Ayaba Cho Lucas

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Ayaba Cho Lucas (S.G)
Lucas Ayaba Cho.jpg
Ayaba Cho Lucas in 2022.
Born
Ayaba Cho Lucas

(1972-08-25) 25 August 1972 (age 52)
Northern Zone, Southern Cameroons
Nationality German of Southern Cameroonian descent
Education University of Buea (did not graduate) [1]
OccupationLeader of the Ambazonia Governing Council

Ayaba Cho Lucas (born August 1972) is an Ambazonian activist. [2] He is the former Secretary General of the Southern Cameroons Youth League (SCYL) [3] [4] and is the current leader of Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC), a separatist organization in Southern Cameroons that has an armed wing, the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF).

Contents

Early life and exile

Ayaba was expelled from the University of Buea in 1993 because he had led a one-man demonstration against tuition increases; he has been in exile from Cameroon since then. [5] [6] [7] He eventually ended up in Norway, where he studied human rights and development at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and from where he has based his activism ever since. [8]

In January 2017, Ayaba was allegedly targeted for assassination in Brussels, Belgium. [9] [10]

Anglophone Crisis

As leader of the AGovC, Ayaba and Chairman Benedict Kuah oversaw the creation of the Ambazonia Defence Forces, which carried out its first guerilla action on September 9, 2017. This was the first armed action by Ambazonian separatists in what would become known as the Anglophone Crisis. [11] This happened seven weeks before the Interim Government of Ambazonia was established, and months before it endorsed an armed struggle. [12]

The AGovC's relationship with the Interim Government was oftentimes strained. In March 2019, Ayaba refused to attend the All Southern Cameroons People's General Conference in Washington, D.C., calling some of the attendants "enablers". The AGC did thus not become part of the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council. [13] During the 2019 Ambazonian leadership crisis, Ayaba supported Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe against Samuel Ikome Sako "out of principle". Ayaba argued that it was wrong to attack Ayuk Tabe, who had been in detention since January 2018. [14]

In July 2019, Ayaba claimed that Cameroon had practically lost the war and that separatist forces controlled 80 percent of the Anglophone regions. [15]

On April 9, 2021, Ayaba held a joint press conference with Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), where they declared an alliance between Biafra and Ambazonia. [16] Ayaba also proposed an alliance with opposition forces within Cameroon, proposing that Ambazonia should help overthrow Paul Biya. [17]

In March 2022, Ayaba Lucas Cho presented himself, on his Twitter page, as the sponsor of the terrorist attack on Ekondo Titi, which caused the death of seven people, including the sub-prefect and the mayor of this city, in the Southwest region of Cameroon. [18]

On September 24, 2024, Ayaba was arrested in Norway on "charges based on his various expressions on social media." He could face 30 years in prison if convicted. [19] Days later, AGovC vice president Julius Nyih became the interim leader of AGovC. He vowed to continue the armed struggle. [20]

Publication

Ayaba Cho Lucas, published the book "Not Guilty" An African Refugee Experience, which is the journey of a black refugee through the complex and restrictive economic centre of fortress Europe as seen through the eyes of one person. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambazonia</span> Political entity proclaimed by Cameroons Anglophone separatists

Ambazonia, alternatively the Federal Republic of Ambazonia or State of Ambazonia, is a political entity proclaimed by Anglophone separatists who are seeking independence from Cameroon. The separatists claim that Ambazonia should consist of the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon. Since 2017, Ambazonian rebels have engaged in armed conflict with the Cameroonian military, in what is known as the Anglophone Crisis, attempted to set up a government-in-exile, and supportive militias have exerted control over parts of the claimed territory. No country has recognized Ambazonia's existence as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglophone Crisis</span> 2017–present separatist conflict in Cameroon

The Anglophone Crisis, also known as the Ambazonia War, is an ongoing armed conflict in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, between the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian separatist groups, part of the long-standing Anglophone problem. Following the suppression of 2016–17 protests by Cameroonian authorities, separatists in the Anglophone regions launched a guerrilla campaign and later proclaimed independence. Within two months, the government of Cameroon declared war on the separatists and sent its army into the Anglophone regions.

The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a military organization that fights for the independence of Ambazonia, a self-declared independent state in the Anglophone regions of the former Southern Cameroons, Cameroon. It was formally established by the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) on 9 September 2017, the same day as the organization declared a war of independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Ikome Sako</span>

Samuel Ikome Sako is an Ambazonian politician and incumbent president of the internationally unrecognized proto-state of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. He was elected president of the Interim Government a month after Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, the first president, was abducted in Nigeria and extradited illegally to Cameroon. From captivity in Yaoundé, the former president Ayuk Tabe announced that he had dismissed Sako in May 2019, a decision that started the long-running Ambazonian leadership crisis.

Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe is an Ambazonian separatist leader from Ewelle village in Manyu division, and is the disputed first president of the unrecognized Federal Republic of Ambazonia. In January 2018 he was extradited from Nigeria to Cameroon, where he has been incarcerated ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Ambazonia</span>

The president of the Interim Government of Ambazonia is the head of state of the unrecognised breakaway state of Ambazonia, which claims the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon. No country has formally recognized Ambazonia's independence and the various pro-independence armed groups have not consistently controlled any territory, but are engaged in guerilla campaigns against pro-government forces. The territory claimed by Ambazonia is currently the site of an armed conflict between Anglophone separatist guerillas ("Ambazonians") and the Cameroonian military known as the Anglophone Crisis.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2017.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International reactions to the Anglophone Crisis</span>

From 2018, the Anglophone Crisis drew increasing international attention, and became a challenge to Cameroon's foreign relations. Triggered by a violent crackdown on the 2016–2017 Cameroonian protests, the conflict escalated from a low-scale insurgency to a civil war-like situation. While Cameroon enjoys support from African countries, no country has openly supported the Ambazonian independence movements. However, many countries have put pressure on Cameroon to talk to the separatists. In addition, the separatists enjoy support from officers in the Nigerian Army, who have helped arrange arms deals for them.

The Interim Government of Ambazonia is an Ambazonian independence movement, and claims to be the provisional government in exile of the internationally unrecognized state. Formed in the early days of the Anglophone Crisis, the movement has since splintered into four factions that claim to be the legitimate Interim Government.

The Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) is an Ambazonian independence movement. The movement has been known as "hardline" compared to other major Ambazonian separatist movements, and unwilling to engage with federalists. Starting off with a complicated relationship with the larger Interim Government of Ambazonia (IG), following the 2019 Ambazonian leadership crisis, the AGovC officially allied itself to the faction of the IG loyal to the first President of Ambazonia, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebenezer Akwanga</span> Ambazonian activist

Ebenezer Derek Mbongo Akwanga is an Ambazonian independence activist. He is the chairman of the African People's Liberation Movement, an Ambazonian separatist movement, and heads its armed wing, SOCADEF. A former student at the University of Buea, he and fellow activist Ayaba Cho Lucas founded a pro-independence student association. Their movement was soon outlawed, and in 1997, Akwanga was imprisoned for six years. Following his escape from prison, he joined forces with the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC). When the SCNC split into several factions, he became the leader of the Southern Cameroons Youth League (SCYL). The SCYL eventually transformed into the African People's Liberation Movement (APLM). In March 2019, he oversaw the APLM taking part in founding the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council, in an attempt to form a united front. Akwanga is also an advocate of the Biafran case, and has spoken in favor of an alliance between Ambazonian and Biafran independence movements. He has called for referendums on independence in both the former Southern Cameroons and Biafra.

The Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (SCLC) is an Ambazonian umbrella movement, aiming to unite all Anglophone groups on a common front. As of April 2019, it consists of seven movements.

The Ambazonian leadership crisis is an ongoing internal conflict within the Interim Government of Ambazonia (IG). The crisis started on 2 May 2019, when a document signed by the first president of Ambazonia, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, acting from detention in Yaoundé, declared the dissolution of the cabinet of interim president Samuel Ikome Sako and the restoration of Ayuk Tabe's cabinet. This effectively led to the existence of two interim governments, with neither recognizing the other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">July 2019 Cameroon prison riots</span> Two prison riots in Cameroon

The Kondengui and Buea prison riots occurred on July 22 and 24, 2019, respectively. While the first riot started off as a protest against poor prison conditions and unjust detainment, the second riot was carried out in support of the former. Both riots were violently quelled by security forces, and hundreds of prisoners were transported to undisclosed locations. The fate of these prisoners and rumors of casualties during the crushing of the riots had political implications in the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, and brought international attention to the prison conditions. Following the riots, many suspected participants were subjected to torture, and were brought to court and sentenced without their lawyers present.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2020.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2021.

Ngong Emmanuel, better known by his pseudonym Capo Daniel, is an Ambazonian separatist and political activist who served as member of the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and deputy commander of the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) until 2023. Following his resignation from the AGovC and ADF, fighters loyal to him formed the Ambazonia Dark Forces. In 2024, he called for an end to the armed struggle. Daniel has generally operated from exile in Hong Kong.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2024.

References

  1. ↑ International Campaign for "Justice for the murdered students of Buea" Cameroon (In) Justice
  2. ↑ "January 31, 2002 is the new date of Ayaba Cho Lucas court trial in Iserlohn". indymedia-enye. 29 January 2002. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Southern Cameroons Youth League" . Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "AMBAZONIANS : NO LONGER FAGGOTS FOR LA REPUBLIQUE". 13 July 2016. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "Persecuted students find shelter in Norway" . Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Konings, Piet (2009). Neoliberal Bandwagonism. ISBN   9789956558230 . Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "A BRIEF HISTORY" . Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Trues til taushet, Sørnett, Oct 17, 2012. Accessed Jul 10, 2019.
  9. ↑ "ASSASINATION [sic] ATTEMPT OF THE AMBAZONIAN GOVERNING COUNCIL (AGC) LEADER". 29 January 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  10. ↑ "Attacks on SCNC activist, Dr.Ayaba Cho Lucas, in Belgium". 29 January 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  11. ↑ ADF Lands Ground Troops in Southern Cameroons, Declares War on LRC, Cameroon Journal, Sept 10, 2017. Accessed Apr 19, 2018.
  12. ↑ Cameroon: Anglophone Crisis - Dialogue Remains the Only Viable Solution, AllAfrica, Dec 7, 2017. Accessed Mar 9, 2019.
  13. ↑ Federalists Meet Restorationists, Which Group Will Perform The Osmosis?, Cameroon News Agency, Mar 29, 2019. Accessed Apr 10, 2019.
  14. ↑ Cameroon: Sepratist hardliners react after impechment of detained Ambazonia leader, Journal du Cameroun, Jun 12, 2019. Accessed Jun 12, 2019.
  15. ↑ Cameroon's Ambazonia separatists have not carried out torture, insists leader, Sky News, Jul 10, 2019. Accessed Jul 10, 2019.
  16. ↑ AGovC Joins Forces With IPOB, Cameroon News Agency, Apr 9, 2021. Accessed Apr 10, 2021.
  17. ↑ Ayaba Calls On Cameroonians To Overthrow Paul Biya, Cameroon News Agency, Apr 22, 2021. Accessed Apr 22, 2021.
  18. ↑ Sécurité Cameroun : un leader sécessionniste revendique l’attentat à la bombe qui a tué 7 personnes dont le maire d’Ekondo Titi, Agence ecofin, March 06, 2022. Accessed March 06, 2022.
  19. ↑ Njie, Paul (26 September 2024). "Top Cameroonian separatist leader arrested in Norway". BBC News. Yaoundé. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "Julius Nyih Rises After Ayaba Cho's Arrest, Promises Continuity" . Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  21. ↑ "Book Presentation "Not Guilty" An African Refugee Experience". 22 November 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
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