Four people have been arrested in Belgium as part of an investigation into crimes against humanity and war crimes targeting a Cameroonian separatist armed group, the federal prosecutor's office announced Tuesday. Three suspects have been remanded in custody, while a fourth has been released, without details of any conditions attached to his release.
The investigation, conducted in cooperation with Norway and the United States, targets the Ambazonia Defence Forces, a movement fighting for the independence of the English-speaking regions of western Cameroon. According to the prosecutor's office, individuals residing in Belgium are suspected of belonging to the group's leadership and of having collected funds for the purchase of weapons and ammunition.
A deadly conflict since 2016
The searches were carried out on Sunday in Antwerp and Londerzeel, north of Brussels. The Belgian investigation concerns alleged crimes committed in Cameroon since 2020 and is based in particular on a report from the Norwegian judicial authorities.
The conflict in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon has pitted security forces against separatist groups since 2016. It has reportedly caused the deaths of at least 6,000 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. The leader of the Ambazonia Defence Forces, Lucas Cho Ayaba, arrested in Norway in September 2024, is also being prosecuted for war crimes, charges he denies.
