Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, the imprisoned President of the Ambazonia separatist movement in Cameroon, issued an appeal for unity among fellow leaders as internal divisions threaten to impede their quest for independence.
In a New Year message from his confinement in the Kondengui prison in Yaounde, Sisiku expressed the critical need for cohesion within the Ambazonia movement.
He urged leaders to set aside differences and work together for the common goal of achieving peace and independence.
“More than ever before, we need unity of purpose. I plead with us all to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of Ambazonia’s children,” he emphasised.
Sisiku underscored the importance of remaining steadfast in the struggle that has fueled an armed conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking Regions for seven years.
Addressing the internal divisions and contradictions within the movement, he urged leaders to “build bridges of understanding” instead of contributing to further division and internal conflicts.
The Ambazonia separatist movement currently faces fragmentation with over five factions led by prominent figures like Lucas Ayaba Cho, Chris Anu, Marianta, Sako Ikome, Dabney Yerima, and Capo Daniel, all based in the diaspora.
Each leader controls a distinct faction of the Ambazonia Interim Government along with associated armed groups in Cameroon.
The fracture within the movement originated following the arrest of Sisiku and nine other prominent figures by the Nigerian government in 2018.
They were subsequently transferred to Cameroon where they faced a trial at the Yaounde military tribunal and were handed life imprisonment sentences.
The internal divisions have complicated the struggle for independence and weakened the collective impact of the movement.
The armed conflict has resulted in over 6,000 deaths and displaced more than a million people.
In 2023, the conflict escalated with a surge in violent attacks, claiming at least 300 lives, according to the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy for Africa (CHRDA).
Despite the challenges, Sisiku affirmed the resilience of the movement, emphasising that they are not giving up.
On the other hand, President Paul Biya’s government continues to defy international and local calls for dialogue with the separatists.
Human rights groups such as CHRDA have also been advocating for the release of Sisiku and all other political prisoners in the country as a way of promoting reconciliation.
However, the Biya government has a different perspective.
The President maintained in his end-of-year speech on Sunday that the armed conflict is subsiding due to collaboration between the population and the military in dislodging separatist hideouts.
Paul Biya asserted that the security situation had “significantly improved” over the past year.
Mimi Mefo Info
