The Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government, Dabney Yerima has called on the African Union to censure the recent extrajudicial killings in Menchum and Lebialem Counties and the indiscriminate arrest of teenagers at Banya Quarters in Mamfe by soldiers loyal to the Biya French Cameroun regime in Yaoundé. He also demanded accountability for the occupying army over its shoot-to-kill policy in Southern Cameroons.

Speaking to members of his war cabinet after his televised address on Tuesday, Vice President Yerima hinted that the jailed leaders will be in the Yaounde Court of Appeal today Thursday 16 of July 2020 amid ongoing killings in the Menchum and Lebialem Counties. These happenings and the French Cameroun army’s recent activity in Mamfe must be understood by the African Union and the United Nations within the context of the French Cameroun regime’s widespread and systematic shoot-to-kill policy targeting Southern Cameroonians, Yerima observed.

The exiled Southern Cameroons leader added that under international law, the Ngarbuh killings amounts to an extrajudicial execution giving rise to individual and collective criminal responsibility as a war crime at the International Criminal Court.

Yerima revealed that French Cameroun regime forces were denying Southern Cameroonians access to medical care and preventing foreign aid from reaching Ambazonians in the rural areas and in the bushes.

Dabney Yerima also pointed out that the Biya regime is maintaining a kind of deliberate silence on the Amba 4 Points Agenda because Yaoundé is unable to account for the remains of many Southern Cameroonians killed ever since the beginning of the war. “And this is prolonging family’s sufferings and denying Southern Cameroons martyrs a dignified burial’ he noted.  

Vice President Yerima estimated that the Biya French Cameroun regime was withholding the bodies of 209 Southern Cameroonians in addition to at least 103 unidentified bodies languishing in morgues in Mbouda, Baffoussam, Douala, Yaoundé and Buea.

By Chi Prudence Asong

President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and his top aides shall be appearing before a panel of French Cameroun judges at the Court of Appeal in the Centre Region in Yaoundé today Thursday 16 July 2020.

Ambazonia Interim Government sources in French Cameroun say the leaders will attend the session which is for hearing of their appeal against the judgment of the Yaoundé Military Tribunal which sentenced them to life imprisonment in what the international community described as a sham trial.

President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, and nine of his senior advisers were convicted of charges including terrorism and secession and given a fine of $350m (£286m) after an all-night sitting by the French Cameroun court.

The severity of the sentence has failed to stop the bloody conflict playing out in Southern Cameroons between Ambazonia Restoration Forces and the Cameroon government military.

A ghost town operation is expected to greet the leaders hearing throughout Southern Cameroons this weekend.

In January 2018, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe was arrested with 46 Southern Cameroonians in NERA hotel in the Nigerian capital, Abuja by Nigerian Special Forces. They were then handed over to the Biya Francophone regime in French Cameroun – a move that was ruled illegal by a Nigerian court in March this year.

The Southern Cameroons leaders have refused to recognize the right of the French Cameroun military tribunal in Yaoundé to try them. Their lawyers drafted an appeal, which was filed to the Appeal Court in the French Cameroun’s Central region.

By Isong Asu

The Covid19 pandemic has by now affected every country in the world. Lockdown regulations implemented in most countries to slow the spread of the virus have impacted particularly severely on the poor, depriving them of their livelihoods and plunging them even deeper into abject poverty. As of 9 July 2020, Cameroon had recorded almost 15,000 confirmed cases (www.covid19info.live). This appears to be a relatively low number. However, it can be safely assumed that the true numbers are under reported, due to a lack of testing equipment, and inadequate medical facilities.

On 1 July 2020, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2532, calling on all countries in a conflict situation to observe a 90 – day cease fire, to slow down the spread of the virus and to facilitate initiatives to combat the pandemic. The Resolution:

1.Demands a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda and supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives and Special Envoys in that respect;

2. Calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provisions of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and medical evacuations, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law and refugee law as applicable.

