January 24, 2020, Mautu, Muyuka, Fako State, Southern Ambazonia, six young boys were forcefully removed from their homes in a horrifying act of violence and oppression by the Cameroon Occupation Forces. According to eyewitness accounts, the soldiers stormed the community in a coordinated raid, dragging the young boys from the sanctity of their homes.

The victims were subjected to inhumane torture, enduring beatings, physical mutilation, and other cruel treatment. Their cries for mercy were ignored, as the forces operated with a clear intent to instill fear and terror among the civilian population.

The brutality did not stop with abductions and torture. Eyewitnesses reported that the Cameroon Occupation Forces proceeded to burn down homes and properties, setting ablaze everything that these civilians relied upon for their survival.

Families watched in anguish as their houses were engulfed in flames, their belongings reduced to ashes, and their means of livelihood completely destroyed. The destruction of homes and property left many civilians homeless, deprived of shelter, food, and other necessities for survival. The attack was not just an act of violence against individuals; it was an intentional effort to destroy the fabric of the community, leaving civilians vulnerable, traumatized, and displaced.

This ruthless assault was part of a larger campaign of terror waged by the Cameroon Occupation Forces in their continued suppression of the people of Ambazonia. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the torture and abduction of young boys, and the destruction of homes and livelihoods are clear violations of international humanitarian law. The pattern of these attacks reflects a systematic and deliberate strategy to break the will of the people through fear, violence, and deprivation.

The Cameroon Occupation Forces’ actions constitute multiple War Crimes and crimes against humanity under international law, including:

  • The Geneva Conventions (1949) – Common Article 3: Prohibits the torture, mutilation, cruel treatment, and execution of civilians during armed conflict.
  • The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) – Articles 7 & 8: Defines the widespread and systematic targeting of civilians, including forced abductions, torture, and destruction of civilian property, as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – Article 5: States that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
  • The Hague Regulations (1907) – Article 23(g): Prohibits the destruction or seizure of enemy property unless imperatively demanded by military necessity. The burning of homes and properties belonging to civilians is a direct violation of this law.
  • The Convention Against Torture (1984) – Article 1: Outlaws torture and any act of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, especially when committed by state actors.

By forcibly abducting, torturing young boys, and burning down homes and livelihoods, the Cameroon Occupation Forces have committed grave war crimes and crimes against humanity. These acts violate fundamental principles of international law, depriving civilians of their rights, safety, and dignity. This attack underscores the urgent need for international intervention and accountability to bring justice to the victims and prevent further atrocities.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA