February 2, 2020, Bangem Village,Meme State, Southern Ambazonia, the Cameroon Occupation Forces launched a violent operation, leading to the abduction of six innocent civilians, including women and children. According to eyewitness accounts, the attack was sudden and ruthless, with soldiers forcefully storming homes in the dead of night, dragging terrified residents away against their will.

The victims, including defenseless women and young children, were reportedly subjected to inhumane conditions, physical abuse, and psychological torment at the hands of their captors. Eyewitnesses describe hearing the screams of the abducted civilians as they were forcibly taken away, leaving behind devastated families in shock and anguish. The nature of the attack, specifically targeting non-combatants, suggests a deliberate attempt to instill fear and exert absolute control over the population through terror and violence.

This incident is not an isolated one but part of a broader pattern of systematic repression and brutality perpetrated by the Cameroon Occupation Forces against the people of Ambazonia. Women and children, who should be protected under international law, have instead become targets of abduction, torture, and in some cases, extrajudicial killings. The arbitrary nature of these attacks further underscores the Cameroon military’s disregard for fundamental human rights, demonstrating a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL.

The abduction of civilians, including women and children, constitutes a serious violation of international law and is classified as a War Crime under multiple legal frameworks. The actions of the Cameroon Occupation Forces violate the following:

  • The Geneva Conventions (1949) – Common Article 3: Prohibits the abduction, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians in both international and non-international armed conflicts.
  • The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) – Articles 7 & 8: Defines widespread and systematic abduction, forced disappearance, and violence against civilians as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – Article 9: States that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.
  • The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989): Prohibits the abduction and mistreatment of children, ensuring their right to protection and security.

By abducting innocent civilians, including vulnerable women and children, and subjecting them to violence and inhumane treatment, the Cameroon Occupation Forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. This attack on civilians represents a grave violation of human dignity and international law, underscoring the urgent need for global intervention and accountability for the perpetrators of these atrocities.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA