August 15, 2020, Mutengene, Fako State, Ambazonia, was thrown into mourning and devastation following yet another act of brutality carried out by the Cameroon Occupation Forces. What should have been a peaceful day turned into a horrifying episode of abduction, torture, and extrajudicial killings as armed forces targeted innocent civilians without cause or justification. Among the victims of this senseless violence was Mr. Nfor Emmanuel, a 64-year-old man, whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of terror and suffering as Cameroon Occupation Forces raided the community, forcefully abducting civilians from their homes and the streets. The victims were denied their fundamental human rights, dragged away without explanation, and subjected to brutal forms of torture. Many endured severe beatings, physical restraint, and psychological torment at the hands of the soldiers, who showed no regard for human dignity or life.

For Mr. Nfor Emmanuel and others, this torture ended in summary execution, their lives cruelly taken without trial or due process.

The deliberate targeting of elderly individuals such as Mr. Nfor Emmanuel highlights the merciless nature of the occupation forces’ actions. At 64 years old, he posed no threat, yet he was subjected to inhumane treatment and ultimately killed in cold blood.

His family and community, now robbed of a beloved elder, are left to grapple with grief, fear, and uncertainty, as justice remains elusive. This act of state-sponsored terror was not an isolated incident but part of a wider campaign of violence and intimidation against the people of Ambazonia.

The abduction, torture, and execution of civilians, including an elderly individual, constitute War Crimes and crimes against humanity under International Law. Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions explicitly prohibits violence to life, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians in armed conflicts. Article 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) classifies summary executions and acts of torture as War Crimes.

Additionally, Article 7 of the Rome Statute defines widespread and systematic attacks against civilian populations as crimes against humanity. The deliberate execution of Mr. Nfor Emmanuel and other unarmed civilians is a clear violation of these international laws, demanding urgent investigation, accountability, and justice for the victims.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA