2019 Ambazonian leadership crisis


The Ambazonian leadership crisis is an ongoing internal conflict within the Interim Government of Ambazonia. The crisis started on May 2, 2019, when a document signed by the first president of Ambazonia, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, declared the dissolution of the caretaker cabinet led by Samuel Ikome Sako and the restoration of its predecessor.

Background

Following the arrest of the Ayuk Tabe cabinet in January 2018 in Nigeria, Samuel Ikome Sako was elected the acting president of the Interim Government. His presidency saw attempts to unite the separatist camp under one roof, but faced criticism for alleged incompetence, divisiveness and misappropriation of funds.

Leadership crisis

On May 2, 2019, Ayuk Tabe - still in prison - declared that the Sako-led cabinet had been dissolved, and that the cabinet led by himself had been restored. While the document recognized the Sako cabinet for its sincere efforts, it claimed that it was ultimately not fit to continue;
At some point after making this declaration, Ayuk Tabe reached out to former SDF parliamentarian Wirba Joseph, asking him to assume leadership of the revolution. Wirba declined the request, believing the Interim Government to be an "imaginary structure" and detrimental to the cause.
However, the Sako-led cabinet did not recognize Ayuk Tabe's authority to dismiss the interim cabinet, and consequently refused to step down. In June 2019, the Ambazonia Restoration Council "impeached" Ayuk Tabe for "treasonous misconduct", and declared that he had lost his mandate to speak on behalf of Ambazonia.
The leadership crisis complicated the already delicate allegiances among Ambazonian separatist movements. The Ambazonia Governing Council, which traditionally has had a complicated relationship with the Interim Government, voiced support for Ayuk Tabe. Wirba Joseph called the impeachment of Ayuk Tabe "absurd". In November 2019, pro-separatist sources reported that Sako and his supporters had changed his title from Acting Interim President to President, aiming to permanently replace Ayuk Tabe even if the latter would ever be released.

Consequences and aftermath

The leadership conflict effectively led to the emergence of two governments, each claiming to be the legitimate one. This complicated the prospect of any direct talks with the Cameroonian government. During the later half of 2019, talks were held between the Sako-led faction of the Interim Government and the Cameroonian government, with Switzerland acting as a mediator. These talks ultimately failed, and it became clear that the Ayuk Tabe-led faction was the most influential. In July 2020, Cameroonian officials met with Ayuk Tabe to discuss a ceasefire. The Sako-led faction responded to the meeting by declaring that prisoners cannot negotiate. The AGovC, which had supported Ayuk Tabe against Sako, took a similar stance.