The Cameroon Association of Victims of Ambazonia Terrorism Inc., (“CAVAT”) , a California non-profit corporation, on behalf of itself and its members, has filed a fresh lawsuit against separatist leaders in the US, calling for the country’s justice, security and treasury departments to take action against the leaders.
CAVAT, said to be representing victims of the Anglophone crisis, including all those who have suffered harm, injury, loss by killings of family members and friends, abductions, and loss of vital economic interests and investments as a result of the crisis ongoing in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that separatist leaders, based in the US who have been masterminding attacks in the two regions face the law.
According to the complaint from the Nsahlai Law Firm, counsel for the plaintiff, the United States Treasury Department, Department of Home Land Security, Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, have “failed to comply with Presidential and Congressional mandates in the handling of the ‘Ambazonian’ groups and their supporters within the USA who commit well-documented and verified acts of international terrorism, violent extremism, and hate crimes”.
William P. Barr, Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, Director of the FBI, Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of Treasury and Chad Wolf, Secretary of Homeland Security, have also been sued in their individual capacity.
Prayers
The Nsahlai Law Firm is praying the United States, US, Central District Court of California to order these individuals and the institution they head to stop Ambazonia activists from using America to enhance extremism. It wants the US court to, “order defendants to make good faith and reasonable efforts to apply the Presidential and Congressional anti-terrorism, violent extremism, and other mandates identified in this Complaint to all Ambazonians”. It is also praying for relief as the court may deem “equitable”.
Interest
In a 35-page complaint, the counsel writes that on behalf of thousands of people who have suffered from what he said are actions initiated, sponsored and propagated by separatists. These acts, according to CAVAT, have contravened several US “anti-terrorism” laws.
The law firm said its action is “on behalf of the tens of thousands of United States of America, USA, citizens of Cameroon or non-Cameroon descent who suffer harm, injury, including loss by killings of family members and friends, abductions, and loss of vital economic interests and investments”.
It also mentions that hundreds of businesses owned by US citizens have been put in jeopardy because of the alleged excesses of separatists. Lawyers for the victims equate the conduct and activities of separatists to “terrorism” and “international terrorism”. To them, the US institutions must interpret and apply their own laws on the accused. The complainant sees such action as being needed to end “crimes against humanity, mass murder, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killing, airpiracy, financing of terrorism, and terrorism” which it claims separatists have committed in the restive North West and South West regions.
The Barrister Emmanuel Nsahlai-signed complaint mentions the case of Tapang Ivo Tanku, of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF, Samuel Ikome Sako of the Acting Interim Government, AIG, and Christopher Anu Fobeneh, Secretary of Communication of the virtual AIG as engaging in “terrorism” and “international terrorism” acts that have put millions in dire need. Others mentioned in the same complaint are Frankiline Verla, Benedict Kuah, Cho Ayaba, Capo Daniel, Boh Herbert, Akwanga Ebenezer and John Mbah Akoruh.
These individuals, according to CAVAT’s lawyers, hold influence over the bands of gunmen currently operating across the North West and South West regions. It brings to the attention of the court that, the activists have since 2016 embarked on a mission to make these regions “ungovernable”. Within this period, CAVAT says it has lost workers, and remains unable to effectively execute its humanitarian activities across communities in the two English-speaking regions owing to threats from “Ambazonians”.
Millions to sponsor “terrorism”
Enumerating what CAVAT seems to consider their sins after ‘deceiving’ millions through their “extremist activities”. It cites the case, “of Christopher Anu Fobeneh, an erstwhile ‘pastor’, as well as his figure head Sako Ikome, used a non-profit Maryland corporation called ‘Ambazonia Foundation Inc’ to scam tens of thousands of USA citizens of over two million USD dollars, as ‘contributions’ for their war in violation of the expedition against friendly country laws”.
It refers to Eric Tataw as, “the Garri Master, because he coined the term Garri, meaning to cut the limbs or hands with a machete of anyone who opposes his political goals”. CAVAT argues that, “Ambazonia actions, and their specific attacks in the North West, South West, are intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian populations of these regions, the government of Cameroon, and others, to follow their political goals and objectives, to influence the policy of the Cameroon government by intimidation, coercion, and to affect the conduct of the Cameroon government by mass killings, torture, kidnappings, abductions, destruction of property, arson, and cessation of schools”.
Flashback
The legal action from CAVAT had been mentioned during a press conference in Yaounde last February. Then, Barrister Nsahlai had accused the international community of complicity in what he said were excesses of separatists affecting thousands of people in Cameroon. Then, Nsahlai had sounded aware of the challenge awaiting CAVAT. He told journalists then that, “we know it is going to be a long fight. Having innocent civilians killed because of the international terrorism acts of these Ambazonians….. the victims association want justice, they want peace..There are civil remedies for international terrorism. We should not let Cameroon slide into what Ambazonians want”.