Agbor Balla Says Tchiroma “Would Release Anglophone Detainees Within Three Months”

By Franklin Sone Bayen on special assignment in Garoua

Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, who campaigned with Issa Tchiroma Bakary yesterday in Guider and Garoua in the North Region, says the lead candidate in the presidential election told him he would release Anglophone detainees within three months if he were elected president on 12 October.

“He assured me that within the next three months he will release all our brothers in detention,” said the human rights lawyer and political activist who flew to Garoua on Friday morning and joined Tchiroma on the campaign trail.

Hundreds of Anglophone activists, including Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Wilfred Tassang and eight other members of the “interim government” of the self-proclaimed Ambazonia republic, are serving life jail terms and other sentences. Many others are still awaiting trial.

Agbor Balla was the leader of the Anglophone Consortium that triggered the present Anglophone Crisis in 2016.

Following his arrest in early 2017, the crisis that began with demands for safeguards on Anglophone legal and education systems, snowballed into the present Ambazonia armed struggle under other leaders.

Agbor Balla declared his endorsement of Tchiroma in a statement issued from Garoua yesterday, saying, “Mr. Tchiroma’s recent public apology to Anglophones was not merely symbolic; it was a courageous and humane act of leadership. In acknowledging the pain and marginalization that many of our citizens have endured, he demonstrated humility and moral clarity; two qualities rarely seen in our political culture. It was a gesture that transcended politics, speaking directly to the conscience of our nation.

“Beyond apology, Mr. Tchiroma has articulated a bold vision for a transitional government, a peaceful and inclusive process aimed at rebuilding the foundations of our Republic. His proposal for a limited transitional mandate reflects the understanding that Cameroon must first heal, reconcile, and reform its institutions before it can truly prosper.

“My endorsement of Mr. Tchiroma is therefore not partisan. It is anchored in principle; the principle that our country’s salvation lies in dialogue, inclusion, and the moral courage to admit past wrongs and chart a new path forward.”

Agbor Balla later joined Tchiroma at campaign events in Guider and Garoua, both in Tchiroma’s home North Region.

Agbor Balla summarized his message at both campaign outings thus: “In both Guider and Garoua, my message was clear: the power of the people is greater than the people in power.”

Speaking to me in Garoua after a day on the soapbox with the leading candidate in the election, Agbor Balla said, “I campaigned with Minister Tchiroma because I believe that the future of Cameroon must be built on dialogue, inclusion, and collaboration rather than division. Our country has suffered too long from polarization, mistrust, and exclusion.

“My decision was guided by the conviction that change will not come from isolation or rigid partisanship, but from engaging constructively even with those who may not share all our views. We may differ on certain issues, but we share a desire to see a peaceful, united, and democratic Cameroon.

“For me, standing alongside him was a statement that politics should be about ideas and the future of our nation, not enmity. Cameroon needs bridges, not walls.”

Asked whether resolution of the Anglophone problem was part his discussions with Tchiroma, Agbor Balla said, “Yes, we discussed the Anglophone crisis, because it remains one of the most painful and unresolved issues in our country. Tchiroma has expressed his commitment to pursuing dialogue, justice, and reconciliation as the only sustainable path forward.”