By The Independentist Investigative Desk
London Bureau – June 2025
For over eight years, the people of Ambazonia — the former British Southern Cameroons — have lived under siege. Their towns shelled, leaders jailed or exiled, and thousands scattered across refugee camps and foreign cities. But even in exile, their government still breathes, and its President, Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako, remains defiant.
In an exclusive interview with The Independentist news, President Sako offers an unprecedented exposé of the international betrayals, internal trials, and quiet victories that have marked this forgotten war of decolonization. What emerges is a harrowing tale of a people betrayed by history — but not broken by it.
Britain:
The Silent Executioner
According to President Sako, the root of Ambazonia’s tragedy lies in a “colonial betrayal sealed in London.”
“We were a United Nations Trust Territory under British protection, not a gift to France,” he says.
Despite this legal status, Britain orchestrated a controversial plebiscite in 1961, pushing Southern Cameroons into a toxic union with French-speaking La République du Cameroun. Sixty years later, Britain remains deaf to Ambazonian pleas, shielding its corporate interests in Cameroon over its historic obligations.
“It took a mass protest outside the Commonwealth Office in London just to secure a meeting,” Sako reveals. “Even then, the Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, refused to see us. We were met by junior officials who made promises — and disappeared into silence.”
France:
The Puppet Master Behind Yaoundé
If Britain betrayed Ambazonia by silence, France did so with guns.
President Sako lays bare the French military and financial apparatus propping up the Biya regime:
Training and arming Cameroonian troops responsible for massacres in Ambazonia.
Providing diplomatic cover at the UN Security Council.
Profiting from resource extraction, including oil fields and CDC banana plantations on Ambazonian soil.
“France is the colonial hand behind the bayonet,” says Sako. “They made it clear no Anglophone should ever lead Cameroon — and any rebellion must be crushed militarily. Britain agreed.”
Canada and Switzerland:
False Mediators
The President also details the collapse of two highly publicized mediation efforts:
The Swiss Process, facilitated by Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), was riddled with conflicts of interest and lacked transparency.
The Canadian Peace Talks, endorsed by Global Affairs Canada, were derailed when Canada “sought to impose unity under the illusion of dialogue,” according to Sako. He confirms that Canada later apologized privately for misrepresenting their neutrality.
“They never sought peace — they sought compliance. When we resisted being co-opted into a fraudulent unity, they turned against us.”
International Justice:
The Long Road to Accountability
Despite diplomatic abandonment, Ambazonia is now making headway in the legal arena:
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) ruled in their favor.
The People’s Court in The Gambia recognized the right to self-determination.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been petitioned for war crimes and crimes against humanity, with detailed filings on extrajudicial killings, torture, and mass displacement.
A UN Advisory Opinion is being pursued at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of Cameroon’s continued occupation — modeled after the Namibia–South Africa case of 1971.
“We’re building a legal fortress around our cause. And this time, the world won’t ignore the blood on its hands.”
Refugees and Prisoners:
The Human Cost
President Sako does not mince words about the plight of his people:
Refugees in Nigeria, Ghana, South America, and Europe face harassment, deportation, and neglect.
Political prisoners in Cameroon, and even jailed comrades in the United States, remain in limbo.
Thousands of displaced families live in forests and slums without aid.
“We will not forget them,” he says. “Our liberation is incomplete until every Ambazonian has the right to return home in safety and dignity.”
America: A Surprising Ally
While Britain and France backed Cameroon, the United States — particularly under President Donald Trump — took unprecedented action:
Cameroon was removed from the AGOA trade agreement due to human rights abuses.
Military cooperation was suspended in protest of the atrocities.
American humanitarian missions now run many of the hospitals abandoned by British missionaries.
“Trump did more for us in four years than Britain has done in sixty,” Sako reflects. “At least America listens — and acts.”
The 2025 Elections: Boycott or Betrayal
As Cameroon prepares for another fraudulent presidential election, Sako issues a warning:
“No Ambazonian should legitimize their oppressor by voting. Boycotting this election is not just protest — it is resistance.”
He insists that Ambazonia’s path lies not in assimilation, but in sovereignty.
The Final Word: Unity, Not Uniformity
President Sako acknowledges past missteps within the movement, including leadership disputes and financial mismanagement. Yet he maintains that discipline, vision, and transparency have been restored.
“We didn’t start this war. But we will finish it — and we will finish it together.”
The Independentist news will publish the full transcript of the interview in the coming days. Subscribe for early access at www.theindependentistnews.com
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