Once again, France has inserted itself into the Ambazonian conflict, parading as a neutral mediator while scheming behind closed doors. On February 27, the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Thierry Marchand, alongside representatives from the European Union, Italy, Germany, and Belgium, was in Bamenda, making grand declarations about resolving the conflict “in a few months.” This sudden display of concern, after eight years of silence and complicity, should send alarm bells ringing across Ambazonia. What exactly are the French up to?
Let there be no illusions: France is not in Ambazonia to seek a fair and just solution. France has never had an interest in a free and independent Ambazonia, and this latest move is no exception. Instead, what we are witnessing is yet another well-orchestrated attempt to serve the interests of La République du Cameroun (LRC). France is not here to end the war; they are here to create a temporary calm—just enough for LRC to organize its upcoming elections and manage its political transition without interference from Ambazonian forces. France, acting as LRC’s chief lobbyist, is merely setting the stage for the regime to maintain its stranglehold over Ambazonia.
If France genuinely cared about resolving this conflict, why has it remained silent for the past eight years while Ambazonians were massacred, villages burned, and thousands forced into exile? Why did France continue arming LRC’s military as they slaughtered innocent civilians? Why, after nearly a decade of war, is France suddenly taking center stage? The answer is clear: France is only interested in preserving its economic and geopolitical interests by stabilizing LRC’s colonial grip over Ambazonia.
Ambazonians must reject this dishonest ploy. France and its allies are not coming with clean hands. If their promised peace or resolution of the conflict is sincere, let them answer this: who among Ambazonian stakeholders are they consulting? Who represents Ambazonia in their consultations? The truth is that France and its European partners will assemble a handpicked group of federalists and regime apologists—stooges who will do Yaoundé’s bidding while pretending to speak for Ambazonia. This is no different from the disastrous Grand National Dialogue—a staged performance designed to create the illusion of peace while changing absolutely nothing.
Ambazonians must stand firm and understand the fundamental reality of this conflict: there are only two camps. On one side are those who wish to maintain Cameroon as a single entity, whether in a unitary or federal state. On the other side are those who demand full independence for Ambazonia. Any peace process that attempts to impose a compromise without addressing this fundamental divide is doomed to fail. France must be reminded that Ambazonians do not recognize any “Special Status” under LRC’s constitution. They reject any fraudulent arrangement aimed at keeping them under Cameroon’s rule. The people of Ambazonia will decide their own future, and no foreign power, least of all France, has the right to dictate terms to them.
Moreover, let the French understand that those they dismiss as “separatists” are the ones who control the fighting forces in Ambazonia. If France believes it can gather a few LRC sympathizers, hold a conference, and declare a ceasefire, they are wasting their time. A real and lasting resolution will only come when both warring parties—true Ambazonian representatives and LRC—sit down and engage in honest, transparent negotiations about the root causes of the conflict. Anything less is a charade that will collapse just as the Grand National Dialogue did.
Ambazonians, be warned! This latest French maneuver is not an effort to end the war—it is an attempt to pacify Ambazonia just long enough for LRC to stage its elections undisturbed. We must not fall for this deception. We must reject any process that does not grant us our rightful path to self-determination. Ambazonia’s struggle for independence is not a bargaining chip in France’s geopolitical game. If France and its allies believe they can manipulate us into surrender, they are in for another failure. The Ambazonian resistance is stronger than ever, and no amount of diplomatic trickery will change that. Let the message be clear: Our resolve is unshakable, and Ambazonia’s independence is non-negotiable!
