Members of a group demanding the secession of the southwest of Cameroon, as Republic of Ambazonia, have demanded the release of their leaders detained by security operatives in Nigeria.

They said the detained leaders can be compared to Nigeria’s late leaders who fought for independence including Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo.

The secessionist leaders were taken into custody by the Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency after they crossed the border into Nigeria for a meeting on January 5.

The Anglophone Cameroonians, led by their president, Julius Tabe, declared the secession of Federal Republic of Ambazonia from Cameroon in October 2017.

Various groups, including Amnesty International have warned against their extradition to Cameroon by the Nigerian government.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Ambazonia’s secretary for communication and information technology, Chris Anu, the group condemned the silence of the Nigerian government since the arrest of its leaders.

It expressed dismay that Nigeria has not considered even a press statement on the matter.

“The Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia (the former British Southern Cameroons), notes with dismay, the fact that since abducted at gunpoint on January 5th, 2018, the President, Julius Ayuk Tabe and 10 other members of his Cabinet have not been granted access to any lawyers and family members by the Nigerian Government which we are now aware that in complicity with the Cameroon regime in Yaoundé, engineered their abduction.

“We condemn vehemently, the fact that the Nigerian government, more than a week after the abductions, has not as much considered a press statement on the abductions even when the majority of those abducted are duly registered refugees in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is a signatory to International conventions on human rights, and to be acting recklessly as it is doing in this case, is a bridge of those conventions.

“The Interim Government IG, of Ambazonia calls on the Nigerian authorities to immediately effect the unconditional release of our President and the 10 others abducted along with him on January 5th.

“We are demanding for the immediate and unconditional release of: Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor, Dr. Fidelis Nde Che, Dr. Henry Kimeng, Prof. Che Awasum, Dr. Cornelius Kwanga, Mr. Tassang Wilfred, Dr. Ojong Okonghor, Barrister Nalowa Bih, Barrister Shufai Blaise Berinyuh and Barrister Eyambe Elias.”

The statement said the detainees are not Cameroonians and should not be considered as attempting to foment trouble in Cameroon. It warned that Ambazonia would commence the process for destabilising the economy of Cameroon, if assaults on its citizens continued.

“We like to bring to the attention of the Nigerian Government, and the world at large the fact that these victims abducted in the guise of fomenting trouble in the nation of Cameroon are not Cameroonians. They are Ambazonians. And as long as the Cameroon Government continues the military occupation, assault, rape, killings and the savagery on property in the Ambazonian territory, our resolve to launch a campaign aimed at economic divestment in la Republic du Cameroun will not relent.

“We will target foreign companies that do business in La Republique du Cameroun and whose revenue supports Mr. Paul Biya’s corrupt and inefficient functionaries. It is time for Western Governments to pass a Cameroon Divestment Act that will force their governments to cut investment ties with companies doing business in La Republique du Cameroun. But if they don’t, our actions will definitely force them to do so.

“The Interim Government will like to make this clarification; The Cameroon crisis isn’t about secessionists or separatists, as is being widely reported. Ours is rather a classic problem of a failed decolonization from British colonial rule.

“If Britain had granted Southern Cameroons independence like all other colonial powers did to their territories, this problem would not be here now. So let it be made plain and clear, Ambazonians are not separatists or secessionists, we are freedom fighters in the order of Nkrumah, Lumumba, Awolowo, Azikiwe, John Garang, Nyerere etc., fighting colonization by La Republique du Cameroun.

“The Union between La Republique du Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons was never consummated,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the Republic of Ambazonia will continue its campaign across global regions ‘until it lives free or dies’ trying to attain freedom. It vowed that Ambazonia Republic would not give in, despite lack of support from the international community.

“The IG of Ambazonia, will continue worldwide campaigns for Southern Cameroons’ right to self-determination and continuous nonviolent protest within Cameroon until our dream of a completely free and independent Ambazonia is achieved. Nothing less.

“Abducting our leaders isn’t going to deter us, it will only just spur us the more. And killing, arrest, torture, rape and even a hundred thousand more refugees will not deter our resolve.

“We have battled the injustice forced upon us by the British Government for 56 years. If the International Community thinks we are now ready to let go at this juncture, it is mistaken. If the UN, EU, Commonwealth, the AU, the US and British governments want to stop a bloodbath in Cameroon, THE TIME IS NOW, not tomorrow. Every one of us, eight million Ambazonians will be killed before our territory will be made part of Cameroun again.”

Since the declaration of secession from Cameroon in October, members of the group had clashed several times with Cameroonian authorities.

In December, a delegation from President Paul Biya was received by Nigerian authorities in what was regarded as a meeting to strengthen the diplomatic bond between the two countries.

Credible sources however told PREMIUM TIMES that the delegation’s mission was to ask for the help of the Nigerian government for the arrest of about 15 leaders of the Ambazonia agitation.

