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Ayuk Ndifon Defcam, better known by his
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
"General Transporter" or "General Transporter of Meme", (died 31 January 2023) was an
Ambazonia Ambazonia, alternatively the Federal Republic of Ambazonia or the State of Ambazonia, is a political entity proclaimed by Anglophone separatists seeking independence from Cameroon. The separatists claim that Ambazonia should consist of the N ...
n rebel leader. Mainly active in Meme department of Cameroon, he reportedly led one of the larger separatist militias in the region until his death in battle.


Biography

Since 2017, the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon are the site of a civil war known as the "
Anglophone Crisis The Anglophone Crisis (), also known as the Ambazonia War of Independence, is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing armed conflict in the English language, English-speaking Northwest Region (Cameroon), Northwest and Southwest Region (Came ...
" between the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian separatists. Ayuk Ndifon Defcam joined the rebels, rose to command a militia and adopted the pseudonym "General Transporter". Such self-proclaimed titles and pseudonyms are typical for Ambazonian rebel commanders, used to evoke respect and fear. General Transporter's factional allegiance was disputed. The ''
International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, conducting research and analysis on global crises. ...
'' described him as commander in the
Ambazonia Defence Forces The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a military organization that fights for the independence of Ambazonia, a self-declared independent state in the Anglophone regions of the former Southern Cameroons, Cameroon. It was formally established by t ...
(ADF), the news site ''Cameroon Intelligence Report'' described him as a Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces member, whereas the news site ''Mimi Mefo Info'' described a video in which he declared allegiance to "
SOCADEF The Southern Cameroons Defence Forces (commonly referred to as SOCADEF) is the armed wing of the African People's Liberation Movement, an Ambazonian separatist movement. It is led by Ebenezer Akwanga, who is based in the United States, Together w ...
" (which is often confused with the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces). More broadly, he supported the
Interim Government of Ambazonia The Interim Government of Ambazonia, also known by the Sako cabinet as the Government of Southern Cameroons is an Ambazonian independence movement, and claims to be the provisional government in exile of the internationally unrecognized state. Fo ...
spreading its control in rebel-dominated territories. His militia would attack government targets in Meme, and also engaged in operations along the
Mamfe Mamfe or Mamfé is a city in and the capital of Manyu, a division of the Southwest Region in Cameroon. It is from the border of Nigeria, on the Manyu River. It has a population of 42,500 (2024 estimates) It is known as a centre for traditi ...
-
Kumba Kumba is a city in the Southwest Region of Cameroon and the administrative capital of Meme Division. It is one of the largest and most economically significant cities in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Known for its vibrant commercial ac ...
road. At the peak of his power, he allegedly commanded "hundreds" of fighters and was a "key Ambazonia commander". In October 2020, the Cameroonian government blamed him for the
Kumba school massacre The Kumba school massacre took place at Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy during the Anglophone Crisis, in Kumba, Cameroon, in October 2020.school shooting A school shooting is an Gun violence, armed attack at an educational institution, such as a primary school, secondary school, high school or university, involving the use of a firearm. Many school shootings are also categorized as mass shooti ...
. General Transporter and an allied insurgent commander, "General Bitter Cola", attacked civilians at Ediki-Mbalangi with clubs in May 2022. The two rebel leaders filmed the assault, declaring it an act of revenge after militiamen from Ediki-Mbalangi had previously aided the Cameroonian security forces. Whereas General Transporter declared the incident a "peace mission", General Bitter Cola openly threatened that "we are not sparing anyone -children, mothers or adults are complicit". In the following July, General Transporter organized a larger attack on government troops at Ikiliwindi, Meme. This led to revenge attacks by the military on the local community. In October 2022, he publicly threatened all Cameroonian soldiers stationed in and around
Kumba Kumba is a city in the Southwest Region of Cameroon and the administrative capital of Meme Division. It is one of the largest and most economically significant cities in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Known for its vibrant commercial ac ...
. Government sources claimed that General Transporter eventually went into hiding at the coast of the
Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...
, before returning to Konye village near
Kumba Kumba is a city in the Southwest Region of Cameroon and the administrative capital of Meme Division. It is one of the largest and most economically significant cities in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Known for its vibrant commercial ac ...
. There, he reportedly planned new attacks. However, Cameroonian security forces surprised and killed General Transporter alongside one to four of his followers at Konye or Wame on 31 January 2023. The government claimed that several hostages were also freed in the operation. Besides various weapons, a flag of Ambazonia was also found at the site of the rebel leader's demise. The Cameroonian government portrayed General Transporter's death as a major success and subsequently displayed his corpse to the public at Bicec junction in Kumba. Senior Divisional Officer Ntu'uh Ndong Chamberlain oversaw the display. Locals were generally unimpressed, with one farmer arguing that the military had already killed "like 4 General Transporters and this is the 5th", expressing the belief that one more dead separatist leader changed little. In contrast, ADF deputy commander
Capo Daniel Ngong Emmanuel, better known by his pseudonym Capo Daniel, is an Ambazonian separatist and political activist who served as member of the Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) and deputy commander of the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) until 2023. Fol ...
honored and lauded General Transporter as "represent ngthe youths of Ambazonia who have stood up for their rights of self-determination." Several separatists such as Capo Daniel and Vice President Dabney Yerima of the Interim Government of Ambazoonia, called for rebels to avenge the commander. Separatists subsequently carried out a number of revenge attacks in his name across the Anglophone regions.


Notes


References


Works cited

* {{Cite journal , url = https://www.athensjournals.gr/humanities/2022-9-3-3-Nkwain.pdf , title = Current Insights into the Evolution of Cameroon English: The Contribution of the 'Anglophone Problem' , last= Nkwain , first= Joseph , date = July 2022 , journal = Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts , volume = 9 , issue = 3 , pages = 233–260 , publisher = Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) , location = Athens 2023 deaths African warlords Anglophone Crisis Ambazonian people Year of birth missing