February 21, 2020, Mankon, Mezam State, Northern Ambazonia, the Cameroon Occupation Forces committed yet another atrocious crime against innocent civilians. Eyewitnesses recount that armed soldiers stormed the area, targeting unarmed individuals, including children, in a senseless act of violence and terror. During the operation, a taxi filled with civilians was attacked, and its passengers were brutally murdered.

This tragic incident is yet another example of the systematic campaign of oppression and extrajudicial killings carried out by the Cameroon military against the people of Ambazonia. The victims, who posed no threat, were executed without trial, reinforcing the climate of fear and impunity that has gripped the region.

The relentless persecution, abductions, and killings by the occupying forces have left communities devastated, with families mourning loved ones lost to state-sponsored brutality. These acts serve as a deliberate strategy to terrorize and subdue the people of Ambazonia, violating fundamental human rights and international laws. The systematic pattern of indiscriminate killings, enforced disappearances, and acts of terror by the Cameroon Occupation Forces underscores the urgent need for global intervention and accountability.

The abduction and killing of innocent and unarmed civilians, including children, in Mankon constitutes a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law(IHL) and qualifies as a War Crime and a crime against humanity. The actions of the Cameroon Occupation Forces violate several key international legal frameworks, including:

  • Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (1949): Prohibits murder, cruel treatment, and attacks on civilians in armed conflicts.
  • The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998): Defines extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and attacks on civilians as war crimes (Article 8) and crimes against humanity (Article 7).
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): Guarantees the right to life, security, and freedom from arbitrary execution.
  • The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989): Safeguards children’s rights to protection, security, and survival, which were blatantly disregarded in this attack.
  • The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981): Protects civilian populations from acts of violence and arbitrary execution.

The extrajudicial killing of civilians, including children, and the targeted destruction of civilian infrastructure (such as vehicles carrying innocent people), represents a clear war crime. The ongoing atrocities in Mankon and across Ambazonia demand urgent international attention, with those responsible held accountable for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of Humanitarian Law.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA