Southern Cameroon Interim Govt Raises Alarm Over Arrest Of Leaders In Abuja

The purported arrest of some leaders of separatist movement of Cameroon in Abuja on Friday has drawn a condemnation, as those arrested have claimed that they are not separatists rather a Republic (Federal Republic of Ambazonia)  has carved itself out of Cameroon.

They now condemned in clear term the arrest of their leaders who included their President, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine others by gunmen in Abuja. In a statement on Sunday, Chris Anu, Secretary of Communications and IT, Federal Republic of Ambazonia says  “The Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia strongly condemns the abduction of President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine other officials by gunmen from la Republic du Cameroun at about 19:30 pm in Nera Hotels, (Ekwueme Road), Abuja Nigeria on January 5, 2018. This criminal abduction happened during a meeting being chaired by H.E. Sisiku Ayuk Tabe.

“Those arrested along with the President H.E. Sisiku Ayuk Tabe include:
Dr. Nfor Ngala Nfor, Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC)
Dr. Fidelis Nde Che,
Dr. Henry Kimeng
Prof. Awasum
Dr. Cornelius Kwanga
Mr. Tassang Wilfred
Barrister Eyambe Elias
Dr. Ojong Okongho and
Barrister Nalowa Bih.

“The President and his team were in a High Command meeting in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria at the time the Cameroun Gunmen showed up at the Hotel. The meeting started at around 5pm, Nigerian time. At around 7:30PM, the gunmen came into the Hotel and abducted all of them including the President.

“The meeting was scheduled to discuss the Southern Cameroons Refugee crisis in Nigeria and to galvanize relief support for housing, medical and feeding in anticipation of the approaching rainy season.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has been notified of the incident and it is currently investigating the situation. The Interim Government of the Southern Cameroons calls on all Southern Cameroonians to remain calm as it pursues investigations.

“Southern Cameroonians continue to be victims of extra judicial killings orchestrated by President Paul Biya and his henchmen.

“President Paul Biya and his henchmen must know that Southern Cameroonians will continue to assert their right to self-determination and will hold Paul Biya to account on all the killings of Southern Cameroonians.

“We call on Nigerian authorities to address this issue immediately and ensure that the Cameroun Government does not do any harm to them. We also call on the Nigerian authorities to investigate this threat against its sovereignty by La Republique du Cameroun.

“We call on the Nigerian government to guarantee the security of the more than 20,000 Southern Cameroonian refugees in various camps in Nigeria. Ambazonians will “Live Free or Die.”

Meanwhile, a report on Premium Times revealed that it was men of Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) that carried out the arrest. The report tagged those arrested as Separatists from Cameroon. The report says “at least seven leaders of the Movement for the independence of Southern Cameroonians were arrested by the State Security Service on Friday in Abuja.

“The group leads a movement for an independent Ambazonia State, which seeks to break away from the domination of the French-speaking Cameroon.

“Most leaders of the movement have since fled to neighbouring countries including Nigeria amidst a clampdown by the central government led by President Paul Biya.”

Premium Times which claimed sources in Abuja says in its report  that “Anglophone Cameroonians say they have been marginalised for years by the central government and the country’s majority French-speaking population.

“The agitation for secession heightened in October 2017 when the “Ambazonians” declared an autonomy over their region during the anniversary of their union with the French-speaking side.

“The declaration was however rejected by the Biya government.

“In December, a delegation from Mr. Biya was received by Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
The government said at the time that the purpose of Mr. Osinbajo’s meeting with the Cameroonian delegation, led by the country’s minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Rene Sadi, was to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations.”