and members of the interim government, the armed option that some have been forced by necessity and self defence needs of our people to embrace, can equally be manipulated to abduct or harm leaders of the organizations that are firmly committed to that option. French Cameroun indeed used the same strategy under different circumstances to drug and abduct Captain Guerandi Mbara with the complicity and treachery of some of his own people he hoped to liberate, and he disappeared ever since.

French Cameroon special intelligence bankrolled and overseen by Martin Belinga aided by the French Cameroons conventional intelligence units under Eko Eko the director general of the external research directorate and husband of the President of the Military Court-martial trying our abductees will send out paid agents from all sorts of organizations to reach out to some of the leaders of the composing organizations who if care is not taken, may end up the way Captain Guerandi Mbara ended.   The defence of our homeland is a task that must be done. Cameroon Concord News Group supports collective efforts towards the realization of that sacred objective. The reboot conference organizers should as a matter of extreme urgency meet with the Acting President and the interim government to discuss better ways of attaining the unity required to mobilize all Ambazonians home and abroad towards the realization of our self-defence objectives and the total freedom of our fatherland. The freedom of our President, members of the interim government, Mancho Bibixy and thousands of our abductees and the total liberation our free Ambazonia homeland must be attained at all costs.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman, Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

Cameroon Concord News Group strongly supports the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. Cameroon Concord News urges Nigeria and French Cameroun to free our leaders held in captivity and all Ambazonian captives in their dungeons with immediate effect; failing which they will bear the consequences of the conflagration caused by their reckless and illegal conduct.

Although Nigeria has declined to make a public admission of its abduction of Ambazonian leaders who were legally within its territory under the protection of international law, French Cameroun in its published admission of the crime, incriminated Nigeria in the crime. French Cameroun confessed that the impugned criminal conduct was in furtherance of cooperation agreements it had with Nigeria which they relied on the perpetration of the abduction and rendition of our leaders, and in furtherance and support of French Cameroun’s genocide of Southern Cameroons/ Ambazonia.

Cameroon Concord News can confirm that Nigeria’s support of French Cameroun’s war efforts, crimes against humanity and genocide against Southern Cameroons/ Ambazonia goes far beyond the abduction and rendition of our leaders to the French Cameroun’s terrorist regime. Apart from information at our disposal, French Cameroon has by its actions and public statements provide a reasonable basis for Cameroon Concord News Group to conclude that this allegation has merit.

Within a month, Paul Biya paid two visits to the President of Nigeria. Subsequently, French Cameroun’s Minister for Territorial Administration a certain Rene  Sadi was received by the Vice President of Nigeria Professor Osinbanjo and the Nigeria Ambassador was received by Paul Biya. This is a deal wrapped in one of the most scandalous corruption deals in history whose details will emerge with time although there are sufficient indices to conclude that it took the intervention of France for the final deal to be sealed. It is no wonder that the visit by the French Ambassador in Abuja to the Nigerian Foreign Minister shortly after the abduction carried symbolic weight.  The poor Minister who like the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of the Police although aware of the abduction were kept out of the loop because the pecuniary interests of the inner circle of the corrupt circle of power around the President controlled the process, provided a cursory statement relating to the abduction in troubling language signifying his apparent distaste for the prurient criminality surrounding it. He did not know how to characterize it. Was it an arrest? And invitation for investigation? And abduction? That equivocal response provided by the Minister cast a slur on the soul of the Nigerian Government on whose head the blood of Southern Cameroons leaders and its people arising from this crime and more must lie.

The international crimes and violations committed by French Cameroun against Southern Cameroons go back as far and fifty-seven years.  On 19/9/63, French Cameroon signed the Geneva Conventions 1949 on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts 1949.  It signed the Convention on Statutory Limitations to War Crimes 1968 on 6/10/72 and the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, 2006 on 6/2/2007.

French Cameroon signed an agreement of friendship and cooperation on February 6, 1963 and on the 27 March 1972 Nigeria and French Cameroon signed a Mutual Agreement regulating relations between the two countries.

French Cameroun signed the Rome Statute creating the ICC on 17 July 1998 but took no further action to ratify the treaty. However, Nigeria ratified the treaty on the 27 September 2001 as a result became a state party to the Rome to the Statute. By its willing participation in the crimes coming before the Rome Statute by French Cameroun against Ambazonia, part of which have been jointly committed within the territory of Nigeria, the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over these crimes.

French Cameroun has justified the abduction and rendition of Southern Cameroons leaders who were lawfully in the territory of Nigeria under the protection of international law to French Cameroon on alleged cooperation agreements it signed with Nigeria in 1963 and in 1972. French Cameroun characterized these agreements as the foundational judicial basis for abduction and rendition. The purported agreements do not qualify as treaties under the Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties 1969.  They are not extradition treaties as such for an extradition request to be valid.  For an extradition request to be valid and considered, it must conform to the norms of international law and must be submitted to a judicial process within the territory of the country to which the request is submitted.  Cameroon Concord is not aware of any judicial process that was initiated in Nigeria to justify the rendition of Southern/ Cameroons captives to French Cameroun to face a court-martial and potential death sentence.

Even if the agreements put forward by French Cameroun to justify the terrorist style abduction of Ambazonian leaders and rendition to French Cameroun were to be construed as valid, rendition under the spurious agreements would still be circumscribed by the treaty obligations of French Cameroun under the Geneva Conventions 1949, Convention on Statutory Limitations on War Crimes and the Convention for the protection of Persons from Enforced Disappearances 2006. Nigeria was barred from the Rome Statute from engaging in the criminal acts of abduction and aiding and abating genocide, enforced disappearances, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Ambazonia within its national territory and in the territory of Ambazonia.  There have been credible allegations that French Cameroons soldiers and gendarmes crossed into Nigerian territory to abduct and massacre Southern Cameroonians and Nigerian civilians in Cross River State, and Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. These crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the Rome Statute but Nigeria in complicity with French Cameroun has allowed these criminal acts to continue unrestrained. Nigeria has not provided adequate protection to these persons at risk within its national territory.

There is a pecuniary motivation for the criminal conduct of decision makers within the Nigerian Government. This motivation facilitated the perpetration of international crimes for which they and their co-conspirators in French Cameroun bear criminal responsibility. It is troubling that the international community is slow to intervene to investigate, prosecute and punish members of the criminal cartel in the hands of whom it has entrusted the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram which they are the main sponsors and beneficiaries.  This misplaced trust has blinded them from intervening with the urgency it requires to abate the ongoing genocide against Southern Cameroons and other international crimes.  The warning alarm raised by the Catholic Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province, African Bar Association and lately the very poignant ultimatum given by the Communication Secretary of the Interim Government of Ambazonia Chris Anu to Nigeria and French Cameroun to produce our leaders by the dateline of Monday February 5, or face an energetic response making that which was make by the survivors of the Rwandan Genocide a child’s play must be taken seriously, and urgently too.  Cameroon Concord News applauds the Interim Government for providing the window of opportunity for Nigeria and French Cameroun to abide by the International Rule of Law and release our leaders and abate the crimes in Ambazonia.

Cameroon Concord News calls on citizens of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia to stand resolutely by our Interim Government and to staunchly defend our territory and our leaders in captivity.  Our President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe stated that no one is above the revolution and the freedom of Ambazonia. His abduction should rally all Ambazonians around the Interim Government to free our leaders and all abductees in French Cameroun’s dungeons.  As we prosecute this revolution, let us not forget the fact that we shall prevail. In our moment of victory, our president and abducted leaders and all our abductees will be with us but Paul Biya, and his Nigerian co-conspirators will not be there to enslave us anymore.

Cameroon Concord News Group wishes to take this opportunity to caution and advise our people to not fall into the trap of the enemies through their agents in our midst.  Cameroon Concord News Group with its cream of intelligence officers serving with Cameroon Intelligence Report has carefully investigated the spurious allegations made against Mr Millan Atam as the person who betrayed our Interim leaders and found them to be false. If anything, it is part of the efforts deployed by French Cameroun and its co-conspirators to undermine the Interim Government and destroy the revolution and our unstoppable quest for freedom.

It is troubling that the persons peddling these allegations have made or done things which fit the agenda aimed at destroying or distracting the Interim Government from its stated efforts of securing the release of our leaders and the freedom of our land.  Cameroon Concord News has carefully listened to, analyzed and investigated audios and statements made by key members of the gang of individuals wrongly accusing Millan Atam in efforts to deflect attention from their culpable and treacherous conduct.  The Southern Cameroons Radio Television which Millan Atam hold in trust for Ambazonia and which is one remarkable symbol of our sovereignty and communication with our people and the world at large is a great source of worry to French Cameroun.  Millan Atam is therefore one of French Cameroun’s staunchest enemies.  Efforts deployed to prevent the broadcast to our people have failed. Had he been abducted in Nigeria, that crucial tool of communication would have been eliminated.  Cameroon Concord News Group has investigated his travel itinerary and found it to accord with his narrative. Efforts by the messengers of doom who had made public statements predicting the abduction of our President before it occurred to trace his where about while in Nigeria so that he too be abducted failed leading to panic in their camp.  Millan Atam’s presence in Nigeria was God sent because he was the one who immediately alerted our lawyers and set in motion the mobilization of the Interim Government to step in and move the revolution on while fighting to free our leaders.

In a last-ditch attempt to scuttle the Interim Government, the same persons floated the idea of disbanding the Interim Government, electing a new government and above all they are relaunching the reboot conference in Washington DC to enable them take over power while the President is in the cruel dungeon of French Cameroun. The question has been asked by Mr Mbah John Akuru why Millan Atam arrived late for the meeting.  Back to sender.  Why did he who is a member of the Interim Government and residing in Nigeria not attend the meeting? Where did he get all the facts with which he announced the execution of the President and our leaders? Was his intention to prepare Ambazonians for such an eventuality or was it aimed at sowing confusion and justifying the takeover of the revolution by proxies of French Cameroun and their allies within the Nigerian Government?  Chris Anu the communication Secretary went to Nigeria with his American passport and took credible initiatives for the protection and defence aimed at securing the release of our leaders. He granted received press interviews. He mobilized international awareness of the abductions and about our case. Nigeria hoped that the abduction and the rendition would scare Ambazonians not to venture into Nigeria and hold it accountable for her role in this international crime. Chris Anu braved the odds and went there and jumpstarted the battle for the release of our leaders.  Additionally, he has lately issued a strong ultimatum to French Cameroun to show proof of the existence of our leaders.

In the face of published statements aimed at preparing the minds of our people towards the potential execution of our people, the Interim Government rightly acted to save their lives and make sure a plan to fail and there are indications that such a wicked ploy for which our minds were being prepared has failed.  That is one victory on the part of our Interim Government. However, persons who were complicit in making publications aimed at facilitating such an eventuality and who have never strongly joined the Catholic Bishops, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, the Interim Government  through its Communication Secretary Chris Anu, the Southern Cameroons television under the mandate of Millan Atam, activists like Mark Barata, Tapang Ivo and many others in denouncing the genocide in Ambazonia, or have never visited the refugees or contributed to their well being, suddenly commenced a timid attack against this much applauded ultimatum. If that ultimatum is a precursor of a bold response to the genocide and crimes committed in Ambazonia from now hence by the Interim Government, then we in Cameroon Concord News Group will stand resolutely behind our Interim Government. We call our people to ignore all distractions and redouble all efforts to free our leaders and all our abductees held by French Cameroun. We must free our land and people from the bondage of slavery and colonial rule to which we have been subjected for the past fifty-six years.

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman and Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

RFI

The Cameroon minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma, has finally ended speculation about Nigeria’s extradition of the President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Ayuk Tabe, along with some other 46 Southern Cameroonians to Yaounde where they are expected to be judged according to the laws of the Republic of Cameroon. News about their extradition has been the subject of debates and analyses over the weekend and this has resulted in increased tension both in Yaounde and Southern Cameroons, with many Southern Cameroonians vowing to fight on despite their leaders’ detention in Yaounde.

Speaking in Yaounde on Monday, January 29, 2018, a subdued Tchiroma said the arrested Southern Cameroonians would be judged in accordance with the law. This therefore implies that lawyers will be granted access to the detainees and their identities will be established. Though the information has been made official, many across the globe still doubt the government’s version and argue that the same government has been manipulative and deceptive for many decades and it will be hard to believe its version.

However, despite the sad news, many Southern Cameroonians argue that the battle must continue as the revolution is bigger than any single individual. Speaking to a dejected Southern Cameroonian in WashingtonDC over the phone, our West African Bureau chief was advised that the revolution was an idea that would not be crushed through intimidation and military violence. The Southern Cameroonian, who elected anonymity, added that things only escalated when Felix Nkongh Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba and Macho Bibixy were arrested and that the current situation would only escalate attacks on the military.

He argued that Nelson Mandela was in jail for over three decades, but South Africans did not relent in their effort to unseat the racist bastion that had reduced them to second-class citizens in their own country. He said Southern Cameroonians would, over the coming days, designate their new leaders and would be informing the boys on ground on what steps to follow.

Also speaking from London, Sesekou Asu Isong, said that Southern Cameroonians should not believe that they could attain their objective without loss of life and imprisonment. He stressed that “freedom has never been attained through courteousness and gentlemanliness, adding that loss of life is and has always been part of such a struggle.”

He called on Southern Cameroonians to pour money and energy into the struggle. “As it is apparent that we are now in an armed struggle, we have a duty to pour money and energy into this cause. We have a duty to arm and train young determined fighters on the ground. If we don’t, the lives of the departed and those in incarceration would have been a waste,” he stressed.

Mr. Isong’s point of view ties in well with what is currently happening in many Southern Cameroons community across the globe. It is worth stressing that huge fundraising efforts are currently underway in most Western capitals. Southern Cameroonians across the globe are making significant financial contributions to support the tough Southern Cameroonian fighters who have become a nightmare to government forces in Southern Cameroons. In California alone, more than half a million dollars was raised last week to secure more aid and arms for the boys who are determined to roll back government forces that have been deployed across Southern Cameroons.

Also writing from Boston in the United States, Mr. EkinnehAgbaw-ebai, a graduate of the prestigious Harvard University, pointed out that “Irrespective of whatever anyone thinks, let it be said again with emphasis that Ambazonia will never die. Ambazonia is a spirit which animates our yearning for freedom and even if Biya kills all eight million Anglophones and raze all our villages, our ghosts shall rise from our graves to seek freedom and demand justice. Mandela was jailed, but the ANC continued until Apartheid was defeated. Bin Laden is dead, but that has not stopped Al Qaeda; rather ISIS was born. If Biya sincerely believes, as he claims, that a majority of Anglophones want to remain in bondage and servitude in a united Cameroon, let him organize a referendum. Voting should take place only in Anglophone regions under international supervision as was the case in 1961,” he pointed out angrily.

It should be noted that Mr. Ayuk Tabe had said that the struggle was his life and that he was prepared and willing to lay down his life for the total liberation of Southern Cameroons, though he has always advocated non-violence. Many Southern Cameroonians are of that opinion and there are many meetings currently taking place across the globe to step up the pressure on the government.

It is also worth noting that Mr. Cho Ayaba, the man who leads the military wing of the Southern Cameroons struggle, had earlier called for the fighters on the ground to step up military actions against government troops following the arrest of Southern Cameroonian leaders in Nigeria and the attacks have increased significantly across the entire Southern Cameroons. Cameroon military personnel have in recent days been attacked and killed in various cities in Southern Cameroons and as late as today, some of them were attacked in Bangem in the Kupe Manogouba Division in the South West region where even the senior divisional officer was taken hostage.

Currently, there are reports that following Mr. Tchiroma’s announcement, there have been heavy gun fire in several villages in Manyu Division which is the birth place of Mr. AyukTabe who is revered and loved by his people. The days ahead would be challenging for Cameroon as many Southern Cameroonians are yet to accept that their leaders are in jail in Yaounde.

Meanwhile, many young fighters who have flooded refugee camps in Nigeria are already indicating their intention to return to the jungle to continue operations as advised by Mr. Cho Aya more than two weeks ago. Today’s statement by Mr. Tchiroma has fired many of them up. Speaking to Cameroon Concord News Group on Monday, January 29, a young Southern Cameroonian fighter who unexpectedly showed up in Abuja said the fighters needed more sophisticated war machines so as to take the fight to the enemy.

He pointed out that with rudimentary equipment, the fighters had given government troops in Manyu Division a run for their money, adding that sophisticated equipment would enable them to post more impressive results. “We are ready to turn that country into a huge fire ball. Southern Cameroonians have been marginalized for more than five decades and the government is refusing to acknowledge this. Since the government thinks it cannot dialogue with our leaders, we are determined to split the country so as to put an end to the marginalization that has brought death and destruction to our parents,” he said, adding that “once we lay our hands on sophisticated war machines like AK-47s, we will be able to get into the Littoral and West regions where we would be able to create hordes of refugees; a situation that will surely catch the attention of the international community.” “We are not scared of death and we have been informed that our brothers in the Diaspora are raising funds to ensure we get the tools for our job. This is a huge challenge and it requires a huge tool box,” he stressed.

It has been reported that some three hundred government troops have already been sent to an early grave since Ambazonian Tigers decided to take up arms against a regime that is tone deaf to calls for an inclusive and sincere dialogue. As a response to the losses, the government has decided to deploy more troops to the regions. But many analysts hold that the more troops the government deploys, the more targets it creates for the fighters. The situation in the two Anglophone regions is getting more complex by the day.

Currently, there are more than five militia groups operating in many parts of Southern Cameroons and this is troubling to the international community that is already seeing the phenomenon of warlords playing out in Cameroon. It should be recalled that Somalia that has been a hotspot for more than three decades went through a similar situation like the one unfolding in Cameroon following the ousting of the country’s dictator, Said Barre, in the eighties.

Today’s statement by the country’s communication minister sounds like a huge victory for the beleaguered government of Mr. Paul Biya, but the days ahead seem to be gloomy and the road ahead is bumpy. It will be too soon for the government to cry victory. The Southern Cameroons revolution is like a hydra. You may be happy that you have cut off its head, but it is confident it will grow a new one. Mr. Biya and his government must agree that dialogue holds out more hope. Arresting people and dumping them in jail or killing innocent civilians just to send home a strong message will not address the issue. There are more than seven million Southern Cameroonians, and many are already lining up to take on the mantle of leadership.

The Southern Cameroonian Diaspora is wealthy, and it will continue to destabilize the government if the government does not work hard to make peace with it. After more than one year of a bloody contention, the Yaounde government should understand that Southern Cameroonians will not be surrendering anytime soon.

A Cameroon Concord News Production

After more than one year of an unnecessary tug of war between the Biya government and Anglophone Cameroonians, the country is gradually sliding to the brink, with its economy taking a hit. Scarce resources that could have been put into development projects are today being used to pay huge per diems to soldiers and to settle other expenses just to prosecute a war that could have been averted if the country’s leaders had listened to the international community and fostered dialogue as a tool of choice in the management of a country that comprises people of various cultural backgrounds.

The chaos playing out in the Anglophone regions has now made the country to become a byword for anarchy and chaos. A simple dispute that could have been addressed through frank and sincere discussions was allowed to degenerate due to the government’s arrogance, violence and condescension.

Today, many lives have been lost and the anger has gone up by many notches. The Anglophone minority no longer believes it is part of a country that has marginalized it, killed its people and sent many into exile in countries they never thought they could live in.

There are currently more than 32,000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria and many are still thinking of fleeing Nigeria following the arrest and detention of Anglophone leaders in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, some two weeks ago; a situation that has altered the entire equation and made it hard for any reasonable solution to be found to this crisis that spells doom to the Biya regime.

