- Says Not Worried About Arrest As Long As Judicial Process Is Just
- Urges Norway Not To End At Ayaba, But Visit Case Files Against Cameroon Gov’t Officials, Proxies Too
By Andrew Nsoseka
Dr Ikome Sako, leader of the Southern Cameroons government operating from Washington DC in the US, has in his latest outing said he and his group of fighters and stakeholders will fight on, until a negotiated solution to the Anglophone Crisis is found. He said this will only be obtained when they, as actors gunning for independence, sit as equals and negotiate with Cameroon Government officials.
Sako was speaking in an international press conference to a cross section of journalists drawn from Africa, the US, and Brazil, on October 4, 2024.
During the press conference, Sako and his team talked about their ongoing war of independence, the challenges, the arrest of Ayaba Cho, leader of the ADF. They also talked about the situation on the ground as regard the suffering, fighting fatigue and the various botched peace processes.
Sako said they have been open to talks and negotiation. He blamed the Cameroon government for refusing to sit on a dialogue and negotiation table to end the bloody conflict. He said his group has always been ready for talks. “We did not withdraw our commitment to the peace process,” he said furthering that if called up, they will go to talks.
Asked about his incarcerated colleagues and the case in Nigeria, Ikome Sako said they are trying to get the collaboration of the current Nigeria Administration to respect the ruling of their own courts. He regretted that the previous administration was difficult to work with. He said their wish is that the Nigerian authorities look at the crisis in a different way than their predecessors.
Case of Ayaba Cho
Asked about the arrest of Ayaba Cho, Dr Sako said he is happy that Norway has decided to be interested in the conflict. He said they only ask that the process be just and fair, and done in accordance with Norwegian law and not that of Cameroon. Sako said, as an armed organisation fighting for independence, they understand that war has rules and laws that must be respected by all actors. He said if individuals decide to violate laws that govern armed conflicts, they should be held responsible.
To Sako, it is a good thing that the authorities in Norway want to do something about the conflict. “Now that Norway has decided to be interest in crimes in Ambazonia, they should not end at Ayaba Cho. They should go to the same court and pick up the case against 98 Cameroonian officials for crimes against humanity. Justice should not be biases. The process should not be political,” he said.
On whether those of them in the United States of America are worried that they too can be arrested like Ayaba Cho, Dr Sako said they have nothing to be afraid of, because they know the law that governs conflict and war, and are respecting it.
He said his administration has condemned atrocities countless times and taken initiatives to clean out bad actors. He, however, said it is it is difficult to fight against the Cameroonian army and at the same time their ‘proxy militias’ and other actors who are taking advantage of the conflict.
Asked why they, leaders in the diaspora, cannot come under one platform to talk with a unique voice, Dr Sako said they have to maintain the different groups to avoid infiltrators. He said it will be easier for a compromised person at the helm to collapse the whole struggle than for a particular group to do so. According to Dr Sako, there are some groups masquerading as pro-independence fighters, but who are in reality, proxy groups aligned with the Cameroon Government.
He said such groups are always quick to carry out or take responsivity for cruel acts and war crimes in order to make others have blemishes and look bad. To him, groups that go after civilians and cause untold hardship cannot claim to be fighting for Southern Cameroonians.
While insisting that they are ready to fight to the last man standing until a negotiated solution is sought, Sako said they will happily accept even if the desired result are obtained by another group.
“Not everyone has to be on the negotiation table. In South Africa, not everyone was on the negotiation table. As long as the outcome is acceptable, we will embrace it.”
Sako dismissed assertions that their division confuses the Cameroon Government on who to talk to. “They should look at the numbers on the ground. Numbers do not lie. They don’t just want to talk because they have nothing to say. We are fighting a just cause. That is why no nation in the world has called us terrorists. Our case is rooted in history. We did not fire the first shot. We are only defending ourselves and we have a right to self-defence.”
The leader of the Southern Cameroon’s government said their wish is for countries like Norway, which are getting interested in the conflict, to take it to avenues where other world bodies like the UN and various states can cause it to be debated and a lasting solution achieved.
