Southern Cameroons Crisis: ADF and Boko Haram Inch Closer to Agreement ⁰

The Southern Cameroons crisis which started in October 2016 with demands by Southern Cameroonian lawyers and teachers has taken a turn for the worse, as Dr. Cho Ayaba’s Ambazonia Defense Forces and Boko Haram are exploring ways of cooperating with a view to making things terribly messy for the government of Cameroon which still holds that the Anglophone problem which is a typical political issue can only be addressed militarily.

Speaking to an ADFmilitary official who elected anonymity, it is clear that the days ahead would be very unsettling for Cameroonians. The general advised that they were capable of striking fear into the minds of Cameroonians as a means of dragging the aging government to the negotiating table. He pointed to the killing of more than 20 government troops over the last month, especially in Manyu Division, advising that their hit-and-run tactics were paying off.

He stressed that they would continue to act like the Vietcong until the government of Cameroon found the need to call for inclusive dialogue as requested by the Vatican and the international community. He said the placing of bombs in markets, churches, mosques and social gatherings was not excluded, adding that all was fair in love and war.

He pointed out that the killing of many government army troops was proof that ADF was capable of inflicting significant damage to Cameroon’s forces that are neither well trained nor motivated to fight a war that is unconventional. He stressed that his troops would continue to hit the government where it hurt the most, adding that what will soon befall the country will reduce what has so far happenedto a dress rehearsal.

He urged government troops to resist killing ordinary Cameroonians as that would only lead to the killing of soldiers, adding that many more families would soon be without their loved ones as the conflict would be taking a different turn. He urged Cameroonians, especially Francophones, to join the struggle in order to rid themselves of a man who had robbed them of their dignity.

Asked about rumors of an impending alliance with Boko Haram, the ADF officer laughed off the rumor, adding that the most important issue facing Cameroon for now was the Biya government that was without a vision and no sense of direction. He stressed that while the main objective as stated by Dr. Lucas Cho Ayabawas to liberate Southern Cameroons from the exploitative relation with East Cameroon, it would be good if the minority in Cameroon could bid the Biya regime goodbye and restore real democracy in Cameroon.

In this regard, he said an alliance with other enemies of the system would be welcome and that there were efforts underway to establish strategic alliances with whoever wants to see the Biya government out of power. “We are ready and prepared for any alliance that will help us achieve our goal,” he said. He pointed out that Boko Haram that was very active in the North was the outcome of poor governance, adding that it would be hard to eradicate the insurgency in the North due to deep-rooted systemic corruption.

Asked about Mr. Biya’s statement upon arrival in Yaounde on Thursday, November 30, 2017, about the killing of soldiers in Agborkem and Otu in Manyu Division, the general laughed and said those were empty threats that would not help to bring about peace in the region. He said they had heard that before and would not yield to such noise.

He said if Mr. Biya was coming out to make such a statement, it meant their tactics were having the right impact. He said for more than one year, the Cameroon leader had been acting as if all was fine in the country. He stressed that the country should be ready for the worse, as ADF was prepared to shock the world to prove that Mr. Biya and his troops cannot really govern the country.

He said they were looking forward to the actions Mr. Biya had promised, adding that more troops in Southern Cameroons meant more body bags heading back to French Cameroon as his men would know how to handle the ill-trained troops who are not even motivated to fight a war they know nothing about.

He revealed that ADF was looking to recruit Liberians who are seasoned fighters. He said their experience in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire would surely come in handy in Cameroon. He also said that since most of them would be mercenaries and had no emotional attachment to Cameroonian troops, they would really achieve the goals that would be set for them.

He however called on the government to avert bloodshed by calling for genuine and inclusive dialogue. He said though both parties were still frozen in their positions, there was still an opportunity for things to be discussed at the negotiating.

He said time was fast running out, adding that it would be in everybody’s interest if a peaceful solution was sought, instead of using brute force that is sending many young men to an early grave. Cameroon could be an oasis of peace if its leaders could ensure that all grievances were dealt with in a democratic manner, he said.

Asked about their troops, he said they were doing fine, adding that Dr. Ayaba had just finished visiting their troops in Nigeria and other parts of the continent. He said their morale was high and that they were ready for action. He said for those who had a sense of history, they would remember that it was young men and women who had run into exile when Mobutu was slaughtering his own people who came back to chase him out of power.

“Our fighters may look like a ragtag military, but they are effective and reliable. We are not concerned about the government’s display of force. All of that is just grandstanding. We will continue to erode their confidence until they understand that we are a dangerous group that must liberate Southern Cameroons,” he stressed. He called on the government to look into the mirror of history so as to learn the lessons of life. He said Congolese (Zairean) rebels were once refugees and when they had learned the tricks, they had to come back to send Mr. Mobutu to an early grave.

He said those refugees in Nigeria would one day come back to bite the government of Cameroon as they are really bitter. He promised that before long, the world would be ridding itself of another African dictator who has brought death and destruction to his people. He said the attacks on the soldiers would be stepped up in the coming days, especially in Manyu Division, where there are no roads. He said those dirt roads would be booby traps that would consume army soldiers in the days ahead. He added that the vast border between Manyu Division and Nigeria provided them the perfect cover they needed to reduce the government to a laughing stock.

A Cameroon Concord News Production