The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a paramilitary organisation which fights for the independence of Ambazonia. Ambazonia is a self-proclaimed independent state in the Southern Cameroons. The ADF is fighting since the 9th of September 2017 — the same day that the Ambazonian separatists declared independence.
The Southern Cameroons refer to the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, mostly located in the south of the nation. Most separatist groups within the region have gone to war against regional forces, yet the ADF has declared war against the Cameroonian national government as a whole (as well as its forces). The group’s only official political ideology is Ambazonian Nationalism. Moreover, the ADF is allied with the Indigenous People of Biafra.
In June 2018, the ADF has claimed to have 1500 soldiers fighting for Ambazonian independence. Moreover, the Cameroonian government has officially admitted its weakness in fighting the Ambazonian guerrillas outside of the main cities within the Southern Cameroons. This is most likely because of the poor infrastructure which is familiar to the guerrillas.
Since the beginning of the war in 2017, there have been thousands of casualties and around half a million internally-displaced people. In 2019, the ADF entered a formal dialogue with the Cameroonian national government. These talks led to a the Anglophone regions gaining a special, partly-autonomous status. However, this has not stopped the war; in 2020, extreme escalations of the conflict took place when the national government sent more troops to the region and the ADF became more politically organised.
The ADF’s approach to resistance is very similar to that of a typical guerrilla group. The ADF’s main attacks against national forces take place through rapid hit-and-run offensives, surprise ambushes, as well as raids.
NOTE: This article will be updated soon.
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