There’s a significant shift in stance from the Anglophone separatist “Capo Daniel,” who, from his exile, is now calling for the laying down of arms and renunciation of violence. While viewed as a step in the right direction by several members of the Anglophone civil society, it is deemed a “non-event” by Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.
The two Anglophone regions of Cameroon have been embroiled in violence since 2017. The separatist movement is fragmented, with armed groups proliferating and political motivations at times intertwined with criminal activities.
Known as “Capo Daniel,” the former spokesperson of the Ambazonia Defence Forces, advocating for the independence of Ambazonia – in the western part of the country – now calls, through his new platform, for an end to hostilities on the ground, awaiting direct negotiations with Yaoundé. He no longer pushes for the independence of the territories of the former British Cameroon and now speaks of regional autonomy.
“The terrorists must stop dreaming and surrender without conditions. (…) A legitimate government does not negotiate with bandits,” said Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji. For him, “Capo Daniel” seeks to gain importance that he does not and will never have.
The minister, himself Anglophone, reminds that there was a national dialogue in 2019 and, according to the directives of the head of state, Paul Biya, repentant individuals should “join DDR centers for their reintegration (…) and will not be prosecuted.”
On the side of the “Ambazonia Defence Forces,” the armed wing of the Ambazonia Governing Council, the new spokesperson Lucas Asu, also in exile, labels “Capo Daniel” as “a traitor corrupted by the regime” in Yaoundé. To him, the call to lay down arms is a desperate act that does not represent the separatist group.
From the civil society standpoint, Fon Nsoh, coordinator of Cominsud (Community Initiative for Sustainable Development, based in Bamenda), Esther Omam, director of the NGO Reach Out, and lawyer Nkongho Félix Agbor Balla still hope to hear other voices urging “Amba boys” to disarm and to open up other dialogue avenues.