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Interim Government of Ambazonia

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Interim Government of Ambazonia
Seal of the Ayuk Tabe and Chris Anu factions
Seal of the Sako faction (2018-2023)
Seal of the Marianta faction (2022)
Seal of the Sako faction (2023-present)
RoleExecutive cabinet
Established31 October 2017
PresidentDisputed[note 1]
Armed forcesAmbazonia Self-Defence Council

The Interim Government of Ambazonia is an Ambazonian independence movement, and claims to be the provisional government in exile of the internationally unrecognized state.[1] Formed in the early days of the Anglophone Crisis, the movement has since splintered into four factions that claim to be the legitimate Interim Government.

Background

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Main article: Ambazonia
See also: Anglophone Crisis

History

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Ayuk Tabe cabinet (2017–18)

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The Interim Government of Ambazonia was formed from the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF), a nonviolent independence movement. Its members includes former leaders of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), an independence movement that was prominent in the 1990s.[2] It was SCACUF, led by Chairperson Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, that declared the independence of Ambazonia on October 1, 2017. The Interim Government was officially formed on October 31, 2017,[3] with Tabe assuming the role as President of Ambazonia and SCACUF forming the Interim Government.[1]

By the time SCACUF transformed into the Interim Government, a separatist war had been raging for almost two months. Several separatist militias were active, with the largest one - the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) - answering to the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGVC), led by Cho Ayaba and with Benedict Kuah as Chief of staff. The Interim Government initially rejected the idea of an armed struggle, preferring civil disobedience and a diplomatic campaign.[4] In early November, the Interim Government condemned an ADF attack on gendarmes.[5]

In January 2018, most members of the Interim Government were arrested by Nigerian authorities and extradited to Cameroon. They were subsequently imprisoned for almost a year, before a trial started in December 2018.[6] This became controversial in Nigeria, as most of those deported had submitted claims for political asylum. In March 2019, a Nigerian court determined that the arrest and deportation had been unconstitutional, and ordered everyone returned to Nigeria and compensated.[7] This had no practical implications, and on August 20, 2019, the ten leaders, including Ayuk Tabe, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Yaoundé Military Tribunal.[8]

Sako cabinet (2018–19)

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Following the arrest of most of the Interim Government, Samuel Ikome Sako was elected in a diaspora electoral college to acting president in February 2018.[9] In an attempt to unite several local militias under a single banner, the Interim Government created the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council (ASC) in March 2018. While the ASC is collectively larger than the ADF, it does not have a centralized command structure and is more of a cooperation project than a single organization.[10]

President Sako sought to bury the differences between the Interim Government and the Ambazonia Defence Forces, which is loyal to the AGovC.[11] On December 31, 2018, he announced that a Mobile Wing Police would be established, and that the separatists would abandon their defensive strategy and seize the offensive. He also promised to take action against anyone involved in the kidnapping of civilians, which had become a growing problem in Southern Cameroons.[12] On March 31, 2019, the Interim Government and several Ambazonian movements agreed to create the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council, a united front consisting of both separatists and federalists.[13] However, despite its attempts at uniting the separatists, critics accused the Sako cabinet of incompetence and misappropriation of funds.[14]

Leadership crisis (2019–present)

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Main article: Ambazonian leadership crisis

On May 2, 2019, a document signed by Ayuk Tabe declared that the Sako-led interim cabinet had been dissolved, and that his own pre-arrest cabinet had been restored. The document expressed recognition for the job the Sako-led cabinet had done, but claimed that infighting had rendered it unfit to continue; the caretaker cabinet has lost the ability to reconcile our people and, in doing so, has imperiled the identity and mission of the interim government to complete the decolonization of Southern Cameroons through advancing our collective national interests.[15] This triggered a leadership crisis within the Interim Government, as the Sako-led cabinet refused to step down. In June, the Ambazonia Restoration Council impeached Ayuk Tabe for "treasonous misconduct", and declared that a proper change of leadership would be initiated in three months. This marked the start of the 2019 Ambazonian leadership crisis.[16] The AGovC threw its support behind Ayuk Tabe[17] and in August it formally allied itself with the Ayuk Tabe-led faction of the IG.[18]

Despite the imprisonment and the infighting within the Interim Government, Ayuk Tabe was still considered more influential than Sako. In July 2020, Cameroonian officials met with Ayuk Tabe and other members of his cabinet to discuss a ceasefire.[19] When asked about his conditions for a ceasefire, Ayuk Tabe listed three; that the ceasefire be announced by President Paul Biya, that the Cameroonian military would pull out of the Anglophone regions, and a general amnesty for separatists.[20]

The outbreak of the Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria widened the gap between Ambazonian factions. The AGovC declared an alliance with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a Biafran separatist movement. The Interim Government under Sako denounced this move, preferring instead to attempt to win the goodwill of the Nigerian government.[21]

On 13 September 2022, long-term IG spokesperson Chris Anu (brother of deceased separatist general Lekeaka Oliver) was voted President of Ambazonia after a six months transition period of Marianta Njomia elapsed.[22]

On January 21 2023, the government of Canada announced that the warring parties had signed an agreement to enter a peace process facilitated by Canada. The agreement was signed by the Cameroonian government, the Ambazonia Governing Council (and its armed wing, the ADF), the African People's Liberation Movement (and its armed wing, SOCADEF), the Interim Government of Ambazonia, and the Ambazonia Coalition Team.[23]

