President of self-professed Ambazonia, Sako Ekome denies association with Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB

President of the self-declared region of Ambazonia, popularly known as Southern Cameroon, Dr Sam Sako Ekome has denied any ties in the past, present or future with the Nnamdi Kanu led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), contrary to widespread allegations.

He made the revelation at a virtual press briefing on Friday, August 6, which had key members of his cabinet in attendance. He explained in clear terms that the issue before the Ambazonian state was more of annexation and occupation, not secession as is the case with IPOB.

Speaking further, President Sako stated that the last time any citizen of Ambazonia was in any way linked to the people of Eastern Nigeria was as far back as 1953, and that it will be wrong to link them now in any way to IPOB.

Sako further alleged that the people of Southern Cameroon (Ambazonia) have been stuck fighting an existential war since 2017 when its interim government was unlawfully tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, following their calls for dialogue with French Cameroon. He explained that Ambazonia was not trying to secede as being misinterpreted by many in Nigeria and beyond, and that theirs is already a sovereign state.

“If it is true that we joined Cameroon, it means we attained independence. We have co-existed this long with Cameroon, but if the union has become problematic, does Southern Cameroon lose its independence as a result? The answer is no. If it is agreed that our union with Cameroon was not a treaty union as contemplated by the United Nations charter, why are we obliged to remain in a de facto union where we have been treated as slaves for the last 60 years?” he asked.

He alleged that all they requested was a dialogue that resulted in the war they are fighting today.

“French Cameroon declared war on us in 2017 because we asked for genuine dialogue about the foundation of this failed experiment. Instead of engaging us in dialogue as is prescribed by the United Nations Human Rights court in Banjul, Gambia, they declared a brutal war on us.

“They have slaughtered us like animals since 2017 and they have killed more than 30,000 of our innocent people including mothers and children. As I speak, every minute at least 10 people are being slaughtered. They have burned 500 plots of our villages and settlements. This is the worst genocide that is ongoing in the world today that is underreported.

“Nigeria is our neighbour and the giant of Africa, and I would like investigations done to substantiate these claims. We have 1.6 million internally displaced persons. In Nigeria, by the last count in 2020, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) records indicate that 83,000 Ambazonian refugees have been registered.” (Text, excluding headline from Saturday Independent)