US Congressional Visit: Ambazonia Vice President declares 24-Hour ceasefire ⁰

Declaration of a 24-Hour Unilateral Ceasefire from the Ambazonia Security Council (ASC) starting Midnight 2 July, 2019, to allow the visiting US Congressional Delegation safe and unfettered access to the sites of the crimes of the past 2 years.

The Ambazonia Security Council (ASC), and representatives of other ally Ambazonia community self defence groups fighting to end the occupation of our land by the French Neo-colonial regime in Cameroun, after consultation with our community leaders in an extraordinary meeting, do sign this declaration to commit to a 24-Hour Unilateral Ceasefire to go into effect on midnight today 2 July 2019.

We take this step as a good-faith response to the fact-finding tour of the ongoing conflict between our self-defence forces and the forces of the Cameroun regime which has been undertaken by United States Congresswoman Karen Bass, the Chair and leader of the Foreign Affairs and National Security Task Force of the Congressional Black Caucus, and her team. This decision is to ensure unfettered access to Rep. Bass’s team as they gather the facts on the ground to pave the way for a fast end to the killings and eventual resolution of the roots of the conflict.

We acknowledge the personal efforts of Rep. Bass to get the US Congress to pay attention to this war; stating with her H.Res.1111 of the 115th Congress, and now H.Res. 358 of the 116th Congress.

It is our fervent belief that the Congressional Black Caucus can live up to its credo of the “Conscience of the Congress,” as we saw it do in the battle against Apartheid in South Africa.

In taking this action, we also call others to action: 1. We call on the Cameroun authorities to do the same and declare a 24-hour unilateral ceasefire as a sign of their interest in finding a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

1. We call on the Cameroun government to allow humanitarian groups unlimited access to our territory as requested by the US, Sweden and other representatives to the UN Security Council at the past two briefings.
2. We call on Rep. Bass and her team to visit the sites where some of the most horrendous international crimes the world has seen in decades have taken place, including:

• The site in Bambui where Cameroun forces assassinated US Missionary Charles Wesco;

• Menka- Pinyin, were 29 youths were summarily executed in broad daylight at a hotel by Cameroun soldiers and to this day the regime is still to provide an explanation to the mourning families;

• Kwakwa, where Mami Appih Sarah, 96 years old, was burnt alive in her bed when Cameroun soldiers burnt down the village;

• Belo, where Cameroun soldiers murdered and beheaded Chiaba Samuel alias Sam Soya and photographed themselves doing the beheading and put it on social media;

• Mamfe, were Kenyan Missionary Cosmas Omboto Ondari was summarily executed in front of his congregation by Cameroun soldiers;

• Bali, where Cameroon soldiers summarily executed 20 students and burned their bodies on one occasion, and in another the teacher of CPC Bali College Ndeh Blaise was shot and killed in cold blood while his colleagues who tried to help him where shot and severely injured without cause;

• Batibo, where a family of 10 were all summarily executed by Cameroun soldiers;

• Mile 8 Mankon, Bamenda, where 126 homes were burnt to the ground by Cameroun soldiers;

• Kumba, where the General Hospital was burnt to the ground by Cameroon soldiers;

• Mbengwi were medical workers Nancy Azah and Njong Paddisco were summarily executed on their way from their farm by Cameroun soldiers at a barricade, sparking a general protest by medical workers in the North zone;

• Muyuka were 5 months old baby Martha Ngum, was shot point blank ten times on the head while asleep in her parents’ bedroom by Cameroun forces;

• Yaounde Central and Principal Prisons- Kondegui where 236 civilians are being held incommunicado without access to lawyers or families, under the pretense that they are being handled through the military court, which is a violation of international law by Cameroun and the list continues.

1. We call on Rep. Bass and her team to support US Senators Durbin, Cardin, Van Hollen and Kaine’s NDAA Amendment To Halt Security Assistance To Cameroun, and to initiate a similar amendment to related House bills in order to pressure the Cameroon regime with the imminent removal of aid.
2. We call on Rep. Bass and her team to give voice to and strongly decry the malicious targeting of our civilian population, which is pushing hundreds of thousands into a state of homelessness and exile. We are painfully aware of the suffering of our people, and know that shining the light on this situation is a necessary step to putting us on a path to a peaceful end of the occupation.

We also take this opportunity to highlight that we are ready and open to engage in honest peaceful negotiation with Cameroun facilitated by independent impartial non-participant third parties — which most definitely excludes France and the other neo-colonial French regimes that are using the French neo-colonial currency formerly known as the Colonies Françaises d’Afrique (CFA) Franc.

Our signature to this unilateral ceasefire declaration only commits us to non-offensive action during this 24-hour period, but we will hold to our positions and remain alert, aware Cameroon forces might try to exploit the ceasefire posture to ambush on our positions.

We hope this unilateral ceasefire is seen for what it could be: the first step on our path to end this conflict and build a new sub region based on the rule of international law.

Yours truly,
Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Ambazonia