The president of the Interim Government of Ambazonia is the head of state of the unrecognised breakaway state of Ambazonia, which claims the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon. No country has formally recognized Ambazonia's independence and the various pro-independence armed groups have not consistently controlled any territory, but are engaged in guerrilla campaigns against pro-government forces. The territory claimed by Ambazonia is currently the site of an armed conflict between Anglophone separatist guerrillas ("Ambazonians") and the Cameroonian military known as the Anglophone Crisis.
For its whole existence, the presidency of Ambazonia has been a position in exile. Since 2019, the presidency has been disputed and none of the claimants has demonstrated effective authority over the various Anglophone or pro-Ambazonian armed groups.
History
On October 1, 2017, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, the appointed chairman of the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF), declared the independence of Ambazonia with himself as president and SCACUF forming the Ambazonia Interim Government. His presidency de facto ended on January 5, 2018, when him and other members of the Ambazonia Interim Government were arrested in Abuja, Nigeria,Cameroon separatist leader detained in Nigeria as unrest grows. The Guardian, January 7, 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. and extradited to Cameroon on January 26.Cameroon govt says detained separatists are in good health, enjoying rights, Africa News, April 10, 2018. Accessed April 28, 2018. He has been imprisoned by the Cameroonian government ever since.
Following Tabe's arrest, on February 4, 2018, Samuel Ikome Sako was elected acting interim presidentJust In-Dr Samuel Ikome Sako was the New Acting Interim President of The ‘Federal Republic of Ambazonia’, Cameroon News Agency, February 4, 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. by an electoral college comprising the remaining Ayuk Tabe cabinet and representatives from the diaspora. On May 2, 2019 and while under detention, a document signed by Ayuk Tabe declared that the Sako-led interim cabinet had been dissolved, and that his own pre-arrest cabinet had been restored. This move was not recognized by the Sako-led cabinet, which refused to step down, arguing that a leader in detention has no mandate to unseat the elected replacement.Cameroon: Confusion as detained Ambazonia leader impeached by peers, Journal du Cameroun, June 12, 2019. Accessed June 12, 2019.
In February 2022, Sako ordered the suspension of the Restoration Council, the legislative arm of the Interim Government. The Restoration Council subsequently impeached Sako, thus widening the long-running Ambazonian leadership crisis. Meeting in Washington DC, 10-13 March 2022, the second Ambazonian Stakeholders Strategic Conference upgraded the Restoration Council to an Interim House of Representatives elected from the 13 counties of Ambazonia and reaffirmed support of Sako as President of Ambazonia. Meanwhile, the Restoration Council, declared United Kingdom based Marianta Njomia as Sako's replacement in the interim.Crise anglophone: une nouvelle présidente à la tête de la république imaginaire d'Ambazonie, Actu Cameroun, 19 March 2022. Accessed 19 March 2022.
On September 10 2022, long-term IG spokesperson Chris Anu (brother of deceased separatist general Lekeaka Oliver and former Sako loyalist) declared himself President of Ambazonia. Consequently, the separatist movement found itself with four claimants for president.
List PresidentTenureTook officeLeft office 1 Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe 2017 2018 2 Samuel Ikome Sako 2018 Incumbent (1) Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe 2019 Incumbent 3 Marianta Njomia 2022 Incumbent 4 Chris Anu 2022 Incumbent
See also Anglophone Crisis Premiers of Southern Cameroons
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