For Ambazonians, this is not about Cameroon’s embarrassment. It is about proof. Proof that the problem is not rebellion, but governance failure. Proof that internal reform is illusory. Proof that the internationalisation of the Ambazonian question is justified. And proof that a different political future is not only desirable—but necessary.
By The Independentistnews Financial Investigation Desk
The recent revelations of large-scale embezzlement within Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance (MINFI)—with alleged losses exceeding 9 billion CFA francs, according to Le Zénith—are not merely another episode in a long catalogue of financial scandals. For Ambazonians, this case strikes at the very heart of the political, legal, and moral dispute between Ambazonia and La République du Cameroun. This is not a peripheral story. It is central evidence.
A Treasury That Cannot Govern
The Ministry of finance (MINFI) is the nerve centre of the Cameroonian state. It controls budget execution, treasury operations, debt servicing, and the flow of funds to all ministries, including defence and internal security. When corruption erupts at this level, it exposes something far more serious than individual misconduct: systemic incapacity.
For Ambazonia, this matters because Cameroon’s principal argument against self-determination has always been institutional competence—its claim that it is a functioning state capable of administering all its territories. A state that cannot safeguard its own treasury cannot credibly claim to govern a disputed people under international law. This is not a theoretical point. Governance capacity is a core test in international legal and diplomatic assessments.
Corruption as the Financial Engine of Repression
MINFI does not merely fund public services. It funds military deployments, security operations, intelligence services, and administrative enforcement in Ambazonia. When billions are siphoned from the treasury: Soldiers and civil servants are underpaid, Command structures become predatory, Violence becomes decentralised and unaccountable, Civilians bear the cost through repression and neglect. For Ambazonians, financial corruption is not abstract. It is directly linked to the conditions of violence, lawlessness, and impunity on the ground. Corruption is not separate from the conflict. It finances and sustains it.
Operation Sparrowhawk: Reform or Management?
The possible “reactivation” of Operation Sparrowhawk (Opération Épervier) following the MINFI scandal raises a familiar concern. For nearly two decades, Sparrowhawk has been presented as proof that Cameroon is capable of internal reform. The evidence suggests otherwise. Operation Sparrowhawk has: Punished individuals selectively. Preserved corrupt systems operated at the discretion of political power. Failed to reform financial institutions. For Ambazonia, this is decisive. It demonstrates that internal remedies are structurally incapable of delivering accountability. Anti-corruption, like decentralisation, is deployed as political theatre, not institutional transformation. This reinforces the Ambazonian position that appeals to “internal solutions” are neither credible nor sufficient.
Institutional Failure, Not an Internal Affair
Cameroon consistently frames the Ambazonian question as an “internal matter.” But the MINFI scandal exposes the weakness of that framing. Oversight that depends on “very high instructions,” audits that are discretionary, and justice that follows political timing do not meet the standards of responsible governance recognised by African or international norms.
For Ambazonia, this strengthens the argument that: The crisis is structural, not incidental. The state lacks the capacity for self-correction. International engagement is not interference, but necessity. A state that cannot police its own finances cannot credibly be trusted to resolve a deep political conflict through its own institutions.
Evidence, Not Emotion
This is not about celebrating Cameroon’s failures. Ambazonia gains nothing from mockery. What it gains is documented evidence—financial, institutional, and procedural—that supports: Legal submissions to regional and international bodies. Diplomatic arguments for reframing the conflict. The case for international mediation or protection mechanisms. History shows that peoples seeking self-determination succeed not through outrage alone, but through patient accumulation of facts that expose the unsustainability of the status quo.
A Lesson for the Future Ambazonia
Finally, this moment is also instructive for Ambazonia itself. The failure of MINFI and the hollowness of Operation Sparrowhawk underscore what a future Ambazonian state must avoid: Politicised treasuries. Discretionary oversight. Punitive anti-corruption without prevention. A credible Ambazonian future depends on transparent public finance, independent audits, and institutions designed to prevent corruption—not merely punish it selectively.
Conclusion
The MINFI embezzlement scandal is not a side issue. It is a window into the structural rot of the Cameroonian state, and therefore directly relevant to Ambazonia’s claim that the current arrangement is untenable. For Ambazonians, this is not about Cameroon’s embarrassment. It is about proof. Proof that the problem is not rebellion, but governance failure. Proof that internal reform is illusory. Proof that the internationalisation of the Ambazonian question is justified. And proof that a different political future is not only desirable—but necessary.
The Independentistnews Financial Investigation Desk
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