Facebook is Not a State- ADF Official Fires as the Social Media Platform Labels ADF a Dangerous Organization

On October 12, 2021, the online news platform, The Intercept published a list of dangerous individuals and organizations released by the Social media platform, Facebook Facebook Dangerous Individuals and Organizations List (Reproduced Snapshot) – The Intercept.

“The information contained in the list, including the purported activities, designations, and affiliations of the named people and groups, comes from Facebook, not The Intercept,” the platform noted.

On page 63 out of 100, Facebook labeled the Ambazonia Defense Force in the category of a violent non-State Actor.

The Deputy Defense Chief of the ADF, Capo Daniel, has fired back saying that Facebook is not a state to label ADF as such.

“We have taken note of the list of Facebook’s dangerous individuals and Organisations. Facebook is not a state party in itself. Facebook is a social media platform where people market their course and relate to individuals and to their family members. It is regrettable that Facebook has consistently targeted the ADF and our top officials. Recently video images and pictures that we shared from the killing of baby Caroline in Buea were all removed from Facebook pages that are managed by our top officials. There are other Facebook pages that have shared similar images and they were not sanctioned.” Capo Daniel told CNA in an interview.

The Hongkong based DDC of the ADF said Facebook has constantly suppressed the ADF and its top officials by deleting their posts.

“Facebook has been consistent to target the ADF and top officials to suppress our voices in voicing out and exposing the atrocities that are being committed by Cameroon military in our territory Southern Cameroon. The Cameroon military is carrying out a genocidal war in our territory and Facebook should not assist the Cameroon government to suppress such exposure of such atrocious activities to the international community on hits platform. The ADF remains a credible institution of liberation for the people of British Southern Cameroon and it is highly respected by many international organizations – the ADF remains one of the vanguards of the aspiration of our people for a free homeland, The ADF as a military force will continue to remain a very dangerous organization to the Cameroon government and any individual in that government that perpetrates acts of terrorism on pour people and that facilitate the recolonization of our terrorist m Southern Cameroon Ambazonia.”

Capo Daniel says that there is no legal framework to appeal against this labeling but promised that they will use other means to expose happenings in Anglophone regions, preferred as Ambazonia. He notes that the ADF has always respected IHL and Geneva conventions.

“There is practically no mechanism to apply for judicial review against a Facebook decision, we are going to continue to use another avenue to expose Cameroon activities within our territory. The ADF as an organization has a strong code of conduct that reflects the international convention or war and Geneva Convention. Our forces on the ground have played a crucial role in curving excesses and chaos of war with our launching of an anti-kidnapping squad and building a transitional authority in areas we control to enable accountability on the activities of our forces on the ground. The DF will remain a liberation front, our course is legitimate, and our territorial integrity is based on international law.” Capo said.

According to Capo Daniel, this is not the first time a liberation movement is being tagged.

“I would like to draw the attention of CNA to the fact that even in South Africa, both President Carter and President Reagan of the United States of America, had considered and included ANC of Nelson Mandela on their terrorism watch list until 2008…so we are not worried that a social media platform will label us as such, we are more worried about the liberation of our people and the defense of our people against acts of state aggression by the Cameroon Government. Just like the ANC and Nelson Mandela, the ADF and our officials are going to overcome, and victory is going to be ours.”