The “Prisoner’s Trap”: Why Captive Leaders Cannot Rule Free Nations

The world saw this truth in Venezuela. With Nicolás Maduro now detained in New York following his capture on January 3, 2026, no serious Venezuelan argues that he should govern from a prison cell. That would be strategic absurdity.

By Timothy Enongene

Buea January 12, 2026 – As we stand at the threshold of a new year, the dawn of 2026 brings a new clarity to the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. For decades, our people have lived under the suffocating weight of annexation, and for the past eight years we have demonstrated unmatched resilience in the face of a brutal war of occupation. Following Yaoundé’s end-of-year address—another performance of tired “normalization” rhetoric from a regime clinging to power after the disputed 2025 election—the response from Ambazonians has been louder and more resolute than ever: 2026 is our year of irreversible advance.

The Era of Inevitability

President Samuel Ikome Sako, leading the Government-in-Exile of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, has declared that our struggle has moved beyond the phase of symbolic resistance into the phase of strategic inevitability. While the regime in La République du Cameroun (LRC) attempts to project stability through manufactured election results, the reality on the Home Front tells a different story.

The total boycott of those polls across Southern Cameroons was the true referendum of our people. It proved, beyond any doubt, that the people recognize only one legitimate authority: their own government.

President Sako’s record speaks for itself. He has remained the uncompromising custodian of the Ambazonian mandate, consistently rejecting every backdoor attempt to trade our birthright for cosmetic reforms. By refusing Yaoundé’s staged “dialogues,” he has kept the revolution free from the traps of fake decentralization and hollow federalism.

Like Harriet Tubman, who said, “If you hear the dogs, keep going… If you want a taste of freedom, keep going,” Ambazonia is still moving forward — and will not stop until we return to Buea.

The Historical and Legal Mandate

History stands with us, and international law shields us. Even Ahmadou Ahidjo formally recognized the Government of the Republic of Southern Cameroons under British Administration in the September 1, 1961 vote of the LRC National Assembly. Yet in a grave betrayal, that same Assembly later proclaimed the so-called Federal Republic of Cameroon without our participation, without our consent, and without any treaty of union. This was not unity; it was annexation.

Under Article 4(b) of the African Union Constitutive Act, colonial borders at independence are inviolable. Under the Montevideo Convention, Ambazonia satisfies every criterion of statehood. And the failure of UN Resolution 1608 (1961) lies squarely with Britain, whose negligence allowed a guest state to become an occupier.

The “Prisoner’s Trap”: Why Captive Leaders Cannot Rule

Political maturity demands clarity: a prisoner cannot lead a free people. The world saw this truth in Venezuela. With Nicolás Maduro now detained in New York following his capture on January 3, 2026, no serious Venezuelan argues that he should govern from a prison cell. That would be strategic absurdity.

The same principle applies universally. If Christ Himself were imprisoned today, He could not lead Christendom from a cell. A prisoner’s duty is to remain steadfast and survive — not to command the struggle.

As Nelson Mandela wisely stated:
“Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts.” Only free people can free the unfree. That is why the 2025 restructuring of the Ambazonian cabinet was so critical. President Sako ensured that the revolution’s brain — its executive leadership — remains free, mobile, and beyond enemy control.

2026: The Occupier Is Finished

The Yaoundé regime is in visible decline. Biya’s so-called “normalization” address was the language of desperation, not confidence. Even Paris no longer buys the illusion. As of January 2026, President Emmanuel Macron has refused to congratulate Biya on his alleged 2025 victory — a clear sign that the occupier’s legitimacy has collapsed even in the eyes of its patron.

With a restructured government and the Ambazonian State Army securing the Home Front, Ambazonia is no longer a protest movement. It is a state in the final phase of restoration.

We do not take instructions from captives.
We honor their sacrifice — but we follow free leadership back to Buea. Ambazonia is a reality.

Timothy Enongene