He urged the Western world to prioritise human rights protection and peaceful resolution in southern Cameroon and called for international support for the Ambazonian people.
Sako pointed to a recent tweet by former United States Under Secretary for African Affairs Tibor Nagy, which reflected a diplomatic stance prioritising geopolitical interests and historical biases over urgent international engagement.
Ambazonian struggle
Despite international attention, Ambazonia remains unrecognised as a nation, while Cameroon enjoys support from African countries, and no country has openly supported the Ambazonian independence movements.
However, many countries have put pressure on Cameroon to talk to the separatists.
Dr Abdullahi Bello, an expert in international affairs and diplomacy, compared the Ambazonian movement to the Biafran struggle and emphasised the importance of international support.
He suggested that international organisations like the United Nations, the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may maintain strategic silence due to concerns about creating additional countries.
Dr Bello called for dialogue and diplomatic channels as the best approach to resolving the Southern Cameroonian struggle for self-determination.
The Anglophone crisis
Historically, governance and the dominance of the Francophone political class in Cameroon have received limited international attention.
However, the ongoing Anglophone crisis, also known as the Ambazonian War, has shifted this perception.
The war began in 2017 and is being fought over how the English-speaking western regions of the largely francophone country should be governed.
The conflict has its origins in Cameroon’s colonisation by both the French and British governments, which brought with them their respective languages, French and English. Currently, the dispute involves Cameroon’s military and separatist groups from the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions
Presently, the dispute involves Cameroon’s military and separatist groups hailing from the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions.
Cameroon, often referred to as “Africa in miniature,” boasts geographic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Its rich cultural landscape includes over 200 languages and approximately 250 ethnic groups, each with distinct origins and traditions.
Reuniting and upholding the unity and dignity of both the Francophone and Anglophone sides of Cameroon is essential.
Achieving this unity is seen as non-negotiable, as the colonial powers’ legacies continue to influence the region’s dynamics.
Security Implications in Nigeria and the Region
Nigeria, faces its own internal strife, including the Indigenous People of Biafra’s separatist movement, which shares similar demands with Cameroonian separatists.
Nigeria shares its longest international border with Cameroon, spanning 1,975km.
Along this border, both nations grapple with violent crises. Nigeria’s North-East states, Borno and Adamawa, continue to confront a persistent Boko Haram insurgency.
Violence stemming from the pastoral conflict involving Fulani herdsmen and indigenous communities intensifies, spanning from Adamawa through Taraba and Benue into parts of Cross River.
This signifies that the entire Nigeria-Cameroonian border region is marred by arms proliferation, trained fighters, and intricate violent conflicts.
It represents a potential powder keg not only for these two nations, with a combined population exceeding 225 million, but also for the entire region.
According to Worldometer, Cameroon, as at July 2023, has a population of over 28 million people while Nigeria’s population, is estimated to be over 225 million people.
Source: Radio Nigeria
