Southern Cameroons Crisis: Norway extends Ayaba Cho’s detention ⁰

The Norwegian judiciary has extended the pre-trial detention of separatist leader Lucas Ayaba Cho until June 30, an additional eight weeks following the expiration of his fourth successive police custody on May 5, according to judicial sources.

Ayaba Cho, whose legal name is Lucas Yabah Cho, heads the Ambazonia Defence Force movement, which coordinates numerous armed groups in the conflict-ridden North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon. He is accused of inciting crimes against humanity and financing violent separatist activities.

This decision marks the fifth consecutive extension of his detention since his arrest in Oslo in September 2024. The suspect had publicly claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

Emmanuel Nsahlaï, a U.S.-based lawyer of Cameroonian origin who has initiated international legal proceedings against Lucas Ayaba Cho, explained, “The trial could take up to two years to begin, but the Norwegian judicial authorities have emphasized that this extended detention complies with international human rights standards, given the complexity and seriousness of the case.”

Source: Sbbc