The People’s Weekly Briefing. Monday June 14, 2021
This is the People’s Weekly Briefing for today Monday June 14, 2021. I am Akoson Raymond, the Spokesperson of the Ambazonia Governing Council, the AGovC. Good evening.
The Leadership of the Ambazonia Governing Council takes cognizant of the major policy shift of the United States vis-à-vis the Ambazonia Liberation War. In a June 7, 2021 Press Statement, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken announced visa restrictions on, quote and unquote, “those undermining the peaceful resolutions of the Crisis in the Anglophone Regions of Cameroon”. Secretary Blinken’s statement also emphasized America’s commitment in seeing a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The AGovC welcomes this new policy position and would like to thank the Biden administration for their interest in seeing a peaceful end to the war.
The Ambazonia Governing Council would like to remind the Biden administration that Ambazonia has always been the victim of Cameroon’s aggression dating back …… 1961. Violating international law, Cameroon rolled its military tanks and colonial administration over international borders and has been occupying Ambazonia to this day. Cameroun would gradually dismantle Ambazonia’s political institutions to the extent of annihilating Ambazonia’s world-class democratic structures. As prognosticated by a 1972 wire (now declassified) from the US Embassy Yaoundé to the White House, resentment would grow among the people of Ambazonia. These frustrations reached unbearable dimensions 2016. Consequently, Ambazonian lawyers, teachers and the civil society poured to the streets in nationwide protest in defiance of Cameroun’s over half-a-century-old colonial domination of the territory of Ambazonia. The ruthless, arrogant, violent, and diabolic dictatorship of Yaoundé responded by declaring war. Through ….. scorched earth policy, Cameroon’s occupation forces have burnt down four hundred and fifty-three (603) villages, killed over seventeen thousand (17,000) civilians since October 2016. Over One million and two hundred thousand (1,500,000) civilians forcibly displaced. Cameroon is generally guilty of several human rights violation and crimes against humanity such as war crimes that continue to leave scars of horrible human rights violations including inter alia crimes of genocide, forced return of refugees, extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, systematic torture, and deaths in custody.
The Ambazonia Governing Council emphasizes the willingness of the people of Ambazonia to end the war and enter negotiations that address the root cause of the Ambazonia Liberation War. We also underline that the people of Ambazonia hold dear and respect their sacred duty to protect the Ambazonia territorial integrity, sovereignty, and their rights in international law to self-defense.
It is not superfluous for the Governing Council of the People of Ambazonia to once again invite America to fill up the leadership void, rally the international community and invoke the responsibility to protect the Ambazonian people should Cameroon continue in their stubborn refusal to engage a genuine negotiation process. For the time being, the Ambazonia Governing Council shall continue to support the Ambazonian people by maximizing for them the opportunity to continue defending themselves in strict observance of the rules of war.
Meanwhile, in the days ahead, the AGovC’s Foreign Affairs division will be reaching out to the Office of the US Secretary of State to initiate discussions on ways the AGovC may be helpful in designing a program for a peaceful and just resolution of the crisis.
TWO: In Defense matters:
The Ambazonia Governing Council has taken note of Cameroon’s reaction to the United State’s announcement of visa restrictions. Within 48 hours following Secretary Blinken’s press statement, Cameroon’s occupation forces, in absolute spite, nose-thumbed America’s new policy position, invading the locality of Ngwakang in the middle of the night, and engaging in Gestapo-like conduct in the furtherance of its scorched earth campaign. More than 90% of homes in Ngwakang were burnt down, farms destroyed, inhabitants mercilessly tortured, males and the elderly abducted and ferried to unknown destinations.
In keeping with its mission of self-defense, the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF responded by dispatching a total of six units of its special forces to help protect the civilian population. Cameroon’s occupation forces incurred heavy casualties and hurrily retreated. Two ADF forces fell during the battle. They paid the ultimate price by laying their lives for Ambazonia’s freedom. May their souls rest in peace. In the meantime, the Chairman of the Ambazonia War Council has ordered all ADF camps to fly the nation’s flags at half-mast all day June 14 in honor of these brave soldiers.
And finally, on issues of National Security. The attention of the leadership of the Ambazonia Governing Council has been drawn to some hate-filled speech by some pressure groups inciting violence between Ambazonia forces in the State of Momo, Savannah states of Ambazonia. We would like to inform the people of Ambazonia that the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF has only one enemy – the colonial forces of Cameroon wreaking havoc in our communities. While the ADF truly seeks to create a collaborative platform with sister forces, we underline with vehemence that we cannot afford to let Momo slip again to the control of Cameroon. The ADF has the capability to stamp order in Momo and that process has begun. Meanwhile, we congratulate all sister forces who have decided to build meaningful alliances with the ADF which is instrumental to the current peace that reigns in Momo.
You just listened to Akoson Raymond, the Spoxperson of the Ambazonia Governing Council. I thank you for your kind attention.