On 2 December 2023, Sako's Interim Government passed a "Full Restoration Bill", officially changing their name from the Interim Government of Ambazonia to the Government of Southern Cameroons, or the Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, changing the coat of arms and seal of the government, the name of the Interim House of Representatives to the "Southern Cameroons House of Assembly" and restoring the House of Chiefs. They also passed a resolution allowing the government to trademark all property of the government of Ambazonia, and finally passed a resolution allowing the president to "keep master access to all government platforms and websites".[24]

5 days later, Sako signed the 2nd amendment to the constitution, saying on X that: "In a Townhall t'day I'll be signing into law the revolutionary Orders in Council of S.Cameroons as amended, restoring in full the Government of Southern Cameroons as the sole institution recognized by the UN, representing all the people of Ambazonia."[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Several killed in Cameroon as anglophones declare 'independent Ambazonia'". Euractiv. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  2. ^ Who are Cameroon’s English-speaking separatists? , The Citizen, Feb 20, 2018. Accessed Mar 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Okereke, C. Nna-Emeka. "Analysing Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis." Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses 10.3 (2018): 8-12.
  4. ^ Cameroon: Anglophone Crisis - Dialogue Remains the Only Viable Solution, AllAfrica, Dec 7, 2017. Accessed Mar 9, 2019.
  5. ^ ‘Ambazonia’ Interim “President” Condemns Violence Amid Claims By ADF of Masterminding Gendarme Killing, Nov 9, 2017. Accessed Nov 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Cameroon: Ambazonia leaders appear before judge at military tribunal, Journal du Cameroun, Nov 28, 2018. Accessed Jan 13, 2019.
  7. ^ Cameroon: Nigerian Court orders return of Ambazonia leaders, Journal du Cameroun, Mar 1, 2019. Accessed Mar 1, 2019.
  8. ^ Cameroon: Detained Ambazonia leaders handed life sentence, Journal du Cameroun, Aug 20, 2019. Accessed Aug 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Just In-Dr Samuel Ikome Sako Is now the Interim President of The ‘Federal Republic of Ambazonia’, Cameroon News Agency, Feb 4, 2018. He is Commander in Chief of the Ambazonia Restoration Forces which constitutes 95% of Restoration Fighters in Ambazonia. Accessed Apr 19, 2018.
  10. ^ “These Killings Can Be Stopped” - Abuses by Government and Separatist Groups in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions, HRW, Jul 18, 2018. Accessed Mar 13, 2019.
  11. ^ 3 most touching tributes offered to “General Ivo”, The National Times, Dec 24, 2018. Accessed Dec 25, 2018.
  12. ^ No Retreat, No Surrender, From Defensive To Offensive Strategy, The way Forward In 2019-Dr Samuel Sako, Cameroon News Agency, Dec 31, 2018. Accessed Dec 31, 2018.
  13. ^ Anglophone Struggle Takes Another Kink, Separatists, Federalists Bury Hatchet, Create Southern Cameroons Liberation Council Archived 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine, The National Times, Apr 1, 2019. Accessed Apr 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks?, Crisis Group, May 2, 2019. Accessed May 2, 2019.
  15. ^ Detained Sisiku Auk Tabe Dissolves Interim Government As Infighting Bedevils ‘Ambazonia’, The National Times, May 2, 2019. Accessed May 2, 2019.
  16. ^ Cameroon: Confusion as detained Ambazonia leader impeached by peers, Journal du Cameroun, Jun 12, 2019. Accessed Jun 12, 2019.
  17. ^ Cameroon: Sepratist hardliners react after impechment of detained Ambazonia leader, Journal du Cameroun, Jun 12, 2019. Accessed Jun 12, 2019.
  18. ^ Ahead of peace talks, a who’s who of Cameroon’s separatist movement, The New Humanitarian, Jul 8, 2020. Accessed Jul 9, 2020.
  19. ^ Cameroon holds first peace talks with main separatist insurgents, Reuters, Jul 4, 2020. Accessed Jul 4, 2020.
  20. ^ Cameroon: Government is secretly negotiating with the Ambazonians, The Africa Report, Jul 6, 2020. Accessed Jul 7, 2020.
  21. ^ Why we are distancing ourselves from IPOB – Ambazonia Interim Govt, Premium Times Nigeria, Oct 26, 2021. Accessed Oct 26, 2021.
  22. ^ "Cameroon Separatists Elect Their New President". Voice of America. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Canada says Cameroon warring parties agree to enter peace process". Reuters. 21 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  24. ^ "Ikome Sako Announces Reinstatement, Incorporation of S. Cameroons Government in U.S - Atlantic Chronicles". Atlantic Chronicles. December 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  25. ^ Sako, Samuel Ikome (December 7, 2023). "President Samuel Sako on X: "In a Townhall t'day I'll be signing into law the revolutionary Orders in Council of S.Cameroons as amended, restoring in full the Government of Southern Cameroons as the sole institution recognized by the UN, representing all the people of Ambazonia. @antonioguterres @SecBlinken" / X". Twitter / X.
  1. ^ Samuel Ikome Sako, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, Marianta Njomia, and Chris Anu all claim to be the legitimate President of Ambazonia; see Ambazonian leadership crisis.
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