January 10, 2021, Oku, Bui State, Northern Ambazonia, Cameroon’s Occupation Forces carried out a brutal and inhumane assault against innocent civilians. Eyewitnesses recounted that between 17 to 25 young and talented men were forcibly abducted, subjected to severe and relentless torture, and ultimately executed in cold blood.

These young men, full of aspirations and promise for the future, were unjustly taken from their families and communities, leaving behind an unbearable void of grief and devastation. The systematic targeting of unarmed civilians in Oku is not an isolated event but rather part of a larger pattern of oppression and state-sanctioned violence that the people of Ambazonia have suffered under military occupation.

The mass killing of these individuals highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis and the widespread human rights abuses perpetrated by the occupation forces, designed to instill fear and suppress resistance.

This heinous crime constitutes a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law and is classified as a War Crime under multiple legal frameworks. The Geneva Conventions of 1949, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, explicitly prohibit acts of violence against civilians, including murder, torture, and inhumane treatment. Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which applies to armed conflicts of a non-international nature, strictly forbids violence to life and person, including cruel treatment, mutilation, and execution without due process.

Furthermore, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) criminalizes the intentional killing of civilians under Article 8, categorizing such acts as War Crimes. The Cameroon Occupation Forces’ actions in Oku also constitute crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, as they involve systematic and widespread attacks against a civilian population. Moreover, these acts violate international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees the right to life, security, and protection from torture or cruel and inhumane treatment.

The targeted killing of young men further suggests a strategy of collective punishment, an unlawful tactic used to weaken the social and political fabric of Ambazonian communities. These crimes demand urgent international intervention, thorough investigations, and accountability measures to ensure justice for the victims and their grieving families. The global community has a moral and legal responsibility to address such egregious violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide reparations for the affected communities.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA