Cameroonian separatist leader Lucas Cho Ayaba, detained in Norway, is now suspected of war crimes, police and his lawyer confirmed Monday.
Norwegian authorities had previously accused Ayaba of inciting crimes against humanity linked to Cameroon’s long-running separatist conflict.
The conflict, rooted in linguistic and political divisions, has scarred Cameroon’s anglophone northwest and southwest regions since 2016.
At least 6,000 civilians have been killed in the violence, according to Human Rights Watch, underscoring the conflict’s devastating human toll.
Ayaba, also known as Cho Lucas Yabah, was arrested in September 2024 and remains detained over concerns he could flee.
Norway’s Kripos police unit said the suspect now faces additional allegations, including war crimes, attempted murder and unlawful deprivation of liberty.
Investigators believe he played a central role in the ongoing armed conflict, according to a police statement.
Prosecutor Anette Berger said Norway carries a duty to ensure it does not shelter those accused of grave international crimes.
She described the case as unprecedented in Norway, marking the country’s first prosecution of its kind.
Ayaba’s lawyer, Morten Engesbak, confirmed his client was the suspect and firmly rejected all accusations.
Police have requested that Ayaba’s detention be extended by another eight weeks as the investigation continues.
The conflict erupted after President Paul Biya’s government violently repressed peaceful protests by English-speaking citizens demanding greater rights.
Anglophones, about 20 percent of Cameroon’s population, have long complained of marginalisation within the Francophone-dominated state.
Ayaba leads the Ambazonia Defence Forces, one of several armed groups seeking an independent anglophone homeland.