October 1, 2017, in Bamenda, Mezam State, Ambazonia, Cameroon Occupation Forces abducted Mr. Chiabah, popularly known as Sam Soya, alongside several other individuals. He was shot in the leg, subjected to brutal torture, and later, in 2018, he was beheaded.

This egregious act of violence, targeting a well-known figure in his community, alongside other innocent civilians, constitutes a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights law.

The acts committed by the Cameroon Occupation Forces violate several key provisions of international law, as codified in the Geneva Conventions of 1949, their Additional Protocols, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Mr. Chiabah, as a civilian, was protected under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits violence against life and person, including murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture, against individuals not taking part in hostilities.

The deliberate targeting and brutal treatment of an unarmed individual breaches the principle of distinction under Article 48 of Additional Protocol I, which obligates parties to distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The torture and shooting of Mr. Chiabah violated Article 32 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the infliction of physical or mental suffering on protected persons. Torture constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and a War Crime under Article 8(2)(a)(ii) of the Rome Statute.

The execution-style killing and beheading of Mr. Chiabah constitute violations of Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which identifies willful killing as a grave breach. Under the Rome Statute (Article 8(2)(c)(i)), such acts are prosecutable as War Crimes, particularly in conflicts of a non-international character.

Beheading a civilian and desecrating their body flagrantly violate Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which requires respect for the dignity of protected persons. The abduction, torture, shooting, and eventual beheading of Mr. Chiabah highlight the severe violations of IHL committed by the Cameroon Occupation Forces. These actions represent a grave disregard for the principles of humanity and accountability during armed conflict. The perpetrators must be held accountable under international law to provide justice for the victims and deter similar atrocities.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA