2024-05-06 00:06:37
This is news that shakes the Cameroonian political and security community. Capo Daniel, alias Ngong Dong Daniel, ex-leader and communicator of the infamous separatist group « Ambazonian Defense Forces » (ADF), has just published a press release announcing its decision to “put an end to all hostility against the State of Cameroon”. A spectacular turnaround for someone who was long considered one of the most violent and radical activists of the English-speaking rebellion.
From order giver to repentant: the sulfurous journey of Capo Daniel
But who really is Capo Daniel? According to information collected by 237online.com from security sources, this separatist leader distinguished himself by his extremism and his propensity to order bloody attacks against civilians and the Cameroonian defense forces. Under his leadership, ADF was ranked in 2020 by Facebook (Meta) as “the most aggressive secessionist group in Central Africa”.
His career is punctuated by accusations of embezzlement intended to finance the terrorist acts of separatists, as well as collusion with certain Cameroonian authorities with the aim of undermining the separatist movement from within. Accusations which led to his being removed from the ADF, without putting an end to the multiple national and international complaints against him.
Is forgiveness possible for a “repentant” with a heavy history?
The question that agitates Cameroon today is simple: can Capo Daniel be forgiven? The Head of State, Paul Biya, had reached out to the separatists from the start of the crisis, promising clemency and reintegration to those who laid down their arms. But can this outstretched hand be extended to a man with liabilities as heavy as Capo Daniel?
« It’s a thorny question“, estimates an expert on the English-speaking crisis contacted by our editorial staff. “On the one hand, encouraging the repentant can be an effective way of weakening the rebellion from within. But on the other hand, forgiving too easily those who have blood on their hands risks being perceived as a premium on impunity by victims and their families.«
Gray areas that give rise to doubt and distrust
Because beyond the announcement effects, many gray areas persist. Is Capo Daniel ready to hand over his former comrades in arms, starting with the exiled separatist leader Ayaba Cho Lucas? What is his real capacity to influence the course of the conflict, now that he has been banished from the rebellion?
So many questions that arouse doubt and distrust, including within Cameroonian civil society. “We cannot trust a terrorist on the basis of a simple press release”protests a representative of a victims’ association. “If he is sincere in his desire for peace, let him begin by answering for his actions before the courts and asking forgiveness from the families he has broken up. »
An unprecedented situation which confronts the government with its responsibilities
For the Cameroonian government, the situation is unprecedented and potentially explosive. Welcoming Capo Daniel as a prodigal son could send a disastrous signal and undermine reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. But ignoring his outstretched hand is perhaps missing a chance to weaken a rebellion which continues to plague the English-speaking regions.
« The government faces a difficult dilemma“, summarizes a political scientist contacted by 237online.com. “ Whatever his decision, it will have serious consequences. It is a major test for the State’s ability to manage the end of the crisis with firmness, but also with wisdom and humanity.«
One thing is certain: the «case Capo Daniel» reveals the complexity of a conflict which, after six years, is far from having revealed all its secrets. And it poses, once again, the central question of the response to be given to those who, after having sowed terror and desolation, claim to want to work for peace. A question to which only Cameroonians, in all their diversity and wisdom, will be able to provide an answer.