Belgian authorities have detained three people suspected of involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Cameroon’s long-running separatist conflict, federal prosecutors have said.
The suspects are believed to be senior figures within the Ambazonia Defence Forces, an armed group fighting for the independence of Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions in the predominantly French-speaking country.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects helped co-ordinate the rebellion from Belgium, including raising funds for weapons and issuing instructions for attacks carried out in Cameroon.
“Money is reportedly being raised for the armed struggle and for the purchase of arms and ammunition, and instructions for attacks are said to be given from Belgium,” the federal prosecutor’s office said.
Four people were arrested on Sunday following coordinated searches in Antwerp and the Flemish town of Londerzeel. Three of them were remanded in custody after appearing before an investigating judge.
The investigation, which began last summer, focuses on individuals living in Belgium who are suspected of being part of the ADF’s leadership. Similar probes into Cameroon separatist networks have previously been launched in Norway and the United States.
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis began in 2016 after lawyers and teachers protested against the use of French in courts and schools in the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions. The conflict escalated in 2017 when separatists declared the independence of a self-styled state known as Ambazonia.
According to the United Nations, more than 6,500 people have been killed since the conflict began, with over 490,000 displaced and more than 1.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Human rights groups have accused both separatist fighters and government forces of committing serious abuses.
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, who has been in power for more than four decades, says his government has made efforts to resolve the crisis. However, his administration continues to face international criticism over its handling of the conflict and restrictions on political freedoms.
