January 23, 2021, Mezam State, Northern Ambazonia: Cameroon Occupation Forces abducted, Tortured, and killed over 15 innocent and unarmed civilians, eyewitnesses recounted. The acts committed by the Cameroon Occupation Forces on January 23, 2021, in Mezam State, Northern Ambazonia, constitute grave violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights law.

The deliberate targeting of civilians, their abduction, torture, and extrajudicial execution, violate Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (1949), which explicitly prohibits violence to life and person, including murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture.

The execution of civilians without due process further breaches Article 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which categorizes murder and torture of persons not taking an active part in hostilities as War Crimes. Such actions are clear violations of fundamental international legal protections meant to safeguard non-combatants in armed conflicts. Furthermore, the systematic nature of these abuses, as part of a broader pattern of violence against unarmed civilians in Ambazonia, suggests Crimes against Humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which includes murder, torture, and other inhumane acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against any civilian population.

In addition, these atrocities violate the United Nations Convention Against Torture (1984), which categorically prohibits the use of torture under any circumstances. The failure to respect the right to life and the protection of civilians under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) further underscores the unlawful nature of these killings. The fact that eyewitnesses recounted these events highlights the urgent need for an independent investigation to ensure accountability for these violations.

The widespread and repeated nature of such attacks against unarmed civilians points to a deliberate strategy of terror and suppression by state forces, aimed at intimidating and controlling the local population through extreme violence. The international community must recognize these acts as part of an ongoing pattern of war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling for intervention, justice, and the prosecution of those responsible Under International Law.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA