Yaoundé’s Second Failed Mission to Abuja and Why Nigeria Supports Ambazonia

In a desperate move to get her inconsequential international arrest warrants against the revolutionary leaders of Ambazonia enforced, Yaoundé, a few days ago dispatched her Minister for Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Mr. Emmanuel Rene Sadi, to prevail on the Nigerian government to repatriate key leaders of the Ambazonia Revolution, who have been taking refuge in Nigeria, and are now criminally charged with terrorism and secession by LRC. This was the second trip by a Yaoundé sent delegation, after the failed international peace mission in August in which they told the Nigerian government that the leaders should be sent back home because the struggle had ended, schools had reopened and that normalcy had returned. Did they go again to tell the same lies? Certainly not. Rene Sadi went at a time a UN estimated 40,000 Ambazonians were taking refuge in Nigeria following the brutal crackdown by Mr. Biya’s killer forces. Thus, Nigeria, certainly would not have believed any story of a return to normalcy in Ambaland.

Many have been quick to conclude that Sadi’s trip was not only aimed at seeking for a Cameroun -Nigeria joined border collaboration in the suppression of this revolution and the extradition of Ambozonia leaders, but was also one of the regime’s evil bribery missions abroad as its leaders desperately seeks to cover-up this visible international case of 21st century colonization of a black country by her own neighbor. The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, who received the colonial minister is reported to have in diplomatic language maintained that Nigeria is committed to respecting the territorial integrity of Cameroun, and requested a frank and inclusive dialogue to resolve the outstanding issues poking the crisis.

Can Nigeria extradite Ambazonia revolutionary leaders?
Many analyst, arguing from a Yaoundé perspective have posited that the agitations for a sovereign state of Biafra by Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) have placed Nigeria in a difficult position of either deciding to support “secessionists” in Cameroun, and then allow Biafra to secede, or drive out Cameroun’s “secessionist” leaders from Nigeria to justify her crack down on Biafra agitators. Some have even gone as far as citing the response of the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Godfrey Onyema, to Mathew Lee of Inner City Press after the last UNGA that, Nigeria is having issues to handle with secessionist Biafra groups and so will not condone or support secessionist activities by citizens of a neighboring country. While this may sound convincing to a normal LRC citizen and those who have chosen not to understand the history and peculiarity of the Ambazonian course, the fact is that Emmanuel Rene Sadi, was on a futile diplomatic mission, and so Nigeria cannot and will not extradite anybody for clear cut reasons.

The Southern Cameroons revolution is not a domestic affair. It is not a secessionist movement. It is an international crisis, rooted in international law in which Nigeria is also included. It is a struggle to dissolve an illegal union. The international diplomatic community understands this and had long called on the colonizer to engage in a frank and inclusive dialogue based on the root causes of the crisis. The Southern Cameroons revolutionary leadership has all times proven to be ready, but Yaounde has continuously played the time card up to this moment, while in the main time committing genocide in Ambazonia. Consequently, as the crisis escalates, Nigeria, will under no compulsion extradite H.E Sissiku J. Ayuk-Tabe, Pa Tassang Wilfred and others. LRC has proven to the world that she is not a State of law and so there can never be a fair judicial process for these persons with legitimate claims, but have already been labeled as terrorists. The trial of civilians in military tribunals, the massacres of September 11th, October 1st, and the constant military harassments and summary executions of Ambazonians (all because of their right to self-determination), are testaments to this fact. Based on the above, we at BaretaNews can therefore deduce that Emmanuel Rene Sadi came back home empty handed.

Why Nigeria Supports Ambazonia
Nigeria, as the giant of Africa and the most hospitable neighbor of Ambazonia has more to gain from a completely restored Federation of Ambazonia, than from a Republic of Cameroun. Apart from the fresh virgin business and investment climate that will come with restoration, Ambazonia will offer the opportunity for the resettlement of the UN declared Stateless People of some Bakassi communities, who have now become a burden to the resettlement efforts of the Nigerian government. It is important to note that, unknown to the Nigerian legal team that there was no Act of Union between the two Cameroons that unified in 1961, LRC had floored Nigeria at the ICJ over the ownership of the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula. The ruling that seceded the Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun and the subsequent Green Tree Agreement that enforced the court judgment, had displaced some Nigerian communities along the border. The people in these small communities, who were Nigerians prior to the ICJ judgment, the UN now calls them Stateless citizens. With this, one is tempted to ask the question; if after the work of the UN Cameroun-Nigeria Boundary Commission and the UN could not declare these people as Nigerians or Camerounians, but as Stateless People, where then is their own State?

Interim Ambazonia President

With the internationalization of this revolution, the Nigerian State is now very much aware that the 1961 unification between the two Cameroons remain illegal before international law and the UN. Therefore, LRC’s claim of ownership over Southern Cameroons and particularly Bakassi was an act of pilfering, encroachment and colonization. In addition to this, Justice Roseline Ukeje of the Abuja Federal High Court, ruling in 2002 on the suit pitting Dr. Kevin Ngwang Gumne led SCAPO and SCNC against the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, held the Nigerian government should honour its treaty obligations under the African Chatter on Human and People’s Rights, by taking up the case of the Southern Cameroons with the UN, ICJ and other relevant international agencies.

The escalation of this revolution and the declaration of the AU of her ready to mediate in a dialogue in which the two states – LRC and Southern Cameroons would maintain their boundaries obtain at independence, therefore makes the job of Nigeria easy. It is common knowledge that, La Republic du Cameroun’s boundary as at independence is located at River Mungo, in the Southern Zone of Ambazonia and at Matazen, in the Northern Zone of Ambazonia. From the above analysis, the Political Desk of BaretaNews has no reservation in concluding that the Federal Republic of Nigeria fully supports the emergence of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, the newest Member State of ECOWAS’ AU and the UN.

James Agbor, BaretaNews Political Analyst