Today, government troops are engaged in running battles with Ambazonian Defense Forces who are determined to inflict as much pain on government troops as possible and though the government has decided not to release figures of fallen soldiers, it is alleged that more than 200 army soldiers have been rushed to an early grave by the determined and feared Ambazonian Defense Forces also known as “Amba Tigers”.

Their hit-and-run tactics have taken a huge toll on the military and news of their success in Manyu Division has been spreading like wild fire across the region. While Manyu has noticed some respite, the fighting has been exported to Meme Division where army soldiers have taken huge casualties. These victories by the Amba Tigers have infuriated the government and they have triggered a wave of revenge in many parts of the South West region of Cameroon.

The soldiers’ retaliatory measures which, in many cases, consist in intimidating the local population and setting houses ablaze like they did last week in Kwa Kwa, a little village less than 50 km from Kumba, the Meme Divisional headquarters. The burning of an entire village resulted in the death of a 96-year-old lady and this has resulted in more revenge attacks, especially in Kombone, Meme Division, where a colonel and two of his colleagues were attacked on Sunday, January 21, 2018, while picking up the remains of their fallen colleagues in an ambulance.  It should be recalled that army soldiers have been running amok in Kwa Kwa following the killing of nine of their colleagues by the Amba Tigers who have proven to be experts at hit-and-run tactics.

Instead of winning hearts and minds, government troops are working hard to radicalize the local population which was initially for a federal system of government. But ever since the government opted for violence and repression as its weapons of choice, many Anglophones have gradually migrated from federalism to secession; a movement that has gained a lot of traction in recent months. This is really motivating the young fighters who hold that this is the time to put an end to the Francophone domination and government marginalization that have dogged the country’s English-speaking minority for over 55 years.

With Anglophone leaders still sitting in a luxurious villa in Abuja, the young and determined fighters who have been infuriated by the arrests are continuing to give the government a lot of food for thought. They hold that by using the forest to inflict pain on government troops, the Biya regime that is unpopular at home and abroad will finally sue for peace and call for the genuine and comprehensive dialogue that many around the world have been urging it to embrace.

Speaking to one of the fighters who has recently shown up in Abuja where he has sought asylum, it could be figured out that despite their lack of appropriate weapons, the young fighters are high on courage and determination and this is driving them into achieving many of their objectives.

“We do not have the right weapons. If we had AK-47s, I think we would have successfully exported the fighting into French Cameroon. Cameroon soldiers may be well trained, but they lack the courage and experience to fight in a dense equatorial forest. We have rattled them in the Manyu jungle and this has caused many to flee and desert the army. Some have defected and are helping to organize our efforts. I am sure that in six months’ time, we will be able to bring the government to the negotiating table against its wish,” the young Mamfe fighter who elected anonymity said.

He added that “I am using my asylum case as an excuse. My objective is to ensure that Southern Cameroons becomes independent. I hear our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora are quietly raising funds to get us more sophisticated weapons and once we lay our hands on those killing machines, the government of Cameroon will regret its decision.”

“Many people thought that the arrest of our leaders would dampen our determination. It has only ramped up our desire to inflict more pain on the soldiers who have been killing and maiming our people. The Southern Cameroons crisis is an idea. Our movement is bigger than anyone. It will be hard to kill the idea even if the government arrests the entire North West and South West regions. Every day, there are many young university graduates who are heading to Nigeria to carry weapons against a government that has reduced us to second-class citizens. You can see the joy on their faces. I am also a graduate, but when soldiers came and killed my brother in Mamfe, I knew it was time for me to revenge and I think my brother’s spirit should be happy wherever it is today,” he said. 

With such language, it is clear that the days ahead will be rough. Cameroonians want peace, but their leaders have opted for war, a war that is consuming soldiers and civilians in huge numbers. While the country’s economy has taken huge blows, the country’s politics is gradually taking a different shape. New players are joining the race for the Unity Palace scheduled for this year and the news of a single opposition candidate seems to be appealing to many Cameroonians, though it is a nightmare to the government and the ruling CPDM which have for 25 years rigged every election.

Though it seems like the clouds of self-destruction are gradually gathering over Cameroon, many political analysts still hold that there is still time for the government to spare the country an unnecessary bloodbath. The government’s arrogance and violence have pushed the country to the brink. A little introspection on the government’s part might reverse the storm that is gathering over the country. 2018 is the year that will make or mar Cameroon. The choice is the government’s and Mr. Biya, according to many observers, is the only person who can defuse the bomb and pull the country from the brink.

By Kingsley Betek

West Africa Bureau Chief (Abuja, Nigeria)

Cameroon Concord News Group

The Southern Cameroons crisis that has split the country and put the country on a downward economic and political spiral is gradually destroying the country’s military. According to our source in the military, there is growing disgruntlement within the military, especially among Anglophones who are not happy with what is being done to fellow Anglophones in the two English-speaking regions of the country.

According to our source, money is very likely to cause huge cracks on the military’s wall. Top military officials are, according to our source, taking advantage of the military actions that are currently playing out in the South West region. It is being rumored that the defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, and his friends are robbing the country blind. While the foot soldiers are being killed in the South West region, the generals and government officials are making hay while the sun shines.

It is alleged that Mr. Assomo is now taking financial decisions without following national procurement rules. He claims that the country is at war and if processes and procedures have to be followed, the president’s decision to eradicate the separatists will not be implemented to the letter. Many observers hold that the war could just be an excuse for some government officials to implement their personal agenda and this is causing many foot soldiers to question the rationale behind the killing of innocent civilians and the burning of their homes.

Our source further adds that even among the rank and file, there is a lot of frustration. Most of the government soldiers claim that they are not properly paid and that the risk of having to fight those tough “Ambazonian Tigers” was causing many of them to develop mental issues. Many are sleep deprived, especially those who have witnessed the killing of their colleagues, our source add. He intimated that the soldiers whose duty posts are in the South West region are not being paid per diem, but those coming from Yaoundé are entitled to huge per diems and this is gradually destroying the unity the military needs to prosecute the war.

Our source stressed that the soldiers who are permanently resident in the South West region are now helping Anglophone fighters who are known for their toughness. It is alleged that in Mamfe, the “Odeshi boys”, the fighters who have killed close to two hundred army soldiers have been aided and abetted by government troops who are not satisfied with their financial arrangements.

It is alleged that some government troops have been informing the fighters of troop movement and this accounts for the heavy casualty that government troops have taken over the last two months, especially in the Manyu jungle that has been a tough terrain for most army soldiers.

