Rev. Father Andrew Ambezieh was incarcerated since 2017 at the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison in Yaoundé on fabricated terrorism charges.  He was sentenced in 2018 to 12 years in prison and reportedly granted bail in 2019 but was never released until his passing.

The Roman Catholic cleric who hailed from Tezie Ngie in Momo faced harassment and repeated interrogations in prison and died in custody on October 11, 2023 despite requests for his release as his health deteriorated.

In a statement, the leader of the Ambazonian nation, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe explained that Father Ambezieh had dedicated much of his life to defending the rights of the peoples of Southern Cameroons and that his death will forever remain a stain on Yaounde’s human rights record.

According to Cameroon Intelligence Report sources in Yaoundé, the priest’s illness meant that he had severe tremors in both hands and had great difficulty eating, drinking and washing.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai