Ambazonia Governing Council

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Ambazonia Governing Council
Coat of the Ambazonia Governing Council.png
Coat of arms
Established2013
LeaderAyaba Cho Lucas
Armed forcesAmbazonia Defence Forces

The Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) is a Liberation movement within the Ambazonia Liberation cause. The Ambazonia Governing Council commonly referred to as AGovC is the vanguard organisation that has been fighting for the total liberation of Ambazonia since 2013 when it was founded.[1]

History[]

The AGovC was established in 2013[1] by the merger of several independence movements, including Southern Cameroons Youth League (SCYL), Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), the Southern Cameroons Restoration Movement (SCARM) and the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organization (SCAPO). It is led by former SCYL Secretary General Ayaba Cho Lucas.[2]

The AGovC played a key role in initiating the separatist war currently raging between Ambazonian separatist militias and Cameroonian security forces. On September 9, 2017, the AGovC declared the deployment of the Ambazonia Defence Forces in Southern Cameroons and the launching of combat operations to achieve the independence of Ambazonia.[3] Three weeks later, the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (predecessor of the Interim Government of Ambazonia, henceforth IG) declared the independence of the country, but did not support the armed struggle that the AGovC had initiated, preferring civil disobedience and a diplomatic campaign. This stance would eventually change.[4]

The AGovC remains outside the IG, with which it has had a complicated relationship. Nevertheless, after initial reluctance, the IG supports the armed wing of the AGovC, the ADF.[5] In March 2019, the AGovC declined to participate in the All Southern Cameroons People's General Conference in Washington, D.C., and did thus not take part in the foundation of the Southern Cameroons Liberation Council.[6] However, it participated in a workshop in Brussels in May 2019, which ended with all Ambazonian independence movements - including the AGovC - promising to set aside ideological differences and form a common front.[7] In June, the AGovC sided with Ayuk Tabe against Samuel Ikome Sako when a leadership crisis broke out within the IG,[8] and in August it formally allied itself with the Ayuk Tabe-led faction.[9] However, when Cameroonian officials met with Ayuk Tabe to discuss a ceasefire in July 2020, the AGovC joined the Sako-led faction of the IG in declaring that prisoners cannot negotiate.[10]

Following the outbreak of an insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria in early 2021, AGovC moved towards a formal alliance with Biafran separatists led by Nnamdi Kanu.[11] The AGovC also declared that it would support Cameroonians who would take up arms to topple Paul Biya.[12] The AGovC-IPOB alliance was denounced by the Interim Government of Ambazonia as well as by other Biafran separatist groups.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks?, Crisis Group, May 2, 2019. Accessed May 2, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Southern Cameroons Youth League". Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  3. ^ ADC Lands Ground Troops in Southern Cameroons, Declares War on LRC[permanent dead link], Cameroon Journal, Sept 10, 2017. Accessed Apr 19, 2018.
  4. ^ Cameroon: Anglophone Crisis - Dialogue Remains the Only Viable Solution, AllAfrica, Dec 7, 2017. Accessed Mar 9, 2019.
  5. ^ 3 most touching tributes offered to “General Ivo”, The National Times, Dec 24, 2018. Accessed Dec 25, 2018.
  6. ^ Federalists Meet Restorationists, Which Group Will Perform The Osmosis?, Cameroon News Agency, Mar 29, 2019. Accessed Apr 10, 2019.
  7. ^ Ambazonia: Willingness for Third-Party Mediated Negotiations with Cameroonian Government, UNPO, June 5, 2019. Accessed Jun 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Cameroon: Sepratist hardliners react after impechment of detained Ambazonia leader, Journal du Cameroun, Jun 12, 2019. Accessed Jun 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Ahead of peace talks, a who’s who of Cameroon’s separatist movement, The New Humanitarian, Jul 8, 2020. Accessed Jul 9, 2020.
  10. ^ COVID-19 Ceasefire: The Big Four React, Cameroon News Agency, Jul 5, 2020. Accessed Jul 7, 2020.
  11. ^ BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu, Ambazonia leader to address joint world press conference April 9, Vanguard, Apr 5, 2021. Accessed Apr 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Ayaba Calls On Cameroonians To Overthrow Paul Biya, Cameroon News Agency, Apr 22, 2021. Accessed Apr 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Internal crisis threatens IPOB, Cameroon separatist union, The Sun Nigeria, May 25, 2021. Accessed May 25, 2021.

External links[]

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