Meanwhile, discussions between arrested Anglophone leaders and government officials are continuing in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, despite the numerous hitches deriving from differences of opinion. The Cameroon government delegation, led by Mr. Rene Said, the country’s territorial administration minister, is still trying to sell its decentralization policy that is being rejected by Ambazonian leaders. The arrested leaders argue that the decentralization policy is enshrined in the country’s constitution, but for over twenty-two years, it has not been implemented and this, in their opinion, makes it hard to trust any word from the government.

According to our source which elected anonymity, Mr. Rene Sadi has threatened on many occasions to quit the negotiations as Ambazonian leaders keep on arguing that their objective was to get the government of Cameroon to discuss divorce issues. Some of those divorce issues include, debt-sharing, oil revenue, general amnesty and the peaceful return of refugees to the Federal Republic of Ambazonia; things that are not sitting well with the Cameroon delegation at the negotiations.

The Ambazonian President, Julius Ayuk Tabe, for his part, is insisting that it will be hard working with the government of Cameroon that is wont to deceit, intimidation and corruption. He argues that the concentration of power in the hands of one man in Cameroon is responsible for all the issues Anglophones have faced in Cameroon. He insists that it will be hard for the Francophone leadership to understand that centralization has only bred corruption and intimidation. He points to the general malaise in the country as evidence of the negative effects of centralization. He argues that Mr. Biya and his people have pauperized Cameroonians and their love for power and control has rolled back the country by at least five decades.

While the negotiations are not producing any meaningful results, both sides are at least talking and agreeing that the fighting was not necessary, as many lives have been lost. UN and Nigerian negotiators, for their part, are asking both parties to meet each other halfway. Both the UN and Nigeria have very little appetite for separation, but are hugely in favor of a federal structure that will bring powers to the regions, while reducing the red tape that has been the hallmark of the centralized system that has been the bane of people’s lives in Cameroon.

It should be recalled that the Southern Cameroons crisis started in October 2016 with calls from lawyers and teachers for better working conditions. But the government’s brutal reaction to these peaceful calls only made matters worse, especially when the Anglophone Diaspora jumped into the fray following the arrest of the leasers and the banning of the Anglophone Consortium that was negotiating with government officials.

By Kingsley Betek

West Africa Bureau Chief (Abuja, Nigeria)

Cameroon Concord News Group

There seem to be a lull in the fighting in the Manyu jungle following the arrest of Southern Cameroons leaders last week, despite skirmishes all over the entire Anglophone region, with gunmen attacking uniformed officers and chasing kids from schools. The most recent drama played out in Muea, Buea and other surrounding towns on Monday, 15 January 2018 and the gory images emerging from the running battles speak to the determination of the fighters to demystify the crack squad that the country’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, had declared would implement the president’s decision without batting an eyelid. His predictions have been proven wrong on many occasions and the military’s losses just like those of the fighters have been huge and unfortunately so.

However, what is on many minds remains the whereabouts and the future of the arrested leaders. The lawyer for the arrested leaders, Femi Falana, informed the interim government that the Nigerian foreign affairs ministry and the country’s national security adviser had said that the said leaders were still in Nigeria and that Nigeria would not deliberately violate international law by extraditing the leaders to Cameroon, a country noted for its repressive laws and brutal dictatorship. Mr. Folana added that he would be seeing the arrested leaders on Monday, 15 January 2018 and this has brought a lot of joy to many Southern Cameroonians who had been saddened by the arrests.

However, regardless of these latest developments, the damage of the arrests to the Nigerian and Cameroon governments will linger for a long time. The Buhari government is under enormous fire for sanctioning the illegal arrest of people considered to be freedom fighters. In defense for the Nigerian government, stories are emerging that several units of the Nigerian intelligence and security community were not aware of the operation or were not informed after it occurred. It is also alleged that several members of the federal government, including the President, were not aware of the drama that played out in Abuja last week.  This is however surprising as intelligence sharing is a critical security operational imperative.  However, the fact that neither the Attorney General of the federation nor the Inspector-General of Police made a statement on the abductions may also be seen as a credible indicator.

But these mitigating circumstances do not seem to be convincing the Nigeria media which has been tearing apart the image of the federal government and shooting at the Cameroon government for its legendary brutality. The silence of key figures in both countries seems to be the connecting tissue that speaks of connivance to commit a crime under international law. They seem to have agreed to be mute on this and this is not helping matters. Their indifference is drawing more flak and it is causing the rumor and anger to stick around for a long time.

Many prominent Nigerian figures are already chiding the federal government for its role in the arrests. The latest criticism comes from the Chairman of the Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on IDP, Refugees and Initiatives on North East, Sani Zorro, who has clearly indicatedthat Nigeria will be clearly committing a major illegality if it deports the arrested leaders to Cameroon.

His statement came last week following the illegal arrest of Ambazonian President, Julius Ayuk Tabe and members of his government. He added that some of the refugees were less than two kilometers from the Cameroonian border and Cameroonian soldiers cross the border in pursuit of these refugees, which in his opinion, is illegal.He warned that hostilities could break out between Nigeria and Cameroon if Cameroon continued to act recklessly on Nigerian territory.

In Yaounde, the silence is ominous. The country’s ailing and aging leader, Paul Biya, has become reclusive and this is causing nightmares to many of his collaborators. Ministers such as the defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, and Higher Education Minister, Fame Ndongo, who gave the impression that a hard line would be the best option for dealing with the crisis, are gradually losing sleep as things keep falling apart. It is alleged that Mr. Assomo is using the war to enrich himself and his friends and this is costing the government a pretty penny.

For Mr. Ndongo, the die seems to have been cast. He has been responsible for the escalation of the Anglophone crisis and he is currently caught up in a computer scandal that will surely cut him out of the government. The computer scandal has caused him to fall out of favor with the president and last week’s presentation of New Year wishes to the head of state served as the testament to the many cracks many people say have been appearing on the government’s wall. The humiliation Mr. Ndongo received from the president speak to the deteriorating relations between the two men.

The Southern Cameroons crisis has finally put the government on a downward spiral. It has not only left the government cash-strapped, it has also brought divisions within the group that thought power belonged to it. The crisis is also stalking the Yaoundé “strong man” like a stubborn shadow. Mr. Biya is gradually transforming the Unity Palace into a hermitage. All the options he has employed to keep the restive Anglophones in check have collapsed like a pack of cards. Corruption, intimidation, brinkmanship and violence are all failing to deliver the results the government was expecting. 1960 strategies and solutions are clearly not working. Southern Cameroonians have proven to be tough cookies and have displayed the type of strength and determination the government never thought they could.

