An Indictment of Paul Biya’s Regime and a Call to Support Eric Tataw’s Defence of Ambazonian Rights

The recent indictment by the United States Department of State against Eric Tataw, accusing him of supporting armed separatist groups in Ambazonia, is not only misguided but deeply hypocritical. It deflects attention from the true perpetrator of violence and oppression in Southern Cameroons: President Paul Biya and his military apparatus. For decades, Biya’s regime has systematically marginalised, oppressed, and brutalised the Anglophone population, driving them to take up arms in self-defence against a relentless campaign of state-sponsored violence. This statement serves as an indictment of Biya’s tyranny and a resolute defence of Eric Tataw, a staunch advocate for the Ambazonian people’s right to self-determination and protection.

 

 

Paul Biya, Cameroon’s autocratic president since 1982, has presided over a regime marked by egregious human rights violations, particularly against the Southern Cameroons people. The ongoing conflict stems from decades of systemic discrimination, including the erosion of Anglophone legal and educational systems, economic marginalisation, and suppression of political expression. When peaceful protests erupted in 2016, led by teachers, lawyers, and students demanding respect for their rights, Biya’s response was swift and brutal.

 

• Extrajudicial Killings and Massacres: Biya’s military and security forces have been implicated in numerous atrocities, including the massacre of civilians in villages such as Ngarbuh in February 2020, where at least 21 civilians, including 13 children, were killed by government forces, as documented by Human Rights Watch. Similar incidents in Kumba, Buea, and Bamenda have seen unarmed civilians, including women and children, gunned down or burned alive in their homes.

 

• Arbitrary Arrests and Torture: Thousands of Southern Cameroonians, including activists, journalists, and community leaders, have been arbitrarily detained without trial. Reports by Amnesty International detail widespread torture, including beatings, waterboarding, and sexual violence, in military detention centres. Prominent figures like Mancho Bibixy and members of the Southern Cameroons National Council have faced inhumane treatment for advocating self-determination.

 

• Forced Displacements and Destruction: The Biya regime’s scorched-earth tactics have displaced over 700,000 people within Cameroon and forced tens of thousands to flee as refugees to Nigeria, according to the United Nations. Entire villages have been razed, schools and hospitals destroyed, and livelihoods obliterated, creating a humanitarian crisis.

 

• Suppression of Free Speech: Biya’s government has banned peaceful protests, shut down internet access in Southern Cameroons for extended periods (notably in 2017), and targeted journalists and activists who expose its abuses. The regime’s censorship and intimidation aim to silence dissent and conceal its crimes.

 

• Targeting Civilians: Far from protecting civilians, Biya’s military has deliberately targeted them, using heavy weaponry in populated areas and imposing collective punishment on communities suspected of supporting separatists. These actions constitute war crimes under international law.

 

It is against this backdrop of tyranny that the Ambazonian people, driven to desperation, have taken up arms in self-defence. The rise of armed separatist groups is a direct response to Biya’s refusal to engage in dialogue and his reliance on military force to crush legitimate grievances. As the United States’ own Central Intelligence Agency reportedly warned years ago, Anglophones would inevitably escalate into armed resistance if grievances were ignored. The surprise, therefore, lies not in Ambazonia’s resistance but in the international community’s failure to hold Biya accountable.

 

 

Eric Tataw has emerged as a fearless voice for the Ambazonian cause, advocating for the right of his people to defend themselves against Biya’s oppressive regime. Contrary to the U.S. indictment’s claims, Tataw has not endorsed the targeting of civilians but has consistently championed the principle of self-defence—a right enshrined in international law and exercised by nations, including the United States during its War of Independence. His vocal and combative style reflects the urgency of the crisis and the moral imperative to resist tyranny, not a call to harm innocent people.

 

Tataw has publicly condemned excesses by some separatist groups, demonstrating his commitment to principled resistance. His advocacy mirrors the struggles of countless liberation movements supported by the international community, including those armed and funded by the United States in various global conflicts. To criminalise Tataw’s defence of his people while ignoring Biya’s atrocities is a perverse double standard that undermines the values of justice and human rights.

 

The U.S. indictment of Eric Tataw presents a critical opportunity to shift the narrative and place Paul Biya’s regime on trial. With competent legal representation, Tataw’s case can be transformed into a platform to expose Cameroon’s systemic abuses and affirm Ambazonia’s legitimate struggle for self-determination. We urge the Ambazonian diaspora, civil society, and international supporters to rally behind Tataw, providing financial, moral, and strategic support to ensure he secures a robust legal defence.

Every Ambazonian movement, organisation, and individual must unite in this cause. The stakes are high: Tataw’s case is not merely about one man but about the survival of a people facing existential threats. A deeper agenda appears to be at play, with powerful interests seeking to silence Ambazonian voices and perpetuate Biya’s impunity. We must be prepared to take a stand, both in courtrooms and on the global stage, to defend Tataw and the broader Ambazonian struggle.

 

Paul Biya’s regime stands indicted by its own actions: a litany of human rights abuses, war crimes, and unrelenting oppression that has pushed the Ambazonian people to the brink. Eric Tataw, far from being a criminal, is a symbol of resistance against this injustice, deserving of unwavering support. Let us seize this moment to expose the truth, hold Biya accountable, and advance the cause of justice and self-determination for Ambazonia.

 

God bless Ambazonia, and may justice prevail.

Mark Bareta

April 28th, 2025