Source: Premium Times

The  UN  Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed’s  emergency meeting on the arrest of the Interim President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 9 of his top aides in Nigeria showed Abuja “the world is watching” its actions.

Madam Amina Mohammed reportedly called the meeting during her recent trip to Nigeria after acknowledging that the UN was following closely the developments in Anglophone Cameroon. Nigerian President Buhari and members of his administration had privately praised the anti-Ambazonian action carried out by the DSS and had also settled down for an extradition.

But the UN and the African Bar Association and some other interested parties said Africa’s most powerful nation had no business weighing in on the crisis in Southern Cameroons. The leadership of the African Bar Association based in Lagos, Nigeria was quoted as saying that the Nigerian government should applaud the courage of Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and amplify their message portraying their struggle for self determination as a human rights issue that is spilling slowly but surely over into the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigerian elected representatives have complained openly that the Buhari administration was dragging a nation focused on domestic security issues into what they called a foreign matter. Nigerian foreign missions in several other countries have expressed reservations about whether it was right to detain the Ambazonian leaders.

Nigeria is aware that the UN charter empowers the Security Council to “investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction,” and the lawyer representing the Ambazonian Interim Government is not alone in thinking the Abuja arrest qualified.

Our West Africa Bureau Chief, Kingsley Betek who contributed to this report said the Buhari administration says it is their responsibility … to assess whether the presence of the Interim Government leaders on Nigerian soil could become a threat to Abuja’s peace and security.

The UN boss was given assurances that Nigeria was designing a preventive measure to avoid further escalation of violence in Southern Cameroons.  Abuja is expected to publicly call on the Francophone dominated government in Yaoundé to set up a process to address any serious human rights violations and hold accountable anyone involved.

At least 755 people have been killed and hundreds arrested amid the anti- French Cameroun government protests and unrest. Up to 42,000 people have fled to Nigeria, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  The outspoken governor of Cross River State has urged the Nigerian Federal Government to react carefully with all the vigilance required. A legal auditioning of the leaders is expected to begin soon.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Tensions continue to climb in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions, following the arrest of as many as 11 separatist leaders earlier this month in neighboring Nigeria.

Panic gripped the residents of several towns in Cameroon’s anglophone southwest Monday, as separatist groups vow to keep up the pressure for the release of their leaders detained in Nigeria.

The southwest capital of Buea was abuzz with reports that unidentified armed men were attacking schools and had reportedly kidnapped two traders. The confusion spread to Muea, Muyuka, Kumba and other towns in the southwest.

VOA could find no eyewitnesses to any alleged violence. No security officials have confirmed the reports of attacks, but panic ensued nonetheless.

VOA met textile trader Anne Mankaa early Tuesday at the main market in Buea. The city was quiet, but she and several other traders had decided to keep their shops closed.

“It was a terrible day. Everybody was running to every direction. I first of all locked myself in my shop, but the shouting and running made me to change my mind. I trekked through the bush to my house,” she said.

Buea Mayor Ekema Patrick blames rumors for the panic.

“We have been moving around to assure the parents that life has regained its normalcy within the municipality,” said Patrick.

At the Government Bilingual Grammar school Molyko in Buea, school teacher Emmanuel Amin said barely 20 percent of his students had returned to class Tuesday.

“Today as we speak, we have 71 students. All our teachers are in place. Maybe we will have more students coming in,” said Amin.

Southwest regional Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai says secessionist groups are trying to manipulate the public.

“We should remain vigilant. Parents should continue to protect their children and allow them to go to schools. The children have already suffered last year. It should not happen again this year. Security measures have been put in place to protect the entire population and all their activities,” said the governor.

Demonstrators march during a protest against perceived discrimination in favour of the country’s francophone majority, Sept. 22, 2017 in Bamenda, the main town in northwest Cameroon and an anglophone hub.

The anglophone crisis began in November 2016, when teachers and lawyers in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions went on strike. The strike devolved into violent unrest and stalemate, shuttering schools for a year. Meanwhile, separatist groups emerged calling for the two anglophone regions to break away.

In October, the secessionist groups declared a new state they call “Ambazonia.” The declaration sparked deadly unrest, and there have since been several clashes in Cameroon between suspected separatists and the military.

The so-called president of “Ambazonia” and at least eight other people were arrested January 5th in Nigeria.

The separatists have declared a curfew three days a week for residents of the southwest and northwest until their leaders are freed.

In a news release emailed to new agencies Tuesday, a group identifying itself as the interim government of “Ambazonia” said Nigerian authorities are keeping 11 of their leaders detained incommunicado, without access to lawyers or relatives.

Amnesty International has expressed concern the detainees could face “torture and unfair trials if extradited from Nigeria.” The government of Cameroon has declined to comment on the arrests.

Culled from the VOA