From the confines of Kondengui Central Prison, Abdulkarim Ali, a prominent activist, has issued a scathing critique of the recent policy by Ambazonian separatist fighters to seize and destroy Cameroonian national identity cards. In a statement released on March 26, 2025, Ali decried the action as a “colossal error” that must be “condemned and corrected with immediate effect.”
ID Cards are Not Endorsement
Ali’s statement directly challenges the rationale behind the ID confiscation, arguing that possession of identification documents is not synonymous with supporting the Cameroonian government.
“Carrying identification documents, including birth certificates, domestic ID cards, travel documents, currency, and educational certificates issued by the occupying entity, is neither a crime nor an endorsement of oppression,” he said.
Invoking International Law
He further buttressed his argument by invoking international law, highlighting the responsibilities of an occupying power towards the occupied population.
“On a factual and legal note, the occupier is responsible for providing and securing many rights of the occupied people, including education and identification documents,” Ali said.
He cited Article 24 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which mandates birth registration and the provision of a name for every child, and Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), which compels the occupying power to “enable [the inhabitants] to obtain the necessary documents for the normal conduct of their affairs.”
Ali also referenced the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly states the occupying power’s duty to “issue identity documents and certificates of registration”.
Daily Struggles of Citizens
The imprisoned activist highlighted the practical implications of the ID confiscation, emphasising the daily struggles faced by ordinary citizens.
“Even during a struggle against occupation, the populace must survive by working, travelling, and accessing essential services and humanitarian aid,” he said. “Without ID cards, our people face significant challenges, including restricted movement and limited access to financial services and health care.”
Political Leadership Must Intervene
Ali called upon the “political leadership of Southern Cameroons to address this detrimental error with immediate effect and intensify education regarding liberation struggles, especially at the home front.”
He concluded his statement with a poignant quote from Kwame Nkrumah, “I have no desire to go to heaven if my people, the Africans, are not going to be there,” emphasising his concern for the well-being of the population. “Our people must know we care and that we know exactly what we are doing,” he added.
Internal Dissent: A Challenge to Separatist Tactics
Ali’s intervention from within a Cameroonian prison highlights the growing internal dissent over the separatists’ tactics. It comes as some activists in Belgium and the USA have been supporting the infamous action of confiscating ID cards.
Ali’s position challenges the narrative that some factions within the Ambazonian movement propagate.
His words shine a spotlight on the human cost of the conflict and the urgent need for a more pragmatic approach to addressing the needs of the affected population.
AbdulKarim Ali’s Ordeals
Abdul Karim Ali is a Cameroonian peace activist and human rights defender known for promoting peace and denouncing human rights violations, particularly in the context of Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis. He has been arbitrarily detained multiple times due to his activism.
Cameroonian authorities arrested Abdul Karim Ali without a warrant on August 11, 2022, in Bamenda, North-West region, and detained him at the local gendarmerie. Authorities held him for 84 days, including several days incommunicado, during which they deprived him of contact with the outside world and denied visits from family and lawyers. They kept him in inhumane detention conditions, lacking basic necessities. Authorities did not provide formal charges, but they repeatedly interrogated him about a video he made on July 9, 2022, in which he denounced a Cameroonian military chief for allegedly torturing civilians.
In November 2022, authorities transferred Abdul Karim Ali to the Secretariat of State Defence (SED) in Yaoundé, where he remained held without charge. His detention has drawn international condemnation, with organisations like Amnesty International calling for his immediate release, asserting that his detention violates his right to freedom of expression.
This is not the first time Abdul Karim Ali has faced arbitrary detention. In September 2019, he was arrested and held without access to a lawyer for five days before being released weeks later. His repeated detentions highlight the risks faced by human rights defenders in Cameroon.
