List of Ambazonian militant groups

Following is a list of militant groups fighting for the independence of Ambazonia, commonly referred to locally as "Amba Boys", in the Anglophone Crisis. It should be recalled that there are other groups involved but their tactics remain nonviolent. Due to the obscure nature of many of the smaller groups, this list will remain incomplete until more information becomes available.

Map of military situation in Ambazonia region

Many Ambazonian rebel groups and their commanders take symbolic names which reference animals or specific personal traits; these are used to evoke fear and respect.[1]

List edit

Name of group Part of
(if applicable)
Political allegiance
(if applicable)
Commander(s) Strength
Alou Guerilla Fighters[2] ? ? "General Ayekeah" [2][3] ?
Ambaland Forces[4] N/A ? ? 10–30 (by 2018)[5]
Ambaland Quifor[6] ? ? Silas Zama[6] 200 (by 2019)[6]
Ambazonia Dark Forces[7] ? ? Capo Daniel[7] ?
Ambazonia Defence Forces[8] N/A Ambazonia Governing Council
(in turn allied with the Ayuk Tabe loyalist faction of the Interim Government since 2020)[9]
Ayaba Cho Lucas[10]
Benedict Nwana Kuah[10][6]
Ivo Mbah [11]
"General Efang" ("Big Number")[12]
Capo Daniel[13] (formerly)
"Major General King Commando"[14]
"General Manboy"[14]
"General Cross and Die" [15]
"Colonel John" [16]
"General Rasta" [16]
Orock Valentine aka "General Mbula" [17]
"General Abakwa" [18]
200–500 (by 2019)[6]
Ambazonia Intelligence Forces[19] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council ? ? ?
Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards[20][21] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council[22] ? Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity"[23] (General No Pity also leads the Bambalang Marine Forces and Bui Unity Warriors) ?
Ambazonia Restoration Army[24][25] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) Paxson Agbor[26] a few dozen (by 2019)[6]
Bambalang Marine Forces[27] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council[22] ? Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity"[28] (General No Pity also leads the Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards and Bui Unity Warriors)
Sylvester Mbashie aka "General Shina Rambo"  [29]
?
Asawana[30] ? ? ? ?
Black Cats[1] ? ? ? ?
Black Hearts of Banga Bakundu[31] ? ? ? ?
Black Mambas[1] ? ? ? ?
Black Shoes of Oku[19] ? ? ? ?
Banso Resistance Army[32] ? ? ? ?
Buffaloes of Bali[33] ? Unclear, but fought against ADF militia of "Big Number"[34] ? ?
Bui Unity Warriors[35] Unclear[a] ? Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity"[35] (General No Pity also leads the Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards and Bambalang Marine Forces)
"General Mad Dog"[35]
?
Bui Warriors[36] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council[37]
Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces (General Insobu was General Chacha's successor;[35] Chacha was aligned with the SCRF[38])
? "General Insobu" [35]
"General Thunder" [18]
?
Dongang Mantung self defense group[6] (or "Donga and Mantung liberation forces")[32] ? ? ? ?
Expendables 100[39] ? ? "General Ten Kobo"[40] ?
Fako Action Forces[41] ? ? ? ?
Fako-Meme Black Tar Council[42] ? ? Augustine Ambe ("General Above the Law") [42] ?
Fako Mountain Lions[43] ? ? ? ?
Ground Zero[44] ? ? Success Nkongho  [44] ?
Gorilla Fighters[45] ? ? "General Ayeke" [46] ?
Jaguars of Bamessing[47] ? ? "General Sagard"[47] ?
Menchum Fall Warriors[6] ? ? ? a few dozen (by 2019)[6]
Manyu Ghost Warriors[48] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) Martin Ashu[6] 500 (by 2019)[6]
Ngoketundjia Defence Council[49] ? ? ? ?
Nso Liberation Army[25] ? ? ? ?
Red Dragon[24] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council[50]
"Lebialem Defence Force"[25]
Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) "Field Marshall" Lekeaka Oliver [51]
"General Ayekeah" [3] (also head of Alou Guerilla Fighters)[2]
200 (by 2019)[6]
Ribbons of Ambazonia[52] ? ? ? ?
Seven Karta[24] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) "General Alhaji" [53]
"General Peace Plant" [53]
"One Blood" [54]
200 (by 2019)[6]
Southern Cameroons Defence Forces[4] Aligned with, but not officially part of, the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (APLM) Ebenezer Akwanga[10]
Andrew Ngoe [55]
"General Opopo"  [56]
"General Jason"[56]
400 (by 2019)[6]
Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces (also known as "Southern Cameroons Defence Forces")[6] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council[50] Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) Nso Foncha Nkem[10]
"General RK"[6]
"General Chacha" [38]
100 (by 2019)[6]
Team Retina[57] ? ? "General Massacre"[57] ?
Ten Cobo[33] ? ? ? ?
Ten-Ten[6] ? ? "General Ten-Ten" 50 (by 2019)[6]
The Mountain Lions[33] ? ? ? ?
Tigers of Ambazonia[24][10] (also known as "Manyu Tigers"[6][58] or "Tigers of Manyu")[25] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) ? c. 500 (by 2019)[6]
The Sword of Ambazonia (TSOA)[6] ? ? ? 200 (by 2019)[6]
Vipers[4][1] N/A ? ? a few dozen (by 2019)[6]
White Tigers[6] ? ? ? 50 (by 2019)[6]
Warriors of Nso[6] ? ? ? 100 (by 2019)[6]
One Touch[10] ? ? ? ?
Isakabas[10] ? ? ? ?
More than 20 unnamed militias as of 2019[6] ? ? For individual leaders whose affiliation could not be verified, see list of Ambazonian commanders in the Anglophone Crisis. Hundreds, split into dozens of groups (by 2019)[6]