The adoption of Resolution 2532 has had little impact on the conflict in Cameroon. Since its adoption, there have been numerous attacks, including:

1.1 July 2020: Arson attacks by the military in Banbaki-Tungo, Mezam division in which some houses were burnt.

2.4 July 2020: Arson attacks in Ngusi, in K. Muan Division.

3.7 July 2020, Military invaded Bakut, in Eyumojck, and killed 2 men and arrested many youths.

4.8 July 2020: Clashes at Kikaikelaki, and invasion of Kikoo and Saakir villages.

As a Roman Catholic organization that promotes peace, justice and sustainable development in Africa, the Denis Hurley Peace Institute calls on the Cameroon government and the Anglophone Cameroon leaders to respect the call of the United Nations Security Council, to adhere to Resolution 2532, and to work out an agreement for a ceasefire that can lead to genuine negotiations.

We are pleased to note that on 2 July 2020, Cameroon government representatives started pretalks with representatives of Anglophone Cameroon, led by SisikuAyukTabe Julius. This will hopefully create an enabling environment for confidence building and a ceasefire agreement from both parties. We appeal to the Cameroon government and Anglophone Cameroonian leaders not to lose this momentum, but to adhere to Resolution 2532, and to use the ceasefire firstly to build the capacity to protect the health of all citizens of Cameroon in the wake of the Covid19 pandemic, and secondly to use the momentum to engage in peace negotiations that would result in a lasting peace agreement that expresses the will of the people of Anglophone Cameroon.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin

Liaison Bishop: Denis Hurley Peace Institute

Paul BIYA granted a farewell audience to US Ambassador Henry Peter Barlerin on 14 July 2020.

Etoudi reported that both men seized the opportunity to review the excellent bilateral ties existing between Cameroon and the United States of America.

The U.S. Chief Diplomat expressed satisfaction with the current level of cooperation between Yaounde and Washington D.C. – especially in the health sector.

Hon. Henry Barlerin advised that the impact of COVID-19 should in no way hamper efforts made against other diseases like HIV/AIDS.

Henry Peter Barlerin concluded with an appraisal of the nation’s beautiful and diversified landscape.

“I have loved being here and I love the Cameroonian people. I am going to miss them a lot;” he said.

By Rita Akana with files

Cameroon government army officials announced on Monday over state radio and television that they have launched an investigation into the abduction of 63 civilians, including women, who were taken away by gunmen in the Lebialem County.

The French Cameroun army spokesperson blamed Ambazonia Restoration Forces for the incident.

Eyewitnesses say the civilians were drinking in a bar on Monday in Mmouck Leteh, when heavily armed men held them at gunpoint and took them away to an unknown destination.

Our correspondent in Lewoh is yet to confirm the correctness of the report but Cameroon Concord News understands those arrested by Ambazonia security agents were Southern Cameroonians who were cooperating with French Cameroun soldiers.

Lebialem County recently witnessed fierce clashes between Cameroon government army and Southern Cameroons Restoration groups.

No Southern Cameroons self defense force in the Lebialem County have claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Fighting between Cameroon government forces and armed Southern Cameroons groups has been going on since 2017 after President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe declared the independence of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

According to the United Nations, more than 700,000 Cameroonians have been displaced internally and externally due to the fighting.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files

Vice President Dabney Yerima will address Southern Cameroonians today on SCBC TV. A spokesman for the exiled leader made the announcement of the Vice President’s impending broadcast in a statement.

“Vice President Dabney Yerima will address the Ambazonia nation Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at 7pm Amba time,” he said.

“Television, radio and other electronic media stations are enjoined to hook up to the network service of the Southern Cameroons Broadcasting Cooperation (SCBC) for the live broadcast.”

Cameroon Concord News Group understands the Vice President’s address termed the ‘The Amba 4 Points Agenda’ will focus on the Southern Cameroons struggle that has reached a point of no return.

Mr Yerima is expected to caution some frontline leaders of the Ambazonia struggle against internal disruption and misrepresentation of the leadership in French Cameroun detention centers. Comrade Yerima will drive home the point that “Any leader who says one thing in private and propagates a different narrative to the public is not doing our nation justice.”

Vice President Dabney Yerima, who has persistently called for a United Nations Independent Fact Finding Mission to investigate the atrocities of the French Cameroon military in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, will salute the indefatigability of Southern Cameroons Self-Defense forces and will of course commit to provide them with all the hardware needed to seal victory in the conflict.

By Isong Asu

London Bureau Chief

Nearly a dozen civilians, mostly women and children, have been killed when soldiers loyal to the Biya regime in Yaounde attacked Weh, a locality some few kilometers from Wum, the chief town in Menchum.

The Francophone soldiers reportedly carried out an attack on a neighborhood in Weh after the villagers were lured to return from the bushes by local CPDM leaders in the area.

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources in Wum hinted that the Sunday afternoon attack left ten people dead and two others injured.

Recently, the Cameroon government army conducted night raids in Banya Quarters in Mamfe and arrested scores of innocent civilians including two pregnant women.

By Fon Lawrence

A Southern Cameroons defense official for the Ambazonia Restoration Forces has reiterated Amba fighter’s readiness to end French Cameroun military presence in Ambazonia.

The Ground Zero official who sued for anonymity in his conversation with our Buea City reporter stressed that Biya and his French Cameroun regime must know that President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe’s decision on the withdrawal of French Cameroun army soldiers is irreversible and that no one can circumvent the will of the Southern Cameroons people.

“The war to free the people of Ambazonia must continue with popular, political, security, and media pressure, with full readiness for a long and wide military action until Biya and French Cameroun yield to our people’s will,” he said

“The Biya regime in French Cameroun only understands the language of force … and Ambazonians are ready for that,” he said, adding “We will come out victorious and get to Buea in grand style.”

Anti-Yaounde sentiment has been running high in Southern Cameroons since some hardliners deep within the Biya regime forced the Minister of Communication Rene Sadi to rubbish the secret peace talks that involved the Ambazonia leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides in the Kondengui Central prison.

By Chi Prudence Asong

The Southern Cameroons Interim Government has announced plans to boost Ambazonia intelligence services and also to improve cooperation among all self defense groups defending the homeland against French Cameroun aggression and occupation.

“The Interim Government has decided to invest in the newly created Intelligence Department within the framework of strengthening communication among all self defense groups in Ground Zero” the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Dabney Yerima said on Thursday during a presentation to members of the Ambazonia Southern Cameroons Pillars in the United Kingdom (ASCAP UK).

Yerima informed the Southern Cameroons UK think tank that there was an urgent need for Southern Cameroonians in the diaspora to support the Interim Government’s efforts geared at intelligence gathering and sharing among Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Ground Zero. He also praised ASCAP for their generous donations to Ambazonian refugees and detainees both in Nigeria and in French Cameroun.   

Vice President Yerima pointed out that the creation of an intelligence department by the Interim Government increases the will of Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces to work together in the face of French Cameroun army onslaught.

“The leader of the Ambazonian nation, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe made it very clear to the French Cameroun government recently that the people of Southern Cameroons do not want French Cameroun soldiers on their soil, and our response as an exiled government is the creation of an intelligence department” Dabney Yerima added.

Yerima also said the intelligence department envisages boosting communication among all Ambazonia Restoration Forces and he furthered that soon and very soon French Cameroun leaders will realize that the solution to Yaounde’s security and economic problems is through negotiation with the people of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, and not through military deployment.

By Isong Asu in London

The Southern Cameroons Interim Government says Ambazonia Restoration Forces in the Manyu County have hinted the Manyu Liberation Council that it is still early to make public the French Cameroun connection behind the killing Mayor Ashu Ojong Prisley of the Mamfe Rural Council. The Interim Government statement also noted that there will be consequences if it is proven that the French Cameroun civil administrator and the commander of the French Cameroun army in Manyu have been involved.

“The Manyu Liberation Council has been working behind the scenes on this matter and it is too early to make any conclusion regarding the assassination of Mayor Ashu” Secretary Tabenyang Brado informed the Ambazonia war cabinet late yesterday.

The Southern Cameroons Secretary of the Economy noted that “If the Manyu Liberation Council concludes that French Cameroun security apparatus have been involved, they will announce it to the people of Southern Cameroons, and there will be of course unimaginable consequences.”

A fortnight ago, Secretary Tabenyang Brado gave all Manyu French Cameroun surrogates including Chief Tabetando and Minister Victor Mengot a deadline to state their case as regards to the Eshobi incident that led to the killing of the mayor of Mamfe.

On Thursday, Southern Cameroons Vice President assured the cabinet that the Manyu Liberation Council will soon complete its work and will determine and announce at an appropriate time, the French Cameroun agents behind the action that killed Mayor Ashu Prisley.

By Chi Prudence Asong