Abdul Karim Ali’s Life Sentence Draws Responses from Family

The life sentence handed to Cameroonian activist Abdul Karim Ali by a military court has led to reactions from his wife and mother, both of whom have publicly expressed their perspectives on the verdict.​

Wife Responds on Social Media

In a post on the platform X, Mairama Abdulkarim, the wife of Abdul Karim Ali, criticised the verdict and reaffirmed her support for her husband.​

“They sentenced themselves thinking they did my husband,” she wrote.​

She referred to the military court as an instrument of occupation and maintained that higher judgement would ultimately prevail.​Sou

“The military occupier, through its military courts, has done its best. Allah will do He’s and He’s is the best of deeds,” she stated.​

Mairama expressed that the conviction had not deterred her husband’s stance nor her admiration for it.​

“No weapon can kill the truth my husband holds. If anything, your brutal sword of injustice confirms why I love my husband and why Southern Cameroonians will never surrender to your puny annexation,” she said.​

Concluding her statement, she declared:​

“Dead for us is Victory. Either way, we shall win and you shall lose.”​

Mother’s Message of Caution and Resilience

In a voice message received by MMI, Abdul Karim’s mother also responded to the sentencing, describing it as a manifestation of divine will.​

“This is the will of Allah,” she said, adding that she was not surprised by the outcome.​

She explained that she had anticipated such a result from the time of his arrest, which occurred while she was hospitalised.​

In her message, she advised her son to remain cautious and vigilant, particularly regarding those around him.​

“Be careful because if they cannot break your spirit, they could get someone to poison you,” she warned.​

She invoked a familiar separatist expression to underline her resolve:​

“Shake shake no dey,” a phrase implying steadfastness in the face of pressure.​

Background and Legal Proceedings

Authorities arrested Abdul Karim Ali, a peace activist from Cameroon’s Anglophone region, on 11 August 2022 in Bamenda without a warrant. Authorities detained him at the Secretariat of State for Defence (SED) in Yaoundé, where they reportedly held him incommunicado for several days and denied him access to legal representation. ​

The Military Tribunal of Yaoundé later presented him on accusations including ‘hostility against the fatherland’, ‘failure to report’, ‘secession’, and ‘rebellion’. ​

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for his release, citing concerns about the legality of his detention and the conditions of his imprisonment. ​

Abdul Karim Ali has faced detention before. In 2019, authorities arrested him and held him without charges for several weeks before releasing him. ​

His recent life sentence has drawn attention to the ongoing tensions in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, where activists continue to advocate for their rights amidst political unrest.

Mimi Mefo Info