The government had underestimated the determination and will of a few to bring about change in society. Their unity of purpose and determination to mess up Mr. Biya’s legacy have left the country’s president with many illnesses. His health is failing and based on inside reports, the Yaoundé strong man has become a colony of diseases. With a failing heart and a distended prostrate, Mr. Biya is having a tough time having a good day. Sources at the presidency indicate that his is a kingdom of medication, adding that if the diseases don’t kill him, then the sedatives will help to rid Cameroon of this brutal and inefficient dictator whose thirty-five years in power have brought death and destruction to a country many thought was an earthly paradise. Thirty-five years of misrule have really transformed Cameroon into a real “shithole”, with many Cameroonians running away to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Today, they are being considered as the “Roving Jews” of Africa and they are all heart-broken to see a country with such a huge human and natural resources potential spiral into inexplicable chaos.

Mr. Biya is seeing an end to his reign. Many Cameroonians secretly say that he has been leading a crime syndicate for more than three decades. Others hold that the country’s national unity has been predicated on intimation and corruption, adding that the drama playing out in Southern Cameroons is just a logical outcome of the misrule and mismanagement that have been the hallmark of his government. His efforts to get things under control have so far proven to be sterile. The adage that the day a monkey has to die, all trees and branches will become slippery is gradually applying to the Yaoundé regime that is already running out of steam.

While the government is trying to put on a poker face in public, it is gradually coming to terms with the fact that negotiating could be the best way out of the mess it has created for itself. The silence from both Yaoundé and Abuja clearly speaks to the negotiations that are currently underway in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. According to our sources which elected anonymity, the United Nations and Cameroon government negotiators are already on the ground to convince the arrested leaders to walk away from their hard stance. Our source adds that the UN, Nigeria and Cameroon have no appetite for secession and that they are pressurizing the Ambazonian leaders to accept the government’s offer – decentralization – which will still leave the Yaoundé government with extensive powers.

The Anglophone leaders, for their part, are insisting on having frank discussions on the future of the new Ambazonian nation. They have clearly indicated that the government of Cameroon cannot be trusted, as it has always spoken from both sides of its mouth. They point to the unimplemented 1996 constitution that had provided for extensive decentralization, arguing that the best they could settle for would be American or Canadian-style federalism that will grant the regions full autonomy.  The government of Cameroon, noted for its love of power and control, is also not yielding any ground and this is causing the negotiations to stall. This is why there is a deafening silence, as all stakeholders want to keep everything under wraps in order not to ruin any efforts made.

But their silence is not helping matters. Cameroonians – both Francophones and Anglophones – are looking forward to a possible way out of the crisis and the fighters on the ground are still committed to fighting. If they get informed that there are negotiations underway, this could lead to a long truce and many more lives will be spared. The solution to the Southern Cameroons crisis will never be found in the battlefield. Both parties must understand that fighting has never really addressed any issues. On the contrary, it creates new problems even after the battles have been fought and abandoned. The proliferation of arms in Southern Cameroons will be the next issue that will haunt both parties after the fighting.

While many observers hail the secret negotiations, they however call on the Cameroon government to swallow its pride and play its role as a responsible government by making key concessions that will take the wind out of the fighters’ sails. Many Southern Cameroonians have been hurt and for more than five decades, they have never found an appropriate medium to express their frustration. The current crisis therefore offers them a platform to tell their story. Unfortunately, this story is being written with blood instead of the finest ink on the market. They have been pushed to the wall for too long and they hold that fighting back is the only option available to them; after all, their fate is worse than death.

The tension and disaster playing out in Cameroon remain major concerns to many peace-loving Cameroonians. Many experts hold that it is time for the government to change its rhetoric and strategy so as the win hearts and minds. They argue that it must understand that those who make peaceful change impossible only make violent change inevitable. They stress that military brutality will not deliver the right results, as it will only radicalize many and swell the ranks of the secessionists. It will also only help the fighters to be frozen in their positions. They hope the government will come to its senses.

By Betek Kingsley

West Africa Bureau Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

The prolonged holding of the President and prominent members of the Ambazonia interim government by a Nigerian Security Outfit after their abduction more than a week ago, underscores the dilemma facing the Nigerian government.  The bungled operation was intended to be an assassination project blamed on alleged individuals from Ambazonia opposed to the interim government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. A claim of responsibility for the crime would have been made shortly after the assassination. The Federal Government would as it is required in such circumstances have condemned the assassination and promised a swift and efficient investigation to fish out the assassins.   Ambazonian refugees in Nigeria would have been the primary targets of these investigations. Till this moment, the Federal Government of Nigeria has not come out with a comprehensive statement taking responsibility for the abduction and providing the reasons for the abduction. The inability of the Federal Government to make a comprehensive public statement on the matter portray the Federal government in very bad light. That an abduction occurred  in Federal Capital territory, and seat of power without an official explanation, portray a negative image of the Federal government, its security and intelligence network with a mission to provide security to Nigerians and persons on the territory of Nigeria. If anything, an anxious analysis of the abduction appears to portray a miasma of conflicting interests whose unintended outcome if not well controlled, may haunt the soul of the soul of the federation for long.

It comes as no surprise that several French Cameroun’s intelligence operations with a mission to assassinate Ambazonian leaders and thousands of refugees in Nigeria are coordinated from its Embassy in Abuja and Consulate in Calabar. Some infiltrated military defectors whom we wrote about in a previous publication were deployed to join in a coordinated planned operation to abduct and assassinate our leaders.  Others are French Cameroun’s certified Boko Haram hostage facilitators/negotiators with close links to the political Islam power base in Northern Nigeria and Northern French Cameroun. The ailing Ahmadou Ali and Isa Tchiroma Bakary are among the key members of this crime syndicate. 

The prosecution of the war against Boko Haram and facilitating/negotiating hostage release is the Alibaba war chest on which the political empire of these zealots is built and sustained within and across national frontiers.  Paul Biya and his Beti ethnic controlled neo-colonial army have benefitted from this war by corruptly amassing enormous wealth and by selectively deploying mainly Ambazonian and Bamileke military commanders and soldiers to be slaughtered. There is a disproportionate number of soldiers from these communities killed through sabotage operations or as war casualties. The same trend occurred during French Cameroun’s military deployments to Ambazonia territory of Bakassi. The same trend is occurring in the ongoing war of aggression against Ambazonia.  Ambazonia is a cash cow for French Cameroun’s warlords’ crime syndicate.

The declaration of war against Ambazonia was not intended to keep cameroun one and indivisible, because it has never been.  There is no international law and treaty base or justification for the existence of such a union. The war is intended to provide another opportunity for Paul Biya and his ethnic dominated army to mobilize resources on the precious blood of Ambazonians to enable him eternalize power and control over Ambazonia’s mineral and natural resources economy. French Cameroun citizens mobilized against Ambazonia for defending its citizens and its territorial integrity are mere puppets in the hands and control of the sanguinary butcher Paul Biya to attain his personal political power ambitions.

