Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. Human Rights NGO petition Cameroon government to urgently investigate and prosecute Chief Moja Moja for repeated acts of Torture in the South West Region 

The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), a human rights nongovernmental organization based in Cameroon and frontline advocate for an end to the more than five year armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon have recently released a statement demanding the Cameroonian government to punish chief Ewume John ( Moja Moja). According to the Human Rights organization, the said chief who doubles as a military person have continuously been committing reported acts of torture especially against civilians from the North West Region of Cameroon.

Below is the statement issued by the organization as published on their official website

Buea: 9 November 2022: CHRDA DENOUNCES ACTS OF TORTURE BY CHIEF EWUME JOHN, COMMONLY KNOWN AS CHIEF MOJA MOJA

The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) denounces in strongest terms on-going acts of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment by Chief Ewume John, also commonly known as Chief Moja Moja. Such acts took place on the dates of 31 October 2022, 7, 8 and 9 August 2022, 9 July 2022, 5 July 2022, 27 June 2022, 26 May 2022, and 5 April 2021. This statement covers 7 different acts of torture, including physical, mental and arbitrary detention, of a total of 11 men.

Chief Moja Moja, is the traditional authority of Bwasa Village in Buea, Southwest Region, and a member of the Cameroon military. He has been witnessed on multiple occasions publicly humiliating and torturing unarmed civilians alleged to be separatist fighters or to share separatist ideology. He records the torture on video, which is then circulated on social media by himself or his supporters. It is an indisputable fact that Chief Moja Moja’s acts are acts of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, considering also the fact that he is acting in his capacity as a military man and as a Chief, being an auxiliary of the administration. While new videos were rarely published since Barrister Tamfu Richard filed a complaint against Chief Moja Moja on 13 July 2022[1], his acts of torture seem to have continued.

More concretely, on 4 November 2022, two young men from Esu were seen in a video with Chief Moja Moja.[2] This shortly followed a video of 2 November 2022 in which Chief Moja Moja accused businessman Mr Baba Danpullo of sending men to kill him.[3] Based on gathered reliable intelligence[4], the first video was made on 1 November 2022. The two young men were handed over by Chief Moja Moja to the National Gendarmerie. The two men, Kenah Pascal Kum and Zang Emmanuel Buh, were arrested on 31 October 2022 at Bongo Square, Buea, by Chief Moja Moja and taken to his palace where they were severely tortured. A source further adds that these boys were accused of being armed separatist fighters from Esu Village and were sent to kill him [Chief Moja Moja] in his village (Bwasa); and they were paid by Baba Danpullo to kill him because of a land dispute he has with him at Tole, situated in Buea, Fako Division, of the Southwest Region (as seen in the video circulating on social media). These boys spent the night at Chief Moja Moja’s palace, where they were savagely tortured with machetes before being transferred to the Gendarmerie Brigade (Legion) in Buea, Southwest Region, at 11:00am on Tuesday. Also according to our source, these two boys are actually worshippers and members at the Christ Embassy Church II Buea, situated at Mile 17 Buea, Fako Division of the Southwest Region and are innocent and have no links with any armed group. CHRDA spoke to about five members of the Christ Embassy Church who brought a written complaint about the arbitrary arrest and detention of these two boys, led by the Senior Pastor of the Church Pastor Akanji Felicia Tebo, who also stated categorically that these boys are Christians of my church and I have been their pastor since 2012. One of them by name Zang Emmanuel Buh is currently a church staff, builder and painter and a tenant in my compound (since 2019) at Lower-farms, ENAP Residence; while Kenah Pascal Kum is a builder, and Church Pastoral Fellowship Care Coordinator (PFCC) and lives in Mile 16, Buea.”

In terms of follow-up, the Pastor explained that the Gendarmerie searched the homes of the two boys on Saturday 5 November 2022 without the presence of any lawyer and found no incriminating evidence against them. On Sunday, 6 November 2022, the National Gendarmerie released the two arrested young men on bail. They are currently at the hospital for treatment of their wounds.

A definition of torture and punishment for such acts is found in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code.[5] Torture shall mean any act by which acute pain or suffering, either physical, mental or psychological, is intentionally inflicted on a person by a public servant, a traditional leader or any other person acting in the course of duties either at his own instigation or with his express or implied consent, in order to obtain information or confessions from that person or from another, to punish her for an act that she or any other person has committed, or is presumed to have committed, to intimidate or overawe her or any other person, or for any other motive based on any discrimination. Depending on the effects of torture on the victim’s health, it shall be punished with imprisonment between 2-5 years (i.e. in situations of incapacity for max. 30 days) to 10-20 years max (i.e. in situations of loss of limb, organ or sense).

Finally, based on a reply letter from the Cameroon Government to UN experts (Special Procedures)[6], arbitrary detention and secret detention also constitute acts of torture.

Cameroon ratified the international Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1986. Under this international convention, someone’s right not to be tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading way is absolute. In Cameroon, both torture and various forms of inhuman treatment or punishment constitute an offense. In terms of clarification, inhuman treatment or punishment is treatment which causes intense physical or mental suffering. It includes serious physical assault, psychological interrogation, cruel or barbaric detention conditions or restraints, and threatening to torture someone, if the threat is real and immediate. Degrading treatment means treatment that is extremely humiliating and undignified. Whether treatment reaches a level that can be defined as degrading depends on a number of factors. These include the duration of the treatment, its physical or mental effects and the sex, age, vulnerability and health of the victim. This concept is based on the principle of dignity – the innate value of all human beings.

We hereby give an overview of the different facts that took place on 7, 8 and 9 August 2022, 9 July 2022, 5 July 2022, 27 June 2022, 26 May 2022, and 5 April 2021.

1/ On 9 August 2022, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja interrogating a naked man in his car.[7] The man has blood on his shoulder and looks very tired and in fear. It is alleged that his name is Zuzu. In the video, the man says that he is Amba. The same man appears half-naked in videos and in images, which were distributed online on 7 August 2022.[8] He seems to be forced to drink beer, and is told that he got 33 Export to drink to make him know he is on his way to Maryland like Oliver 33 Export. In this regard, on his way to Maryland and drinking 33 Export means going to be killed. Chief Moja Moja is seen in that image. Chief Moja Moja is also seen in a video of 7 August 2022, humiliating “Zuzu.” In the video, Zuzu clearly feels pain. In another video, Zuzu is sitting down on the floor, chained, with many villagers around him.[9]

Based on the sequence of the videos and images, the man Zuzu seems to have been kept for two days in Chief Moja Moja’s private captivity. After being arrested on 7 August 2022, he was found in Chief Moja Moja’s car on 9 August 2022.

The facts in the videos are clear: 1/ Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a member of the military; 2/ he causes physical and mental suffering, intentionally and 3/ keeps the person detained incommunicado for two days. The three elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

2/On 9 July 2022, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja violently pushing a man into the trunk of his car.[10] After closing the trunk of the car, Chief Moja Moja walks away from the vehicle, while the victim remains detained in the trunk of the car. Based on the movements of the victim, it can be argued that he is scared and intimidated, and that he is being kept against his own will.

The facts in the video are clear: 1/ Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a Chief or a member of the military; 2/ he causes physical and mental suffering, intentionally and 3/ keeps the person detained in the trunk of his car. The three elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

3/ On 5 July 2022, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja  torturing four men in a public environment, in his capacity as a member of the military. Chief Moja Moja could be seen shaving the heads of the men, while asking them their village of origin (with Small Babanki as their reply).[11] The men were being held against their will. Chief Moja Moja used the same blade to shave the heads of the men. He did not sterilize the blade, and thereby increased the risk of spreading diseases. The four men were clearly in panic: they had difficulty speaking out and giving the name of the village, and panic could be heard in their voices. Chief Moja Moja  told the four men that he would transfer them to the local Gendarmerie. This comes barely one week after having tortured a man in his palace (see below).

Chief Moja Moja already had a reputation for use of acts of torture (infra) and for targeting civilians from the Northwest Region. As a concrete example, he was filmed beating a man from Bamenda for being found in Buea.[12] He also clearly communicated his intention to target civilians from the Northwest Region in an online video,[13] which CHRDA condemned in a statement on 16 December 2020.[14]

The facts in the video are clear: 1/ Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a member of the military; 2/ he causes mental suffering, intentionally and 3/ in order to intimidate the four men, with motive based on discrimination due to origin, specifically that the men are from the Northwest Region. The three elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

4/ On 27 June 2022, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja torturing a man in his palace at Bwasa Village in Buea, Fako Division of the Southwest Region.[15] Chief Moja Moja could be seen beating the unarmed man with a metal object and forcing him to confess to being an Ambazonian fighter. The victim was bleeding profusely and confessing to being an Ambazonian fighter under duress. The man appears to have been kept in the palace against his will for a substantial period of time. This is demonstrated by the fact that the man also got beaten by Chief Moja Moja in the Chief’s car.

The facts in the video are clear: 1/  Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a Chief, being an auxiliary of the administration; 2/ he causes acute pain and physical suffering, intentionally and 3/ in order to obtain confessions from that person. The three elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

5/ On 26 May 2022, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja torturing a man in a public environment.[16] Chief Moja Moja could be seen holding the man against his will. The man was sitting down on the ground. Chief Moja Moja was shooting live bullets at less than a meter from the man, with the intent to force the man to make a confession.  At the time of this complaint, the whereabouts of the victim remain unknown.

The facts in the video are clear: 1/ Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a Chief and a member of the military, carrying and using a military weapon; 2/ he causes mental suffering (i.e. fear of being shot), intentionally and 3/ in order to obtain confessions from that person. The 3 elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

6/ On 5 April 2021, a video went viral on social media of Chief Moja Moja marching in the streets of Buea with a young man.[17] The young man is almost completely naked, crying desperately, and is receiving beatings from Chief Moja Moja. The young man is forced to say that he is an “Ambazonian.”

The facts in the video are clear: 1/ Chief Moja Moja is acting in his capacity as a member of the military; 2/ he causes physical and mental suffering, including public humiliation, intentionally and 3/ in order to obtain confessions from that person. The three elements together meet the conditions laid down in section 277-3 of the Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code to be considered as an act of torture.

It is for the above-mentioned facts that CHRDA issue this statement. We urgently urge the Government of Cameroon to open an investigation into all reported acts of torture. Furthermore, we ask the Government to hold the perpetrator of acts of torture accountable to answer for these actions before the competent authorities. Considering the public nature of the torture, we also ask the Government to update the public on the matter of the investigations, including to show proof of life of all the tortured victims, and to cover the medical and legal costs of the victims.

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[1] https://www.facebook.com/tamfu.richard.7/posts/pfbid0Y4nxt2Wuj27V33CGp1nTKvAosG9soaJcD2jLXscq3q9Qp8PmgnhVg1jurQ3JQtpfl

[2]    https://www.facebook.com/groups/194775634452727/posts/1194659911130956/

[3]    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1256896355156879&ref=sharing

[4]    Source: Pastor Kanji Felicia Tebo, Senior Pastor of Christ Embassy, Bomaka, Buea.

[5]    A similar language was used in section 132bis(5) of the Cameroon Law 97/009 of 10 January 1997 to modify certain provisions of the Cameroon Penal Code.

[6]    Letter No. 205/NV/MPCG/MC/S3. Available online: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=34800, page 4, para 11.

[7]    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=404122558368435 

[8] https://www.facebook.com/bakala.cfa.1/posts/pfbid0w5qUKZp5mkcrEu1irEhXVhAGkcyBdzCaB5MCEjBpBpkSX6v62xPsgHguHJfGvFeSl

[9] https://www.facebook.com/boosy.zar.3/posts/pfbid0YBjS2vUqsV1AjB8BANDLCzqD9pjzcv1MTYgqmcefehxgCDjMDVx632fkXXRzRNwcl      

[10]  https://twitter.com/MimiMefoInfo/status/1545693875322363904

[11]  https://www.facebook.com/watch?ref=search&v=632150691103793&external_log_id=28646e74-51b0-4415-8370-90165aefae36&q=moja%20moja%20shaving

[12]  https://www.facebook.com/MimiMefoInfo/videos/692919478279545/

[13]  https://www.facebook.com/MimiMefoInfo/videos/1072889739805290/

[14]  https://www.chrda.org/chrda-condemns-hate-speeches-by-chief-ewome-john-eko-of-bwassa-village-against-the-people-of-the-north-west-region/?fbclid=IwAR3GB0r5Lx5q6y-R2w9pvZ2uJ8AlF3L5Xtd4vFN4SWLwo63u1LgrxFvAUg0

[15] https://www.facebook.com/njume.frankline.10/posts/pfbid02qmBe7frHbLFV4q4ruyUs18RGx2KzWGVNdSg9wSpyHzt3NcU9JeHj1y3yjf8VXmVrl. The video of torture of the man in the Chief’s car is also found online: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02kaKBQSK6VHr6S9gQtRwABRgs6nRrxLAZdLKznWiyuPhXKJ3rbxxbWj7WeBNhNxs8l&id=100078865038652. 

[16]  https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0CHFPUaziuArzHaH6qa7JB8uoiJmr5en78GUEvfa2aun9bssVk8fKcSwLDFvfcSdxl&id=100080433917500

[17] https://www.facebook.com/tambesoh.johson/posts/pfbid02PJtt1WLTV5tE645MGDhPPsx3PXmRC2YqPR8t9L8qFbciopMRuUGhZQviTLnkjjxJl.