14/09/2025
If you are an Ambazonian and you are still ignorant of your history even after these nine years of war, I beg you to read this brief summary and understand why we fight. It will help reset and reshape your thinking on the Ambazonian quest for freedom and sovereignty.
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Legal Argument on the Status of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia)
1. Statement of Facts
Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun were distinct territories under international law. Southern Cameroons was a United Nations Trust Territory under British administration, while La République du Cameroun was a French-administered Trust Territory that achieved independence on 1 January 1960.
On 1 October 1961, Southern Cameroons attained independence by joining in a federation with La République du Cameroun as equal partners, creating the “Federal Republic of Cameroon.”
In 1972, the federal structure was unilaterally dissolved through a referendum organized by La République du Cameroun, without the consent of Southern Cameroons as a distinct political entity.
In 1984, La République du Cameroun enacted legislation reverting to its pre-1961 name (“La République du Cameroun”), effectively repudiating the federal arrangement and absorbing Southern Cameroons by way of annexation.
2. Legal Issues
Whether Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun ever constituted a single sovereign entity.
Whether the 1972 referendum and the 1984 annexation were consistent with international law.
Whether the continued incorporation of Southern Cameroons violates the right of peoples to self-determination.
3. Applicable Law
UN Charter, Articles 1(2) and 55: enshrine the principle of self-determination of peoples.
UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960: Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which prohibits the dismemberment or annexation of colonial territories.
UN General Assembly Resolution 1608 (XV) of 1961: affirmed the independence of Southern Cameroons and prescribed the establishment of a federal union with La République du Cameroun, based on equality of status.
Principle of Uti Possidetis Juris: requires respect for the boundaries of colonial territories at independence.
Prohibition of Annexation: a peremptory norm (jus cogens) under international law forbidding the forcible incorporation of one people or territory into another without lawful consent.
4. Legal Argument
1. No Lawful Union Was Ever Perfected:
Resolution 1608 (XV) required that the terms of federation between Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun be established through an international treaty, duly registered with the United Nations. No such treaty was ever concluded.
Consequently, Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun never became one sovereign entity under international law.
2. The 1972 Referendum Was Ultra Vires:
The referendum that dissolved the federation was organized by La République du Cameroun, without the participation of Southern Cameroons as a separate political entity.
This violated both the federal constitution of 1961 and the principle of self-determination, rendering the act legally null and void.
3. The 1984 Annexation Constitutes a Breach of International Law:
By reverting to its pre-federal name “La République du Cameroun,” the government of Yaoundé unilaterally withdrew from the federation.
Instead of restoring Southern Cameroons to its independent status, La République du Cameroun annexed the territory — an act prohibited under the UN Charter and international law.
4. Continuing Violation of the Right to Self-Determination:
The people of Southern Cameroons are a distinct people within the meaning of international law.
Their continuing subjugation constitutes a denial of their right to self-determination, a violation that gives rise to an ongoing international responsibility.
5. Conclusion
Southern Cameroons and La République du Cameroun never legally merged into one sovereign entity. The unilateral acts of 1972 and 1984 constitute violations of international law, specifically the prohibition of annexation and the right to self-determination. Accordingly, the people of Southern Cameroons retain their legal entitlement to independence and self-governance, and the international community has an obligation to support the restoration of their sovereignty.