The Ambazonian revolution and its revolutionary leadership under President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe stood on the way of Paul and French Cameroun’s continued colonial annexation agenda. For this, Paul Biya initiated a plan to abduct and assassinate them in Nigeria. For this to materialize, he needed the complicity and support of influential power brokers within the corridors of power and security operatives within the intelligence services.  This required an elaborate corruption scheme for the success of the operation and it’s cover up.

 If the purpose of the abduction was to investigate an alleged violation, a summons, an invitation or a warrant properly obtained and executed would have fulfilled that legitimate rule of law purpose.  They needed all Ambazonian to be in one place to facilitate their abduction and execution. The delayed flight schedule of Millan Atam and his late arrival at the venue of the meeting where the abductions occurred changed the fate of the operation.   He eluded abduction upon being informed of the fate of the President and members of the interim government who were with him.

Political assassinations are a common fixture of the Nigeria society. This one would not have come as a surprise to most Nigerians although Ambazonians would have held French Cameroun accountable.  The corruptive implications of some people within the Nigerian security and intelligence community would have been alleged but not that of official Nigerian government involvement. The official involvement of the Federal Government would not have been reasonably contemplated considering that the abductees are persons of considerable weight internationally who were legally in Nigeria and their respective residences were well known to Nigerian security and intelligence services. The interim President had just returned from a trip from the United States of America passing through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja. Millan Atam travelled from South Africa passing through the same airport.  The Federal Government would never have been reasonably suspected of being behind or complicit in the assassinations had they occurred as planned.

The failure of the operation left the Federal government struggling more than a week after to find a justification for the abductions. It still has not, underscoring the enormity of the embarrassment and confusion. The Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs lacked the appropriate words to characterize the abduction; telling newsmen who confronted him about the abduction that he had met security units who conducted the operation and did not know whether it as an arrest or an invitation to the abductees to submit to investigations which were ongoing.  The answer provided by the Hon Minister underscores the embarrassment caused by the abductions as well the dilemma the Federal Government finds itself in on this matter.

It is possible that several units of the Nigerian intelligence and security community were not aware of the operation or were not informed after it occurred. It is also possible that several members of the Federal Government, possibly the President were not aware either.  The surprise evident in the cursory information provided by the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs points in that direction. This was unusual because intelligence sharing is a critical security operational imperative.  The fact that neither the Attorney General of the Federation or the Inspector-General of Police made a statement on the abductions may also be a credible indicator.

The silence by the French Cameroun government through its genocide apologist and prominent member of the Boko Haram facilitation/negotiation criminal network Isa Tchiroma Bakary is a result of it’s total frustration for the failure of the operation and its fallout.  In the aftermath of the failed operation, French Cameroun struggled to have the captives delivered to it but again this option failed. The request for Nigeria to deliver the abductees to French Cameroun in violation of international law, its national legislation and its constitution had it occurred, would have attained the same objective for French Cameroun of having them executed through a court-martial. Although, manifestly illegal, that would have at least whitewashed the execution process as an exercise of sovereignty by both nations. Judicially whitewashed assassinations and executions are standard practice in French Cameroun. This is not an acceptable policy in Nigeria under civilian rule where the rule of law is the pillar of Nigerian democracy and the legitimacy of its Federal institutions.  Complicity in handing over Ambazonian leaders to a sanguinary genocidal regime would have stained the soul of Nigeria and provided a precedent for similar treatment to be meted out to Nigerian citizens worldwide. Nigeria prides itself as the giant of Africa and must not be influenced by French Cameroun to support its campaign of genocide against Ambazonia and Nigeria citizens on the territory of Ambazonia.

Nigeria must not forget so soon that the ICJ Bakassi Judgment left the question on the determination of nationality unresolved and thus outstanding.  It was and is a sensitive matter touching on the life of the Federation.  Politicians from Cross River State as well as their peers in all the border communities continue to raise this matter in the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives. French Cameroun gendarmes and soldiers continue to massacre these civilians without any concrete attempts on the part of the Nigerian government to abate the criminal and provocative attacks on this civilian population.

French Cameroun conceded before the ICJ that the citizens on the disputed territory of Ambazonia were Nigerians. Lately one of French Cameroun’s ethnic genocide ideologue Enoh Meyomesse in a widely publicized article stated that Ambazonians fighting back in self defence against French Cameroun aggression were Nigerians and should be exterminated. One Owona Nguini another ethnic genocide ideologue echoed the same sentiments.  A television channel TV4 closed to the crime syndicate in power called Ambazonians rats, a colonial governor called them dogs and a colonial proconsul ordered Ambazonians in Manyu county to vacate their ancestral homes and close all human and economic activities within the county. Considered with the massacre and harassment of citizens whom French Cameroun conceded at the ICJ were of Nigerian nationality and required protections afforded by international law, and the ongoing genocide in Ambazonia aimed at Ambazonians of the same ethnic affiliation, must Nigeria continue to play the Ostrich while the genocide continues unabated?

 The question that Nigeria must consider seriously in deciding which side to support in the ongoing genocide in Ambazonia is, with the nationality issue deferred by the ICJ unresolved, with the common ethnic and nationality composition of the declared war zones, with over two million Nigerian citizens facing the genocidal onslaught of French Cameroun, will Nigeria aid the genocide of Ambazonia and with it that of its ethnic nationalities?  Where does the moral compass direct Nigeria to pitch its tent of national and human dignity and continental relevance in preventing an ongoing genocide at its door steps?

The declaration of war aiming the border communities with Nigeria and consistently closing the borders with Nigeria and violating the international borders with Nigeria were calculated acts of provocation against Nigeria. Should Nigeria reward these acts of international brigandage and criminality by supporting the genocide against Ambazonia? Nigeria pursuant to the Greentree Agreement, must give the criminal invader French Cameroun, an ultimatum to withdraw its forces to its borders at independence on January 1, 1960 which is at the River Mungo and nowhere near the war front within the Nigerian border communities which is within the territory of Ambazonia. Nigeria must additionally obey the Judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja that enjoined Nigeria to take the Southern Cameroons case to the UN and other international courts for adjudication. Nigeria cannot legally recognize or support the criminal activities of French Cameroun in Ambazonia in violation of the Judgment of its own Federal High Court Abuja. Were that to occur, then the rule of law on which the soul of the Federation is anchored will be significantly violated. 

Chairman and Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

When news broke out that the President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Julius Ayuk Tabe, and his cabinet had been arrested in Nigeria, many people thought that was the end of the struggle. A feeling of frustration and despondency swept across the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, especially in Manyu Division, Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe’s place of birth. The Yaounde government had already planned a huge party, with many journalists waiting at the airport in Yaounde to take a peek at the fallen Ambazonian leaders. The struggle was being discredited in many quarters in Francophone Cameroon, but the party was not going to last. The government had organized a party that might never be.

