February 5, 2021, Mezam State, Northern Ambazonia, Cameroon Occupation Forces carried out yet another atrocity, abducting, torturing, and killing innocent civilians. Eyewitnesses recounted the heartbreaking story of a 60-year-old man who not only lost his son in the violent attack but also fell victim to the brutality of the occupation forces himself.

The elderly man, consumed by grief and pain, spoke of his unimaginable loss with raw honesty, his words reflecting the deep trauma inflicted upon families by these ongoing acts of oppression. His abduction further underscores the targeting of vulnerable individuals, stripping them of their dignity and subjecting them to inhumane treatment.

The systematic violence perpetrated by the Cameroon Occupation Forces represents a deliberate campaign of terror against the people of Ambazonia, aiming to instill fear, submission, and destruction of entire communities. These extrajudicial killings and abductions violate fundamental human rights, leaving survivors in a state of perpetual fear while grieving their murdered loved ones.

This act is a blatant war crime under international law, as it violates multiple provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 clearly prohibits violence against civilians, including murder, torture, and cruel treatment of individuals not engaged in hostilities. The abduction and execution of civilians, including the elderly man and his son, constitute grave breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Moreover, Article 8 of the Rome Statute defines the deliberate killing of civilians, torture, and enforced disappearances as war crimes. The actions of the Cameroon Occupation Forces in Mezam also align with Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which defines crimes against humanity as widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations. Furthermore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) guarantees the right to life and protection from arbitrary detention and killing, all of which were violated in this act of aggression.

The unlawful abduction and execution of civilians amount to state-sponsored terror, reinforcing the need for urgent international intervention and accountability. If left unpunished, such crimes will continue to devastate communities, erode human rights, and perpetuate a culture of impunity for those responsible. The international community must take action to hold the perpetrators accountable, provide justice for the victims, and implement measures to prevent further atrocities in Ambazonia.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA