List of Ambazonian militant groups

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Map of military situation in Ambazonia region Ambazonia conflict.png
Map of military situation in Ambazonia region

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.

Contents

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

Name of groupPart of
(if applicable)		Political allegiance
(if applicable)		Commander(s)Strength
Alou Guerilla Fighters [2]  ? ?"General Ayekeah"  † [2] [3]  ?
Al-Qaeda Squad of Meme [4]  ? ?"Field Marshall Lucifer" [4]  ?
Ambaland Forces [5] N/A ? ?10–30 (by 2018) [6]
Ambaland Quifor [7]  ? ?Silas Zama [7] 200 (by 2019) [7]
Ambazonia Dark Forces [8]  ? ? Capo Daniel [8]  ?
Ambazonia Defence Forces [9] N/A Ambazonia Governing Council
(in turn allied with the Ayuk Tabe loyalist faction of the Interim Government since 2020) [10] 		Ayaba Cho Lucas [11]
Benedict Nwana Kuah [11] [7]
Ivo Mbah   † [12]
"General Efang" ("Big Number") [13]
Capo Daniel [14] (formerly)
"Major General King Commando" [15]
"General Manboy" [15]
"General Cross and Die"  † [16]
"Colonel John"  † [17]
"General Rasta"  † [17]
Orock Valentine aka "General Mbula"  † [18]
"General Abakwa"  † [19] 		200–500 (by 2019) [7]
Ambazonia Intelligence Forces [20] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council  ? ? ?
Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards [21] [22] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council [23]  ?Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity" [24] (General No Pity also leads the Bambalang Marine Forces and Bui Unity Warriors) ?
Ambazonia Restoration Army [25] [26] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government)Paxson Agbor [27] a few dozen (by 2019) [7]
Bambalang Marine Forces [28] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council [23]  ?Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity" [29] (General No Pity also leads the Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards and Bui Unity Warriors)
Sylvester Mbashie aka "General Shina Rambo"  White flag icon.svg [30] 		 ?
Asawana [31]  ? ? ? ?
Black Cats [1]  ? ? ? ?
Black Hearts of Banga Bakundu [32]  ? ? ? ?
Black Lions of Bamali [33]  ? ?"General Kolambo" [33]  ?
Black Mambas [1]  ? ? ? ?
Black Shoes of Oku [20]  ? ? ? ?
Banso Resistance Army [34]  ? ? ? ?
Buffaloes of Bali [35]  ?Unclear, but fought against ADF militia of "Big Number" [36]  ? ?
Bui Unity Warriors [37] Unclear [a]  ?Clement Mbashie aka "General No Pity" [37] (General No Pity also leads the Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards and Bambalang Marine Forces)
"General Mad Dog of Bui" [37] 		 ?
Bui Warriors [38] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council [39]
Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces (General Insobu was General Chacha's successor; [37] Chacha was aligned with the SCRF [40] )		 ?"General Insobu"  † [37]
"General Thunder"  † [19] 		 ?
Dongang Mantung self defense group [7] (or "Donga and Mantung liberation forces") [34]  ? ? ? ?
Expendables 100 [41]  ? ?"General Ten Kobo" [42]  ?
Fako Action Forces [43]  ? ? ? ?
Fako-Meme Black Tar Council [44]  ? ?Augustine Ambe ("General Above the Law")  † [44]  ?
Fako Mountain Lions [45]  ? ? ? ?
Ground Zero [46]  ? ?Success Nkongho  White flag icon.svg [46]  ?
Gorilla Fighters [47]  ? ?"General Ayeke"  † [48]  ?
Jaguars of Bamessing [49]  ? ?"General Sagard" [49]  ?
Menchum Fall Warriors [7]  ? ? ?a few dozen (by 2019) [7]
Manyu Ghost Warriors [50] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government)Martin Ashu [7] 500 (by 2019) [7]
Ngoketundjia Defence Council [51]  ? ? ? ?
Nso Liberation Army [26]  ? ? ? ?
Red Dragon [25] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council [52]
"Lebialem Defence Force" [26] 		Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government)"Field Marshall" Lekeaka Oliver   † [53]
"General Ayekeah"  † [3] (also head of Alou Guerilla Fighters) [2] 		200 (by 2019) [7]
Ribbons of Ambazonia [54]  ? ?Desmond Koa ("General Mad Dog" of Ndian and Meme)  † [55]
"General Millepede" [54] 		 ?
Seven Karta [25] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government)"General Alhaji"  † [56]
"General Peace Plant"  † [56]
"One Blood"  † [57] 		200 (by 2019) [7]
Southern Cameroons Defence Forces [5] Aligned with, but not officially part of, the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (APLM) Ebenezer Akwanga [11]
Andrew Ngoe  † [58]
"General Opopo"  Skull and Crossbones.svg [59]
"General Jason" [59] 		400 (by 2019) [7]
Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces (also known as "Southern Cameroons Defence Forces") [7] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council [52] Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government)Nso Foncha Nkem [11]
"General RK" [7]
"General Chacha"  † [40] 		100 (by 2019) [7]
Team Retina [60]  ? ?"General Massacre" [60]  ?
Ten Cobo [35]  ? ? ? ?
Ten-Ten [7]  ? ?"General Ten-Ten"50 (by 2019) [7]
The Mountain Lions [35]  ? ? ? ?
Tigers of Ambazonia [25] [11] (also known as "Manyu Tigers" [7] [61] or "Tigers of Manyu") [26] Ambazonia Self-Defence Council Southern Cameroons Liberation Council (Interim Government) ?c. 500 (by 2019) [7]
The Sword of Ambazonia (TSOA) [7]  ? ? ?200 (by 2019) [7]
Vipers [5] [1] N/A ? ?a few dozen (by 2019) [7]
White Tigers [7]  ? ? ?50 (by 2019) [7]
Warriors of Nso [7]  ? ? ?100 (by 2019) [7]
One Touch [11]  ? ? ? ?
Isakabas [11]  ? ? ? ?
More than 20 unnamed militias as of 2019 [7]  ? ?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) [7]

Footnotes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambazonia</span> Political entity proclaimed by Cameroons Anglophone separatists

Ambazonia, alternatively the Federal Republic of Ambazonia or State of Ambazonia, is a political entity proclaimed by Anglophone separatists who are seeking independence from Cameroon. The separatists claim that Ambazonia should consist of the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon. Since 2017, Ambazonian rebels have engaged in armed conflict with the Cameroonian military, in what is known as the Anglophone Crisis, attempted to set up a Government-in-exile and supportive militias have exerted control over some remote regions of the claimed territory. No country has recognized Ambazonia's existence as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglophone Crisis</span> 2017–present separatist conflict in Cameroon

The Anglophone Crisis, also known as the Ambazonia War or the Cameroonian Civil War, is an ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions between Cameroon Armed Forces and Ambazonian separatist groups, part of the long-standing Anglophone problem. Following the suppression of 2016–17 protests by Cameroonian authorities, separatists in the Anglophone regions launched a guerrilla campaign and later proclaimed independence. Within two months, the government of Cameroon declared war on the separatists and sent its army into the Anglophone regions.

The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a military organization that fights for the independence of Ambazonia, a self-declared independent state in the Anglophone regions of the former Southern Cameroons, Cameroon. It was formally established by the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) on 9 September 2017, the same day as the organization declared a war of independence.

Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe is an Ambazonian separatist leader from Ewelle village in Manyu division, and is the disputed first president of the unrecognized Federal Republic of Ambazonia. In January 2018 he was extradited from Nigeria to Cameroon, where he has been incarcerated ever since.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Cameroons Defence Forces</span>

The Southern Cameroons Defence Forces is the armed wing of the African People's Liberation Movement, an Ambazonian separatist movement. It is led by Ebenezer Akwanga, who is based in the United States, Together with the Ambazonia Defence Forces, it was one of the most prominent militias fighting in the early Anglophone Crisis. It is mainly active in Meme and Fako.

Red Dragon is an Ambazonian separatist militia loyal to the Interim Government of Ambazonia, and is part of the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council. It was led by Lekeaka Oliver, and controlled most of Lebialem Division in the Southwest Region, driving away the traditional rulers and local administrators. The group was greatly weakened in 2022, with Oliver being killed.

The Ambazonia Self-Defence Council (ASC), also known as Ambazonia Military Council (AMC), Ambazonia Military Forces (AMF), and Ambazonia Restoration Forces (ARF), is an umbrella organization that consists of several militants that fight for the independence of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, including the Red Dragons, the Tigers of Ambazonia, Seven Karta, the Manyu Ghost Warriors, the Ambazonia Restoration Army, the Southern Cameroons Defence Forces, the Bui Warriors, General No Pity's forces, and numerous others. Collectively, these militias possibly outsize the Ambazonia Defence Forces and SOCADEF.

Seven Karta is an Ambazonian separatist militia that is part of the Ambazonia Self-Defence Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lekeaka Oliver</span> Ambazonian separatist commander (1968–2022)

Lekeaka Oliver, popularly known as Field Marshall, was a Cameroonian army soldier and later an Ambazonian separatist commander and the leader of the Red Dragon militia. His armed group is part of the loosely-structured Ambazonia Self-Defence Council, and is loyal to the Interim Government of Ambazonia. The Red Dragon is mainly active in Lebialem Division, Southwest Region. Oliver was the brother of Chris Anu, former Secretary for Communications of the Interim Government. Throughout his time as a separatist leader, Cameroonian forces erroneously reported that he had been killed three times. He was killed on 12 July 2022, though it remains unclear whether he was killed by Cameroonian forces or in an incident of separatist infighting.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Bamenda Clean</span> Part of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

Operation Bamenda Clean is an ongoing Cameroonian special counter-insurgency operation in Bamenda, Northwest Region, aimed at preventing armed Ambazonian separatists from operating in the city. By January 2021, Cameroon was gradually achieving what a security analyst at the University of Yaoundé called "relative peace" in Bamenda, and the mayor of the city stated that the operation was succeeding. However, as of March 2021, separatist-imposed ghost towns remained widely respected by the local population, and separatists controlled most roads leading in and out of Bamenda.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2021.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2022.

Clement Mbashie, better known by his nom de guerre "General No Pity", is an Ambazonian separatist who commands several militant groups, most importantly the Bambalang Marine Forces and Bui Unity Warriors, in the Anglophone Crisis.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Bui Clean</span>

Operation Bui Clean, also called Operation Kumbo Clean or Operation Clean Kumbo, was a military offensive conducted by the Cameroon Armed Forces against Ambazonian separatists in Cameroon's Northwest Region from May to June 2021. The operation took place in the context of the Anglophone Crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Transporter</span> Ambazonian rebel leader (died 2023)

Ayuk Ndifon Defcam, better known by his pseudonym "General Transporter" or "General Transporter of Meme", was an Ambazonian rebel leader. Mainly active in Meme department of Cameroon, he reportedly led one of the larger separatist militias in the region until his death in battle.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2024.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 Atia T. AZOHNWI (24 September 2019). "Cameroon – Anglophone Crisis: Ambazonia General, Ayekeh wreaks havoc in Lebialem". Cameroon Info. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
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  4. 1 2 "Whereabouts of 28, including women and children, unknown after abduction". Mimi Mefo Info. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
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  6. ↑ Dialogue is Essential to Unite Cameroon’s Disparate Voices, International Crisis Group, Jul 27, 2018. Accessed Mar 13, 2019.
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  16. ↑ "Crise anglophone: un "général" ambazonien abattu par l'armée dans le Nord-Ouest". Actu Cameroun. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
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  19. 1 2 "Crise anglophone : prélats et chefs traditionnels indexés". Actu Cameroun. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Nord-Ouest : violents affrontements à Kumbo". Actu Cameroun. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
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  37. 1 2 3 4 5 Mimi Mefo Takambou (8 April 2022). "Anglophone Crisis: Self styled General Insobu, Amba Lord of Kikaikom dies". Mimi Mefo Info. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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  39. ↑ 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.
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  42. ↑ Joël Honoré Kouam (16 July 2021). "Separatist leader killed in Southwest Cameroon". Africa News. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  43. ↑ Chan 2021: Explosions at Limbe stadium days before Tanzania opener - Reports, Goal, Jan 15, 2020. Accessed Jan 16, 2020.
  44. 1 2 Cameroon:Two suspected Ambazonia separatists killed in restive South West Region, Journal du Cameroun, Feb 9, 2021. Accessed Feb 9, 2021.
  45. ↑ Twitter, Cameroon News Agency, May 16, 2021.
  46. 1 2 Cameroon Receives First Returning Asylum-Seekers, Ex-Separatists from Nigeria, Voice of America, Jan 2, 2020. Accessed Jan 2, 2020.
  47. ↑ Gov’t Forces Kill Ambazonia General Ayeke, Cameroon News Agency, Oct 13, 2020. Accessed Oct 14, 2020.
  48. ↑ Cameroon: Notorious separatist fighter “General” Ayeke killed in Lebialem, Journal du Cameroun, Oct 13, 2020. Accessed Oct 13, 2020.
  49. 1 2 Ariane Foguem (17 September 2021). "Anglophone crisis: About 15 soldiers perish in Amba ambush in Sabga". Agence Cameroun Presse. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
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  51. ↑ Bui Warriors Set Conditions For Nso Fon To Return To Palace, Cameroon News Agency, Nov 10, 2020. Accessed Nov 11, 2020.
  52. 1 2 Gareth Browne (13 May 2019). "Cameroon's Separatist Movement Is Going International". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  53. ↑ Cameroun : l'armée tue un chef séparatiste dans le Lebialem, Africanews, Jul 16, 2022. Accessed Jul 17, 2022.
  54. 1 2 "Separatists impose 'no farming Mondays' in Meme, Ndian". Cameroon News Agency. 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
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  56. 1 2 Cameroon's key separatist commander killed in troubled region, XinhuaNet, May 3, 2020. Accessed May 3, 2020.
  57. ↑ "Military kills and displays Separatist 'commander' in Bafut". Mimi Mefo. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  58. ↑ Cameroon: ‘Ambazonia General’ killed in Matoh, Journal du Cameroun, Jan 24, 2019. Accessed Jan 24, 2019.
  59. 1 2 SOCADEF of Matoh introduces new General and recruits armed with sophisticated weapons, Mimi Mefo Infos, Sep 19, 2021. Accessed Sep 21, 2021.
  60. 1 2 David Atangana (13 March 2023). "Ambazonia explosive injures soldiers, others feared dead". Mimi Mefo Info. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
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  63. ↑ "Insobu Dies: Why Infighting Keeps Taking Away Ambazonia Best Front Warriors". Cameroon News Agency. 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  64. ↑ Moki Edwin Kindzeka (16 February 2022). "Cameroon's Rival Separatist Groups Clash, Kill Fighters". VOA. Retrieved 20 April 2022.

Works cited

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