President, Dr. Samuel Ekome Sako, the leader of Ambazonia Interim Government, a separatist group in Cameroon, has called on African leaders, especially President Muhammadu Buhari to be outspoken and wade into the ongoing genocide taking place in the former British Southern Cameroons territory.
While thanking Nigeria for taking care of refugees in the country, he appealed for more compassion to so many others who are roundly arrested and dealt with while insisting that Nigeria has more information than any other country concerning their plight as it is the only country with a diplomatic service in Ambazonia.
Explaining the genesis of the crisis, Sako said: “The root cause of the present conflict is the non-implementation of the procedures outlined in UNGA resolution 1608(xv) of 21st April 1961 on the future of the UN trust territory of British Southern Cameroons, and the consequent annexation by La Republique Du Cameroun due to the failed decolonisation process of the territory.
“Genocide has been ongoing in Ambazonia since 2017 when Paul Biya of French Cameroon declared war on the people of Ambazonia. Since then, the death toll keeps increasing as a result of crimes perpetrated by the military forces of French Cameroon, coupled with the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war.
“As of now, more than 30,000 civilians have been killed. About 500 villages have been burned to the ground. More than 120,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and more than 1,500,000 refugees/IDPs in French Cameroon and Ambazonian territories.
“About 10,000 enforced disappearances of Ambazonian citizens, likely massacred and buried in mass graves across both territories by French Cameroonian genocidal forces.
“Several massacres are well-documented in Ngarbuh, Mautu, Santa – Pinyin, Bali, Bafut, Kumba massacres etc.”
He added that in 2019, Switzerland proposed to mediate between Cameroun and Southern Cameroon (Ambazonia) as a way forward to justice and lasting peace. An initiative endorsed by the U.S., UN, EU, Canada and other countries. However, French Cameroon supported by France has refused to commit to the Swiss-led negotiation process, despite Southern Cameroons’ (Ambazonia) commitment to it.
Sako insisted: “We will continue to defend our people being massacred in this largely ignored genocide, as we persist in the quest for the restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) as was intended on October 1, 1961.”
Samuel Sako in addition maintained that Amazonians agitations for a separate country has no similarities with that of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He stated that they would not want to jeopardise their relationship with the Nigerian government because thousands of Southern Cameroonian refugees have benefitted from the country’s benevolence.
“It is political suicide and a very wrong calculation for us to take any position that jeopardises the lives of 120,000 of our people who are enjoying the hospitality of Nigeria right now under the eyes of the government and security forces,” said Mr Sako.
The IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing charges of treasonable felony and terrorism before a Nigerian court, is a group in the country’s southeast agitating for a secession.