Belgian Authorities Arrest Separatist Leaders Linked to Cameroonian Conflict
Brussels – Belgian authorities have arrested four individuals, three of whom remain in custody, on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, officials announced March 3.
The investigation centers on suspected leaders within the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), the armed wing of the Ambazonia Governing Council, a movement advocating for independence for Cameroon’s English-speaking North-West and South-West regions. Prosecutors believe “instructions for attacks” were being issued from within Belgium.
The arrests are the latest in a series of international efforts to hold individuals accountable for atrocities committed during the crisis, which began in 2015. Armed separatist groups have been accused of killing civilians and enforcing school boycotts, depriving thousands of children of education.
In April 2025, a U.S. grand jury indicted Eric Tataw, a Cameroonian residing in the United States, on charges including threatening violence against civilians. Norwegian police arrested Lucas Cho Ayaba, leader of the Ambazonia Governing Council, in September 2024 on suspicion of inciting crimes against humanity.
The focus on leaders operating outside of Cameroon highlights the international dimensions of the conflict. However, rights groups point out that abuses have been committed by both sides. Cameroon’s security forces have been implicated in extrajudicial killings, the burning of homes, arbitrary arrests, and torture of suspected separatists.
Recent attempts at accountability for government forces have been criticized as insufficient. A February ruling regarding the 2020 Ngarbuh massacre, in which 21 civilians were killed, saw lenient sentences handed down to convicted soldiers and a failure to investigate those who ordered the attack or provide reparations to victims’ families.
Human Rights Watch and other organizations emphasize the need for justice to be applied equally to all those responsible for serious international crimes in Cameroon, with credible investigations and prosecutions for all involved.
