If people like our Brother Wasaloko and politicians passing for pastors like “The Not So Reverend Fonki Samuel Forba” truly desire to help Cameroun tell these big lies about Amba torturing these women in Babangki, why can’t they even do a bit of homework? Why not try to make the lies “intelligent lies”? When the PCC Moderator puts out a statement saying he has ascertained the veracity of the video, and lavishly cites the Word of God to back his lies, why can’t do just a little homework first?
Let me point only to a few basic facts to show that these pictures of “women tortured and injured by Amba” are as fabricated as the claims about abduction by Amba. Come with me:
1) Checkout the woman in greenish “kabah”. The one holding up one arm and hiding her face. The home in the background of her picture is built of plank or “karaboat” as our people would say. Well, Babangki does not have “karaboat” houses. These are generally found in the Southern Zone.
2) Take another picture… the one of the woman whose back has lacerations reportedly from the torture and whipping by Amba. Well, her picture is filmed inside or near another “karaboat” house. Not Babangki, definitely.
3) Now, checkout all the women on the video reportedly showing women in Babangki under Amba captivity. Crosscheck every woman in the pictures of women displaying injuries in the photos and not a single one of those with injuries is anywhere on the video or screenshots of same.
4) The “yellow” legs, black feet and hands of the woman with injuries to her two legs and the other “yellow” legged woman being attended to by a man kneeling cannot be identified in the video or screenshots. They should have been easy to find given their distinctive “yellow” bleached legs.
5) A big effort was made by the producers of this propaganda to mask the metadata (dates when original was taken and where). Yet, and as true as there is no perfect crime, all the pictures showing injured women were taken a long time before the Babangki video screengrab.
6) Finally, according to Google Images, the propagandists who most likely produced and first posted these pictures all work as propagandists for La Republique du Cameroun. Google Images shows that it is the online outfit known as “A Better Cameroon” whose executives include a certain Clovis Onga Naseri (of Disarmament Fame) that uploaded several of the pictures first.
La Republique can keep trying, but tell them I said “wuna dross di show”.
Ntumfoyn Boh Herbert (Yindo Toh) Spokesperson, MoRISC
After the talk and speculation about this subject in recent weeks, it was instructive to attend a presentation by an experienced expert on the subject of a referendum on Sunday 21st May 2023. The presentation was part of the nebulous Southern Cameroons Stakeholder Platform, SCSP’s campaign to promote collaboration for negotiation.
The expert, Henry Atem, for it was he, made a detailed, comprehensive and informative presentation on the mechanics and methods of referenda citing examples from the past.
He distinguished a referendum from a plebiscite or popular consultation, explaining that a referendum would usually rely on the laws of the “state” and be requested by the state, though it could be facilitated by the UN. The international community has never imposed one anywhere before. Furthermore, the international community cannot guarantee the outcome and usually only relies on the will of the belligerents. Plebiscites do not require the state’s laws but still do, in practice, rely on the will and motivation of the belligerents. The conclusion from this segment is that a referendum will not happen in Southern Cameroons unless La Republique du Cameroun requests one from the UN. The question then arises when would LRC be motivated to make such a request?
The next important concept was MHS – Mutually Harmful Stalemate to paraphrase(?). That is a situation where the opposing sides reach a stalemate of mutual hurt where neither can accept/bear their losses. That explains the apparent callousness of the international community as they usually calculate this stage in a conflict before deeming it is worth intervention. The logic is that that is when the belligerents are the most motivated to negotiate meaningfully to end the conflict as they are enduring unbearable losses. The question here is similar. Is the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle at its MHS?
When asked about the impact of the Ambazonian recent focus of referendum talk, Comrade Atem answered that ” The debate on a referendum could harm the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle by ‘consuming its oxygen'”. Though he would not be more explicit Ambazonia News deduced that the point was that a referendum would only happen after Ambazonia moved LRC to the MHS – and that is not by discussing the merits, undoubted though they are, of a referendum but by intensifying the actions that brought the tentative moves out of LRC to the point where talk if a referendum is fashionable.
The second in the sequence of debates is slated for 28/5/23 Ambazonia News understands. Can’t wait.
IG President Marianta Njomia addressed Ambazonian citizens and other stakeholders on Friday 19th May 2023, considering many of the current issues and ideas in circulation in the Ambazonian sphere.
She commended the resolve and determination of the Ambazonian Restoration Forces and Civilians on Ground zero, calling for the Diaspora to complement those Ground Zero efforts by making their own sacrifices in finance and other resources.
She acknowledged the efforts of many Diaspora Ambazonian stakeholders in sensitizing and discussing possible negotiation routes toward the resolution of the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle, routes which would carry the merit of saving lives. She urged Ambazonian stakeholders to have as wide a view as possible as she cautioned that every route out of the conflict that involved negotiation or other parties would depend on some action or agreement by LRC or her allies. Thus far, no signs have emerged that LRC would volunteer any such actions and, in fact, LRC’s previous limited and shy movements have all been prompted by the pain of the action that the ARF’s have produced.
This logic left only the one option for how Ambazonians should proceed, regardless of whether they hope for dialogue and negotiations or ground victory, as long as they wanted to achieve an independent state of Ambazonia and that is to “massively empower the ARF’s”.
The President pointed out that dialogue with La République du Cameroun has a big obstacle in the knowledge that La République du Cameroun prefers to talk in a perspective of “Anglophone Crisis” where the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle would be considered and treated as an internal conflict, whereas every Ambazonian group aims for Total and Unconditional Independence for Ambazonia. This obstacle dictates that “Action on the ground” has a more urgent role to play to shift LRC away from such a position. In that case, she asked, “Could the Resources being deployed to convene and run conferences to discuss negotiation strategies be more effective deployed on Ground Zero Empowerment?”
Below is a text of the address:
My dear distinguished Ambazonian brothers and sisters,
Patriots of our God ordained Ambazonian Liberation Struggle,
The Ambazonia Restoration Forces and all Ambazonian Liberation Fighters,
The Interim Government Cabinet, County Chairs and LGA Chairs,
Most reputable international socio-political exponents and institutions,
I greet you all in the name of our Ancestors and the Custodians of the Ambazonian Territory.
Tomorrow will be 20th May 2023.
In Ambazonia there may be a few people attempting to persuade our citizens that they should march in commemoration of “unity” between the “neighbouring” people of the Former UN Trust Territory of French Cameroon and we The people of Former UN Trust Territory of British Southern Cameroons.
Let me resound this once again that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN gained her independence on 1st January 1960 from France and acquired an internationally recognised boundary and territory with the name “La République du Cameroun” and membership of the UN.
For over a year after LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN was established, British Southern Cameroons, now Ambazonia, was negotiating her own independence modalities with various international partners and holding a vibrant and informed debate on the territory. There were views expressed on the nature of the Association with La République du Cameroun including a range from “loose federation” verging on a confederation to “reunification”, though both ends of the spectrum remained based on a federation.
History lead to the Federal Republic of Cameroon in 1961 on the basis of two states of equal status, the equal status being deliberately safeguarded due to the known imbalance in terms of demography and geography of the two states.
A succession of subsequent acts, which have since been established to be illegal, were perpetuated by the East Cameroon dominated government and eventually resulted in La Republic du Cameroun being reasserted in 1984. The rights or wrongs of those acts notwithstanding, the effect was to revive the two pre-plebiscite states. Recall that La République du Cameroun was a recognised UN member with a defined territory and international borders. This revival of La Republique du Cameroun was judged in the Bamenda High Court ruling HCB 28/92 as a secession from the “Union” whose effect was to reassert the sovereignty and territory of British Southern Cameroons, called Ambazonia. The legal inference and written article of the judgement included the conclusion that La Republique was illegally and forcibly occupying Southern Cameroons. To date that rulling and all its conclusions have not been called into question or challenged.
LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s military and administrative presence in Ambazonia has therefore been an illegal INVASION since 1961.
The discussion on this legal background explains why the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle can not be solved unilaterally within La République du Cameroun.
We Thank the all Ambazonian Restoration Forces and fighters, members of civil society and all civilians on ground zero for their resilience over the past seven years and beyond.
My mami and my papa them, I salute wona all. I thank wona for wona perseverance and tie heart for this time wey LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN di burn wona houses them, kill weer pickin them. Wona don show them say Ambazonia na we own country wey we go do weti wey ee correct for we and we pickin them. I di thank all for how wey wona don respect this first day for lockdown this 20th May
As LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN prepare to rub our noses in it again on 20th May we continue to shun and reject this grotesque charade. Dancing on graves has never been more literal!
Our outrage and grief are huge and well known even if we limit our view to the current round of crises.
We, all the Ambazonians need to own the sovereignty that HCB28/92 established in the restoration of our statehood. Yes, we own the right to our existence, inheritance, and destiny; The right to our external self-determination as a people.
While the best peace through justice solution to the Struggle would be a negotiated political settlement with LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, we must be clear that it is no longer possible to address the root causes, never mind solve it unilaterally within LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN. It is understood that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN still hangs on to the hope that the Struggle is an “Anglophone Crisis” and that explains their inconsistent diplomacy in flip-flopping on negotiations and burning bridges on at least the lst two attempts by international partners, viz Switzerland and Canada.
LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN is an external state as per the 1st January 1960 borders and territory and therefore does not dispose of the sovereignty to “grant” a “special status” or “administer” any part of Ambazonia without the consent of us, the people of Ambazonia, who hereby notify the international community and the UN that our consent has been actively withdrawn through our people’s resolute observance of abstention from LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN control through the seven years + of regular Monday ghost towns -“country Sundays” throughout the Ambazonian territory and other spontaneous instances, to withdraw our consent variously for “11th February” and “20th May” celebrations on our streets or anywhere on our territory.
We have further resolved to assert our dignity and sovereignty through our own community schools and education and call on the international community to help our citizens to activate their decolonisation and self-determination by running our own education system to ensure the development of our children and future generations, without the control of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
“To you the people of Ambazonia”
As a peace-loving people we look forward to a future where we are able to co-exists as neighbours in our two distinct sovereign states of Ambazonia and LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, with the acceptance that we do not have to be in the same state be it unitary or federal. We are very confident that our people would overwhelmingly choose to chart our own path if the international community would seek our sovereign voice, the WILL of the Ambazonian people, in a vote, say in a future referendum. We believe that such a vote could save a lot of lives and livelihoods but we have proved that we are not just relying on the legal righteousness of our cause but will keep mobilizing our people to exercise our right to self-defence. We firmly hold the moral high ground.
Our forefathers had good faith and sought to live with a “brother” people. They were not mistaken, as we have established that there was informed debate about how the “Federation” would play out, nor, therefore, were they unaware! It was the “brothers” duplicity that crashed the federation and left the relationship in ruins.
Even so, having learnt from the errors of the past, we propose to take our destiny and future into our own hands with new hope and excitement at forging our own future, drawing the benefits of our own effort and mitigating the pitfalls of our mistakes.
In either case, our growth is our prerogative.
To the diaspora…
It is clear that LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN is not seeking to negotiate anytime soon, as it is clear that they would have to first accept us a separate legal state due to their own secession in 1984 as per HCB 28/92. Regardless of our good intentions in seeking a negotiation we must be realistic that a negotiation is very unlikely in the present circumstances as LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN would have to own up and negotiate from a 1960-61 perspective, when we were separate international entities.
We commend the new found urge to hold conferences and we urge our compatriots of fellow stakeholders to have a wider outlook in all their deliberations in these conferences. Better still we should think long and hard about the resources we are deploying to organise and run these multiple conferences with redundant subjects and consider how much more effective they would be if deployed on the ground.
When it comes to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN we all know that their track record means they have nothing to offer our people except marginalisation, corruption, and bleak future with no prospect of socio-economic progression.
We must retain our openness to a sensible peace through justice solution to end the war with a sovereign Ambazonia, but we must be aware that we need a strong position and that this position could be made even stronger and better, but it is not as bad as some would make-believe in the mistaken and futile effort to lure us back to servitude in a corrupt LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN. Our people are the ones who need to live those lives!
Our position is certainly not so bad that we would revert to the erstwhile posture of second-class citizens.
We must commend our effort and resolve in the last 7 years as they have lead to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN tentatively consenting to steps to solve the Struggle through dialogue and negotiation. First they tried the Swiss process even though they were not convinced our cohesion would hold, hoping instead that the talk of dialogue would divert our attention from the ground action and dissipate the momentum of our RF’s and civilians. That did not work out for them as they continued to suffer and feel the pain of our efforts.
They tried terminating the Swiss process, probably after concluding that the effect of it was rather to maintain some level of communication and collaboration among our various groups and show up their [LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s] unreliability as a diplomatic partner.
They then tried one last bid in the Canadian Pre-talks, this time sending actual representatives who only managed to betray their expectation and hope that our cohesion would not hold.
Ironically, we benefitted from a combination of the COHESION of our participating stakeholders in Canada AND the CONSISTENCY of both those participating stakeholders and more distant stakeholders as both continued to make the single and simply point that they were focused on the Total and Unconditional Independence of Ambazonia. The attempted divide and rule had once again only demonstrated the collective, even if separate resolve of our diverse Independentist Groups. Our Ambazonian Liberation Struggle proved itself, once again to be God-ordained!
When LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN gave up again frustration, this time setting fire to diplomatic bridges in public, a wider range of international partners must have realised that their route to solving the conflict and security in the Gulf of Guinea lies in relying on the Ambazonian side. To be fair to LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN, they have been clear throughout that they preferred any dialogue to be an extension of their infamous “Grand National Dialogue”, or more simply, that the Ambazonia Liberation Struggle should be cast as an internal crisis within LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
In all these aborted attempts it is important to realise we cannot overstate the importance of the resilience and firm resolve of our ARFs and civilians as they continued to hold the fort where it mattered the most. We keep saying 21 gun salute until it sounds cliched but we must take this opportunity to underline, if they did not know it, that they are literally bearing our homeland with their blood and determination. We must find a way to say more than 21 gun salute. Maybe that way is to stop saying and do with our complementary commitment – make our financial commitment more reliable so that we can complement this colossal effort of our RFs and civilians in the face of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN military’s intimidation.
We should now consider why, apart from the option of review of the failed UN decolonisation process of the Southern Cameroons, 3 most significant options through which the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle would end in our favour.
1. LITIGATION: We could win a case in the international court of justice – on the basis of the various and numerous breaches by LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN since our fore-fathers took the leap of faith to throw in their lot with LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN.
2. REFERENDUM: We could win a referendum – the international community could supervise a referendum, which we are confident we would win. This option would appear to be much-talked about as international partners continue to make up their minds on the evidence of LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN’s behaviour in the diplomatic arena.
3. RESISTANCE non-stop: We could intensify our effort on the ground and compel LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN to admit defeat and withdraw (hence self-decolonisation) or agree to either the LITIGATION or REFERENDUM options.
The resistance option, unlike the litigation and referendum options, depends solely on us and is an indispensable catalyst to the Arbitration and Referendum options
The IG there recognizes all three potential options but reiterates the DUAL strength of the Resistance option, as both a solution option to end the war and an indispensable catalyst for adoption of the other two options – Litigation and Referendum.
The IG will prioritize on RESISTANCE as the most determinant solution option per our FUND-FIGHT-FREE vision rather than over preaching on solution options that might rather delay our journey to Buea or nurse false hopes that the war has come to an end, hence detailing our commitment to be CONSISTRENTLY resourceful towards sustaining the RESISTANCE until external self-determination is attained.
We have a very small extra step to take, but time is of the essence, and we must take it.
It is our duty to empower our RFs and civilians to actualise our dignity and sovereignty by decolonising not only education as they are through Community Education and other sectors but increase our economic independence by abstaining from LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN control in many more ways.
International partners must be clear that we are ready to go for it alone.
President Marianta Njomia is scheduled to address the Ambazonians on the eve of another La Republique du Cameroun charade.
The substance of the message is unlikely to change much with the consistent theme to encourage Ambazonian citizens to own their dignity and destiny.
Over the years LRC has held superficial celebratory marches akin to eastern European spectacles of the past, with much the same substance.
The president is also likely, Ambazonia News hopes, to be tackling the tricky subject of La Republique du Cameroun’s habit of chickening out of every opportunity for meaningful negotiations to resolve the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle. This will be important given the new debate on a referendum, among other methods to proceed.
IG President Marianta Njomia has called on all Ambazonian Independentists to collaborate to intensify action on GZ as the only way forward, even for the newly popular idea of a referendum to resolve the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle.
Speaking at the launch of an event to promote Ambazonian citizens’ dignity against the La Republique du Cameroun 20th May celebrations, she welcomed the communication per se between various Ambazonian stakeholders as a great starting point but cautioned that referendum or negotiation depended on La Republique du Cameroun “agreeing” and that the only way they could be induced to agree to either was through the “maintenance of heat” on the ground. Other speakers on the occasion agreed, stating the could not bear to imagine the lot of Ambazonian citizens if the leaders took their eye off the ball to seek to fulfill the “advice” of ” international partners”.
For a long time Ambazonia News has advocated collaboration as the way to speed up the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle. That is still true but it now seems a few questions would not be amiss.
It has come to the attention of Amazonia News that the Canadian Pre-talks Facilitation, and before that, the Swiss Process, has succumbed to La Republique du Cameroun’s preference to “solve” the Amazonian Liberation Struggle through the implementation of their “GDN resolutions”.
AAAC1 Aarschot 2023 towards collaboration
In conjunction with La Republique du Cameroun’s announcement dismissing Canada as would-be mediators the forgoing preference would militate against the current clamour for “collaboration” in the Ambazonian stakeholders ranks, especially with the avowed objective of “preparing for negotiation” or a “referendum”. Neither of these are about to happen given La Republique du Cameroun’s stance and maybe the stakeholders doing the rounds to promote conferences should expound on their logic and apparent optimism. Are there any secret signs that the suspected distraction, not to say misuse of resources, of such conferences would suddenly bring La Republique to the table? At Ambazonia News we suspect a little stroking by the International Community has proved enough flattery for some Ambazonian leaders. We would be first to admit to being mistaken but logic points nothing else.
Now the questions to address:
Who is the collaboration for?
What is the collaboration for?
Who wants or benefits from collaboration?
Do we know what collaboration is?
Ambazonia News cannot presume to answer the question? These, and many other questions, must be pondered by stakeholders as a way to refine the process and to ensure it works for the purpose and is adapted and adaptable to dribble some of the fringe.
The fringe would be the “unionist” “Ambazonian”. A paradox if ever one existed. Some well-meaning and valid stakeholders have “explained” that the stalled Canadian process involved a “commitment to bring in all Ambazonians including, unionists, federalists and independentists”, Ambazonia News extrapolates, “to prove to the international community how inclusive our Liberation Struggle is”. For the purpose of avoiding blame, Ambazonia News is not naming any of the stakeholders who seek to promote that level of “inclusiveness”. Ambazonia News does not see any malice in those pronouncements but rather a certain naive fall to the simple flattery if being addressed by the international community. Instead Ambazonia News simply calls on all stakeholders to consider the role of the “unionist fringe” that would be invited to “contribute” to the “All Ambazonian Conference” for Ambazonia News fears they would be defending, not to say promoting, La Republique du Cameroun’s position as they (LRC) might, say in a negotiation.
That would leave Ambazonian stakeholders “negotiating” even before LRC has agreed to negotiate and possibly making concessions to LRC in their absence! Given that LRC has distanced themselves from any negotiation process should Ambazonia be “negotiating” and entertaining people we might call “enablers and blacklegs”? Do we need to desperately “prove” our “inclusiveness”? Is that how we got to a state where LRC deemed necessary to tentatively come to the table? Do we actually think that?
Ambazonia News is of the view that that came about as a result of the hostility LRC faced rather than the international community realising our “inclusiveness”.
Are “unionists” “Ambazonian”? No. In a sense this is a non-issue as it would be really odd and incongruous for anyone who professes “unionism” to figure in an All-Ambazonian Conference. The bigger deal is that this clamour is yet another potential distraction that could lessen the momentum of the Liberation Struggle, to the advantage of LRC. Of course there are a number of high profile figures with the dry-eye to unfurl their carpet bags at AAC if we keep pounding the idea of such inclusivity especially if these figures think we are seeking to impress the international partners. Some have been to Swiss … As this op-ed is committed one outing, more on which later, by Dr Munzu, is doing the rounds as if to make the point of this post.
Ambazonia News would not see the “AAC” clamour as the right collaboration for it would not work for Ambazonia, even if it “works” for the “international community”.
Instead the collaboration that would survive and not succumb to illogic of the “inclusive” collaboration would be the collaboration of independentists. It is self evident what makes any stakeholder an independentist. While this might not necessarily “work” for the international community, we should not be so sure that it wouldn’t. Logic says that that is actually what moved the international partners who have so far been moved to break cover and approach LRC even in the timid steps. Those approaches would not have accrued any outcomes had LRC not also experienced the “hostile” environment that a collaboration of independentists would only intensify.
There has also been talk of referendum. Ambazonia News presumes, even understands, that the idea is that the international community would come in and organise such a referendum. Would they (the international community) be able to impose it if LRC refused? Under what conditions would such a referendum be “imposable”? Would an “inclusive” Ambazonian Conference including the fringes induce LRC to yield? Would it persuade the international community to impose a referendum – and impose it if need be? Have they shown any prior willingness to put themselves out to bat for Ambazonia without the discomfort of LRC?
Ambazonia News invites all our groups to consider these questions before they are carry away with the nudges of the international community who may be utterly ambivalent when it comes to the outcome. In fact their implication will often be on condition of neutrality and that belies any belief that the international community is about to come to Ambazonia’s rescue.
Ambazonia News will continue to rely on the Watchman of Nation who has navigated the most improbable tight corners on our behalf even when our own mistakes have threatened. He will guide collaboration when we the time is right and who knows? Maybe this is the time and the clamour to “prepare for negotiation or a referendum” will lead to the real logical collaboration “by mistake”!
It is that time of year again. Though it can now be taken for granted that our people shun La Republique du Cameroun’s annual charade, it is still upsetting and annoying to see them and their enablers try to make-believe by trampling the graves of our hero and innocent victims.
Would the Ngarbuh families forgive us?
Would baby Martha forgive us?
Would all the women and children enduring hardship in the bushes forgive us?
Would our captive abductees in La Republique du Cameroun jails forgive us?
Once again we must make our objection unambiguous and unmistakable in words and deeds.
Join the IG to sponsor the your Liberation struggle.
Ambazonian Activists gathered in Belgium, resolved to foster collaboration among Ambazonian Independentists in particular and stakeholders in general, all aimed at achieving a swift attainment of independence for Ambazonia. This was done on April 29th 2023 in Aarschot near Brussels. The previous day the Activists had petitioned international partners such as the EU on behalf of Ambazonia.
In an apt demonstration they showed, using a sketch, how communication could help progress the Ambazonian Liberation Struggle and wrest the information war from the grasp of the enemy.
They scored high immediately on the objective of fostering collaboration by not only attracting the attendance of several movements but getting them to share face to face contact, table, food and drink and a dance.
The Department of Security and Self-defence has raised a concern that agents of La Republique du Cameroun are currently harassing Ambazonian refugees in Nigeria’s Cross River State.
This would be contrary to international conventions but hardly surprising as LRC has a track record of illegally abducting and rendering asylum seekers from Nigeria.
Ambazonia News Briefs 
