Official Statement by Mark Bareta – Response to Issa Tchiroma’s Presidential Bid and Statement on the Cameroun-Ambazonia War
June 25, 2025
To the People of Ambazonia and the international community,
I have read with caution the recent statement by Mr. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, former Minister of Communication under the Biya regime, now a presidential aspirant. In his words, he now seeks to address “frankly” the crisis affecting the people of the North-West and South-West regions—Ambazonia. He acknowledges that this crisis is not merely a security issue but one that is political, historical, and identity-based. He says we must be heard, that our history must be acknowledged, and that centralization has failed.
It is difficult not to see the bitter irony in these words.
Mr. Tchiroma was no passive observer. He was the regime’s mouthpiece in the early years of this war. He defended every massacre, denied every atrocity, labeled peaceful protesters as terrorists, and justified the burning of our towns under the guise of national unity. He stood unapologetically as the voice of Yaoundé while thousands of Ambazonians were killed, maimed, and driven into exile.
So, let us be very clear: no amount of posturing or political reinvention can wash away his complicity in the war against Ambazonia.
Mark Bareta: Ambazonia Activist
On “Being Heard” and the Call for Peace
Yes, Mr. Tchiroma, we must be heard—but you did not listen when our lawyers and teachers marched peacefully in 2016. You mocked our pain when our youth were slaughtered in the streets. You chose the bullet over dialogue. You criminalized dissent and cheered as our people were dragged before military tribunals.
And now, conveniently, as elections approach, you speak of referendum and decentralization, of “specificities” and “building together.”
Where was this voice when your government rejected Swiss and Canada mediation? Where was this voice when entire villages were razed?
On Referendum and the Form of the State
You now propose a “transparent process” for Cameroonians to choose the form of the state. This assumes that Ambazonians still seek a place within the Cameroonian state. We do not. That bridge has burned, not by our hand, but by the tanks, the bullets, and the denials of men like you.
Issa Tchiroma, Minister Of Communication
Let us remind you and the world: Ambazonia is not asking for decentralization. We are not asking for federalism. We are asserting our right to self-determination as recognized under international law.
The war may have been triggered by grievances, but it has matured into a national liberation struggle. We are not a disgruntled region. We are a people. A nation under occupation.
To Our People and the World
This election season will bring many voices dressed in borrowed humility, promising new deals, reforms, and reconciliatory words. But we must remain steadfast. The dream of Ambazonia is not a bargaining chip in a Cameroonian power contest. It is the dream of a free people—of justice, dignity, and sovereignty.
Mr. Tchiroma, if you truly believe in peace, then you must first acknowledge the war crimes committed under your tenure, call for an unconditional ceasefire, support international mediation between equals, and recognize the Ambazonian people’s right to determine their future.
Short of that, your words are hollow. Peace built on denial is no peace at all.
Ambazonia shall rise. Not through presidential promises, but through the resilience and courage of her people.
Signed, Mark Bareta Ambazonian Activist and Advocate for Self-Determination June 25, 2025
