By Eric Tataw – Sunday April 28, 2019.
Ten (10) leaders of the Anglophone Separatist Movement due to appear in a court in the Central African country of Cameroon tomorrow Monday April 29, 2019 would boycott the session, their lead lawyer told National Telegraph late Saturday April 27, 2019.
They were due to appear at the Yaounde Military Tribunal in county’s capital but Barrister Fru John Nsoh said the court is supposed to have adjourned the matter pending a decision from the Court of Appeal of the Centre.
We’re waiting on the Court of Appeal for the Centre to summon us to appear to do the case before we can go back to the Military Court, Barrister Fru has told National Telegraph, adding that all lawyers and the ten leaders involved in the matter would boycott tomorrow’s court session.
Until the case is heard in the Court of Appeal and a decision taken on the ruling of the Military Court that was appealed against, we wouldn’t go back to the Military Court. We can only go back to Military Court after the Court of Appeal must have met and taken a decision, said Barrister Fru.
The lead lawyer said they appealed against a ruling that gave the Military Court jurisdiction to try their clients. The Military Court don’t have any right to try our clients he said, adding that during the last hearing on Monday April 8, they boycotted for same reason before it was adjourned to Monday April 29, 2019.
Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius and nine others are amongst twelve persons arrested at Nera, a hotel in Abuja, Nigeria on Friday, January 5, 2018, and extradited to Yaoundé, Cameroon, an act that has been described as a bootleg.
Unrest in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions began in October 2016 as a disagreement in language but government mismanaged it, turning it into an armed conflict with a demand by majority of Anglophones in the North West and South West for a separate state called Ambazonia.
Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius now referred to as the President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia is being accused alongside his pals by the Regime of President Paul Biya of spearheading the Revolution and causing insecurity against the state of Cameroon but their lawyers have denied any wrongdoing.
The government is also targeting many others providing food and medication to suffering locals and wounded separatist fighters, including Besong Ntui Eugene, whom government consider a sympathizer of the Ambazonia movement.