February 25, 2020, Mankon, Mezam State, Northern Ambazonia, the Cameroon Occupation Forces carried out yet another horrifying attack against innocent civilians. According to eyewitness accounts, four unarmed individuals, including a taxi driver and women, were abducted, tortured, and ultimately executed in cold blood.

The victims, who were engaged in their daily activities, had no involvement in any form of violence or resistance. The Cameroon military, acting with complete impunity, launched an indiscriminate operation in the area, targeting civilians with arbitrary detentions, brutal torture, and extrajudicial killings. The attack instilled terror in the local population, furthering the systematic oppression and suffering of the people of Ambazonia.

Reports indicate that the taxi driver was simply going about his work when he was forcefully taken by soldiers, along with three others, including women. The victims were subjected to inhumane treatment and brutal acts of torture before being executed. This senseless killing reflects the Cameroon Occupation Forces’ well-documented pattern of targeting innocent civilians in a deliberate attempt to intimidate, subjugate, and eliminate voices of resistance.

The massacre has left families shattered, communities in mourning, and an entire region gripped by fear as the cycle of violence continues unchecked. The widespread use of torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in Ambazonia highlights the urgent need for international intervention to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring an end to these egregious human rights violations.

The abduction, torture, and extrajudicial execution of innocent civilians, including a taxi driver and women, constitutes a War Crime and a crime against humanity under international law. These actions violate:

  • Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (1949): Prohibits murder, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians in armed conflicts.
  • The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998): Defines extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and targeted 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, liberty, and security of person, which were grossly violated in this case.
  • The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981): Protects civilians from state violence, extrajudicial killings, and torture.
  • The Convention Against Torture (1984): Strictly forbids the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Cameroon Occupation Forces’ systematic attacks against unarmed civilians, including women and workers, constitute clear violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The widespread nature of these crimes demands urgent international condemnation, investigation, and accountability for those responsible.

GENOCIDE IN AMBAZONIA