Milan Atam, the new Southern Cameroonian hero, had cut the party short. His late arrival at the meeting venue where Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe and his comrades were holding a meeting on refugee management turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Milan Atam had witnessed flight delays and this happened to be God’s plan. He quickly turned off the Yaounde music that had been blaring to the dismay of Southern Cameroonians. The Southern Cameroonian struggle seems to have received the blessing of the Almighty and Mr. Atam did all the right things. He immediately put the information on social media and informed the network of lawyers that sprang into immediate action. This helped to puncture the move by the Biya regime to cut off the neck of the struggle. Today, the African Bar Association is up in arms against the federal government which it accuses of abduction.

The Nigerian Secret Services has been left with a hot potato on its hands. It has been tricked by the corrupt government in Yaounde to join a mission that was doomed to failure right from the beginning. Poor planning and early celebrations speak to the quality of investment that had been put into the event. Millions of dollars are alleged to have been spent on this failed mission. Rene Sadi, Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, was in Abuja on the day the drama was playing out and a Cameroonian military jet was seen at the Abuja international airport ready to pick up Mr. Ayuk Tabe and his cabinet to Yaounde where they would have been ridiculed and maybe sent to an early grave.

But this may never happen. The road ahead is long. Cameroon has ended up with a huge embarrassment on its hands. It has to explain to the Buhari government how it had to corrupt members of its secret service just to abduct Southern Cameroonians who are being considered in Nigeria as freedom fighters.

The Southern Cameroons crisis that had started cooling off has been thrust back to the global arena and the entire world is now aware of the Machiavellian plan the Yaounde government has been hatching while pretending to preach dialogue and unity. The road ahead is long and bumpy. The only chance the Yaounde government now has is to try an extradition application. But as things stand, Cameroon and Nigeria have no extradition treaty and some of those arrested are refugees recognized by the United Nations, while others hold American and European passports.

This might have caused the Nigerian government to panic. It has promptly declared that it had not arrested the group of freedom fighters, but from every indication, not many people are buying into what Nigerian authorities are selling. Besides, Mr. Ayuk Tabe is well connected in Nigeria. He was granted the presidency of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia because of his ability to carry the Southern Cameroonian crisis to the right places. His tentacles reach the highest levels of the Nigerian government.

For now, a few big Nigerian guns have come out to throw a few jabs at the Cameroon government for its recklessness and abuse of human rights. Speaking on the BBC Focus on Africa on Thursday, January 11, 2018, Nigeria’s former president,Olusegun Obasanjo, called on the government of Cameroon to treat its citizens with dignity. But the most vocal calls have come from the Governor of Cross River State. He has been throwing lots of punches and striking the right places. He has chided the federal government for doing nothing to ensure that the Southern Cameroons problem is properly addressed so as to stem the flow of refugees into his state.

By chasing Southern Cameroonians out of their homes in Manyu Division, the government of Cameroon has unfortunately internationalized the Southern Cameroons crisis. If care is not taken, the fighting in Manyu Division and the abduction of Ambazonian leaders could finally drag Nigeria into the mess. The mess is spreading and very fast too. Everyone is expecting to see the Yaounde government submit its extradition application which will be examined in a Nigerian court.

A tough battle lies ahead since as a rule of international law, extradition is not automatic. According to Dr. Mbeli Valentine Tebi, a holder of a Ph.D in law from a NigerianUniversity and the current dean of the faculty of law in a Ugandan university, “there is no obligation on states to extradite suspects or offenders to other sovereign states. Extradition is largely regulated by conventional international law through the instrument of treaties. This rule however operates subject to an exception.Even where there exists an extradition treaty allowing a sovereign state to arrest and deliver a fugitive to another state to stand trial or serve a punishment, there is an explicit legal procedure that must be followed. This procedure is espoused in the relevant statutory instruments. Extradition is not simply an arrest and handover process. It has to go through the rigorous process of court adjudication where an application to that effect may either be granted or rejected. A decision not favourable to any party to an extradition suit may equally be appealed through the relevant appellate channels to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court.”

He adds that “It is trite law that an extradition order will not been granted where it is aimed at prosecuting or punishing the fugitive on account of the fugitive’s race, religion, nationality or political opinions.” He points to Section 3(2) (a) of the Extradition Act, adding that political offences are clearly not extraditable.

According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Country Office in Nigeria, these offences are “acts or conducts that are directed against governments or sovereign authorities of state without elements of common crime. These crimes violate the State and not any individual person.” “Examples of political offences have been given by Kenelly J.J. to include treason, sedition, espionage and, to a large extent, disagreement with state ideology. The crimes alleged to have been committed by the Ambazonian leaders by all descriptions fit the notion of political crimes which as earlier indicated, are not extraditable,” he stressed.

The arrest of the leaders seems to be delivering some good fortunes. While the leaders sit quietly in their luxurious villa in Abuja and are enjoying their VIP treatment, many observers are already arguing that this is time for the government of Cameroon to meet Southern Cameroonians halfway. The Yaounde government is clearly running out of options. Its bullying and intimidation have only gone a long way in radicalizing Southern Cameroonians. Its military action in Manyu Division has only sent many young military men to an early grave and this is causing the Francophone majority to start asking questions about the usefulness of an expensive and poorly thought out military adventure.

It should be recalled that Mr. Ayuk Tabe had once clearly stated that Nigeria would be a huge player in any negotiations with the Yaounde government and this might turn out to be the case. Though Cameroon’s minister of communication, Issa Tchiroma, had declared last Saturday that his government had nothing to do with the abduction of Ambazonian leaders, it is obvious that the Yaounde government has been given food-for-thought by this action that has once more exposed it as an iron fist in a velvet glove.

The Southern Cameroons crisis will never be addressed through brinkmanship. The Cameroon government will have to swallow its pride and go over to Abuja to talk about the new republic whose time has come. While in captivity, Ambazonian leaders may be asked to tone down their rhetoric and walk away from their gospel of separation. They will also be called upon to embrace a new philosophy – federalism – which will bring more power to the regions and transform Yaounde into an empty shell. Abuja will certainly require a median path. Secession will not be in its interest and given the failure of the unitary state, it might have to breathe down the neck of the Yaounde government for it to accept the lesser of two evils – federalism. Yaounde just like Ambazonia must come to the realization that their chances are greater at the negotiating table than in the Manyu jungle where many young men have been sent to an early grave.  Many political analysts and observers are already seeing a silver lining on this political and military cloud that has been hanging over the country for more than a year like the Sword of Damocles. It is time to talk and both parties must swallow their egos to face the truth.

By Betek Kingley in Abuja