Footnotes edit

  • 1 The Bui Unity Warriors were organized by commanders previously associated with the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council (ASC), but they fight against other groups that were ASC members since early 2022.[59][60][61]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Nkwain 2022, p. 253.
  2. ^ a b c Atia T. AZOHNWI (24 September 2019). "Cameroon – Anglophone Crisis: Ambazonia General, Ayekeh wreaks havoc in Lebialem". Cameroon Info. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b Atia T. Azohwi (13 October 2020). "Ambazonia 'Major General' Ayeke killed, leaves fighters stranded". Mimi Mefo Info. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Who are Cameroon's English-speaking separatists?, Daily Nation, Feb 20, 2018. Accessed Apr 22, 2018.
  5. ^ Dialogue is Essential to Unite Cameroon’s Disparate Voices, International Crisis Group, Jul 27, 2018. Accessed Mar 13, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks?, Crisis Group, May 2, 2019. Accessed May 2, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Cameroon: 'Ambazonians' threaten journalists". Deutche Welle. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  8. ^ "Ambazonia defense forces". Cameroon Journal. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  9. ^ Ahead of peace talks, a who’s who of Cameroon’s separatist movement, The New Humanitarian, Jul 8, 2020. Accessed Jul 9, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g DeLancey, DeLancey & Mbuh 2019, p. 48.
  11. ^ Cameroon says armed separatist commander among 4 killed in troubled Anglophone zone, Xinhuanet, Dec 21, 2018. Accessed Mar 11, 2019.
  12. ^ "Un « général » ambazonien présente ses excuses aux populations du Nord-ouest et du Sud-ouest". Le Bled Parle. 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  13. ^ Separatist Movements in Nigeria and Cameroon Are Joining Forces, Foreign Policy, May 20, 2021. Accessed May 20, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Mimi Mefo (22 October 2021). "Commander Manboy of Momo set ablaze a military pick up and confiscate weapons and ammunitions". Mimi Mefo. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
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  19. ^ a b "Nord-Ouest : violents affrontements à Kumbo". Actu Cameroun. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
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  26. ^ Cameroon’s Crises,Crisis Group briefing to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Jun 15, 2018. Accessed Mar 13, 2019.
  27. ^ Cameroon: Ambazonia General No Pity killed in restive North West region, Journal du Cameroun, Mar 24, 2020. Accessed Mar 25, 2020.
  28. ^ Facebook, Cameroon News Agency, May 25, 2021.
  29. ^ "Crise anglophone : le frère du terroriste « No Pity » a déposé les armes". Actu Cameroun. 2023-05-30.
  30. ^ ""They Are Destroying Our Future" Armed Separatist Attacks on Students, Teachers, and Schools in Cameroon's Anglophone Regions". HRW. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  31. ^ Twitter, Cameroon News Agency, Aug 9, 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Anglophone Crisis: Group di call for direct government and Anglophone leaders dialogue". BBC. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  33. ^ a b c "Cameroon: Separatist Abuses in Anglophone Regions". HRW. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  34. ^ Moki Edwin Kindzeka (26 September 2022). "Cameroon's Separatists Say Splinter Groups Kill, Abduct Fighters". VOA. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  35. ^ a b c d e Mimi Mefo Takambou (8 April 2022). "Anglophone Crisis: Self styled General Insobu, Amba Lord of Kikaikom dies". Mimi Mefo Info. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  36. ^ Ambazonia Restoration Forces Use Nso Fon As Prisoner Of War, Demands Release Of Amba Leaders, Cameroon News Agency, Nov 7, 2020. Accessed Nov 7, 2020.
  37. ^ Fon Lawrence (5 August 2021). "Southern Cameroons Crisis: Bui Warriors destroy Cameroon gov't military vehicles and weapons". Cameroon Intelligence Report. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  38. ^ a b Cameroon’s Anglophone Separatists Turn to Infighting, Voice of America, Jan 22, 2020. Accessed Jan 23, 2020.
  39. ^ "South west region must rise up- Senator Mbella Moki". Cameroon News Agency. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  40. ^ Joël Honoré Kouam (16 July 2021). "Separatist leader killed in Southwest Cameroon". Africa News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  41. ^ Chan 2021: Explosions at Limbe stadium days before Tanzania opener - Reports, Goal, Jan 15, 2020. Accessed Jan 16, 2020.
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  43. ^ Twitter, Cameroon News Agency, May 16, 2021.
  44. ^ a b Cameroon Receives First Returning Asylum-Seekers, Ex-Separatists from Nigeria, Voice of America, Jan 2, 2020. Accessed Jan 2, 2020.
  45. ^ Gov’t Forces Kill Ambazonia General Ayeke, Cameroon News Agency, Oct 13, 2020. Accessed Oct 14, 2020.
  46. ^ Cameroon: Notorious separatist fighter “General” Ayeke killed in Lebialem, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 13, 2020. Accessed Oct 13, 2020.
  47. ^ a b Ariane Foguem (17 September 2021). "Anglophone crisis: About 15 soldiers perish in Amba ambush in Sabga". Agence Cameroun Presse. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  48. ^ “These Killings Can Be Stopped” - Abuses by Government and Separatist Groups in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions, HRW, Jul 18, 2018. Accessed Mar 13, 2019.
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  51. ^ Cameroun : l'armée tue un chef séparatiste dans le Lebialem, Africanews, Jul 16, 2022. Accessed Jul 17, 2022.
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  59. ^ Mark Bareta (8 January 2022). "FM No Pity is officially ADF fighter". Bareta News. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
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Works cited edit