The Ayaba Cho Affair: Will The Cameroon Government Appear In The Case To Hold In Norway?

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  Many spin doctors on both sides of the conflict in the Anglophone Regions, are busy at work, trying to manipulate information on The Ayaba Cho Affair

Since the arrest on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 in Oslo, Norway of Ayaba Cho Lucas, one of the separatist leaders, in the ongoing armed conflict between Government troops and separatist fighters in the two Anglophone regions in Cameroon, there have been lots of conflicting reports on the social media and even in the traditional media, on a number of issues. As expected, a lot of spin doctors on both sides of the conflict, have been busy at work, trying to manipulate information in what The Mentor News terms, The Ayaba Cho Affair.  People thus have to be careful with what they read or hear on the matter.

The Issue Of Extradition

The question as to where the ADF leader, Ayaba Cho Lucas, will stand trial has been one of the big debate topics on the social media in Cameroon, since his arrest on Wednesday, September 25. The social media has since the arrest been flooded with allegations that Ayaba Cho would be extradited to Cameroon, like happened to the non – violent Sisiko Julius Ayuk Tabe, and his fellow comrades (Nera 10), who were arrested in neighbouring Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon to face trial.  They have since been serving a controversial life jail sentence that was slammed on then by the Yaounde Military Tribunal.

The latest case in mind is that of the Cameroonian born social media activist, Yves Kibouy Bershu alias Steve Akam, alias Ramon Cotta, who last July was arrested in Gabon and extradited to Cameroon. That is less than three months ago.

Can Ayaba Cho Be Extradited To Cameroon?

In fact shortly after the news of the arrest of Ayaba Cho went viral on social media on Wednesday, September 25, some posts appeared on the social media, including one by a well-known communication officer of the ruling CPDM Party, alleging that the arrested separatist leader, or terrorist as they termed him, would in a few hours be in plane on extradition to Cameroon.  That of course never happened. Norway is neither Nigeria nor Gabon.  But to show how serious the allegation that Ayaba Cho may be extradited, has been in Cameroon, the lead story  of the French language daily, Le Jour, on Friday, September 25, 2024 was tiled: “Crise Anglophone: Lucas Ayaba Cho: L’Improbable Extradition?”

Many observers think that extradition looks very unlikely with the case of Ayaba Cho. To begin with, there is the point that Cameroon and Norway do not have, or have not signed an extradition treaty. There is also the fact that Ayaba Cho reportedly has German nationality. Germany and Norway are members of the European Union, and it is difficult for Norway to extradite a German national to Cameroon for trial, even though it is the land of his birth.  A secret or silent extradition could have perhaps been possible, in a situation where Ayaba Cho’s arrest was a deal struck by Cameroonian and Norwegian authorities. But that also does not seem to have been the case.  There are even doubts as to whether a country like Norway, can accept to get into such a deal.

Silence Of Biya Government

Meanwhile there have been lots of speculations on the social media, on the silence of the Biya Government over the arrest of separatist leader, Ayaba Cho Lucas. Observers will however agree that the Biya Government does not communicate or comment on such issues. When Sisisku Julius Ayuk Tabe and comrades were arrested in Nigeria, the Cameroon Government did not communicate. Even when they were extradited to Cameroon, there was still no communication.

It was the same thing when the aforementioned Gabon based social media activist, Ramon Cotta (not real name), who was known in Gabon as Steve Akam and in Cameroon as Yves Kibouy Bershu, was arrested in Gabon last July and extradited to Cameroon. Up till date, the Government has not said a word about the arrest, extradition and detention at SED in Yaounde of Ramon Cotta.

Alleged Threat By Ayaba Cho

There has also been this rumour on social media that Ayaba Cho has threatened, that he will disclose names of some members of the regime with whom he was worming. This looks like a fabricated stuff.  Ayaba Cho cannot declare that he is not guilty of the charge leveled against him as his lawyer says, and at the same time says he will name accomplices. This story of Ayaba Cho having allegedly threatened to expose some members of the regime, seem to be a manipulation by some separatist in the Diaspora. that have been alleging that  the ADF leader was being sponsored by some members of the Biya regime. Ayaba too had equally made similar accusations against others. These allegations are part of the game in the infighting between the separatist leaders.

Will Cameroon Gov’t Appear In Case?

Meanwhile an increasing number of separatists in the Diaspora have been saying on the social media that the case against Ayaba Cho in Norway will be transformed into a blessing for the liberation struggle. According to them, it will an opportunity for separatist movements to confront the Biya Government in court, and make the world to know better the reason for their independent struggle. They claim that the Biya Government will appear in the case as a prosecution witness.

First of all there is no indication that the Cameroon Government will be directly involved in the case.  It is an open secret that the US based lawyer, Barrister Emmanuel Nsahlai, who filed the complaint in Norway against the ADF Leader, Ayaba Cho, operates with some members of the Biya Government. But Nsahlai himself has never said that. He has also not said that he is a lawyer for the Cameroon Government in the matter.

What is known is that at the press conference which Barrister Emmanuel Nsahlai granted in Yaounde not long ago, he made it clear that he is lawyer for the victims of the atrocities committed by separatist groups against civilians, in the ongoing conflict in the two Anglophone Regions.  Barrister Nsahlai was accompanied at that press conference by some of the victims, and some of them made declarations to the media. So the prosecution witnesses that Barrister Nsahlai will likely invite to Norway for the case, will be victims of the atrocities allegedly committed by ADF under the command of Ayaba Cho, and not the Cameroon Government.

Again, the case against the ADF commander, Ayaba Cho, in Norway is not about  what caused the  ongoing conflict in the two Anglophone regions in Cameroon, but rather about the crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the ADF under the command of Ayaba Cho,  against  the civilian population. It is as simple as that.