Al-Qaeda Squad of Meme
| Al Qaeda Squad of Meme | |
|---|---|
| Active | Unknown – present |
| Ideology | Ambazonian nationalism |
| Allegiance | Ambazonia |
| Leaders | |
| Part of | File:Flag of the Federal Republic of Southern Cameroons.svg Ambazonia |
| Opponent(s) |  Cameroon |
| Battles and war(s) | Anglophone Crisis |
The Al Qaeda Squad of Meme (AQSM) are a militant terrorist organization that is active in the region of Ambazonia, a self-declared independent state in the Anglophone regions of the former Southern Cameroons, Cameroon. Despite the name they are not affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Background
Since 2017, the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon are the site of a civil war known as the "Anglophone Crisis" between the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian separatists. Meme department in the Southwest Region became one of the insurgency's centers, with various rebel leaders and militias operating in the area.[3][4] Over time, Ambazonian insurgents increasingly resorted to violent crime, including kidnappings for ransom, to fund their operations. Attacks on civilians also increased.[5]
One of the separatist militias in Meme department fell under the leadership of Ndiba Lenya Clifford who adopted the pseudonyms "General Lucifer"[6] and "Field Marshall Lucifer".[7] Such self-proclaimed titles and pseudonyms are typical for Ambazonian rebel commanders, used to evoke respect and fear.[8] He dubbed his militia the "Al-Qaeda Squad of Meme".[7] The Cameroonian security forces actively sought to eliminate Clifford. In June and July 2023, raids aimed at killing or capturing him; he was wounded in one clash, but escaped alive. However, an associate named "Commander Yong Money" was killed at Mbonge during these operations.[9][10]
By mid-2024, Clifford's militia became more audacious in its operations. On 8 May, the group attacked a military outpost at Bomana, causing the local security forces to flee. Afterward, the rebels burned the outpost to the ground and released a taunting video in which Clifford (under the alias "Field Marshall Lucifer") mocked the government forces and challenged them to fight him.[11] Later that month, the militia kidnapped 28 people from a church in Bai Panya, claiming that these civilians had cooperated with the Cameroonian government by obtaining identity cards and birth certificates to vote in the next Cameroonian elections. According to Mimi Mefo Info, the "Southwest Region remain[ed] in shock" after this mass kidnapping, especially as Clifford indirectly threatened to kill the victims.[7] The separatist reportedly also imposed taxes on local cocoa traders, harassing or even killing those who did not pay. According to The Guardian Post and Actu Cameroun, Clifford and his "Al-Qaeda Squad" were increasingly perceived by Meme natives as oppressive and disruptive group, causing the civilians to ask for help from the security forces.[6][12]
References
- ↑ "Subdivision de Mbonge: Une dizaine de combattants séparatistes neutralisés". 29 October 2024.
- ↑ "Cameroon says armed separatist commander among 4 killed in troubled Anglophone zone - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on 21 December 2018.
- ↑ Moki Edwin Kindzeka (3 February 2023). "Cameroon Says Separatists Relaunch Attacks, IED Use After Death of Self Proclaimed General". Voice of America. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ↑ "Cameroon says armed separatist commander among 4 killed in troubled Anglophone zone". Xinhuanet. 21 December 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ R. Maxwell Bone (19 July 2022). "Why the spoils of war may outweigh incentives for peace in Cameroon". The New Humanitarian. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Subdivision de Mbonge: Une dizaine de combattants séparatistes neutralisés". Actu Cameroun. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Whereabouts of 28, including women and children, unknown after abduction". Mimi Mefo Info. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ↑ Nkwain 2022, p. 253.
- ↑ "Three separatists killed in Mbonge". Cameroon News Agency. 13 July 2023. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Meme: Military raid leaves three Amba fighters dead in Mbonge". The Guardian Post. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ↑ "Ambazonian Separatists Burn Down Abandoned Military Post in Meme". Mimi Mefo Info. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ↑ "Meme Division: Soldiers send notorious Amba 'General' Lucifer, to 'hell'". The Guardian Post. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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