History of the Parliament
Introduction
The Parliament of Ambazonia is not an ordinary legislature. It is the reborn sovereign Assembly of a nation whose people were betrayed, fragmented, and exiled, yet never defeated. Its history is both tragic and heroic, stretching from the colonial betrayal of 1961 to the formal re-establishment of Parliament in 2025 by the Republic of Ambazonia.
Where many nations’ parliaments arise from the quiet drafting of constitutions, Ambazonia’s was reborn out of resistance, blood, exile, and unyielding hope. To understand its authority, one must trace the story of how the Ambazonian people moved from a dismantled autonomy in 1961, through decades of protest and underground resistance, to the restoration of independence in 2017, and finally to the rebirth of Parliament in 2025, where the sovereign will of the people found institutional voice once again.
Colonial Roots and Betrayal of Sovereignty
The roots of the Ambazonian Parliament lie in the tragic decisions imposed during decolonization.
- British Southern Cameroons, once a League of Nations mandate and later a United Nations trust territory, was promised self-determination.
- In 1961, the UN-organized plebiscite offered only two choices: join Nigeria or join French Cameroon. True independence was denied.
Southern Cameroons chose federation with French Cameroon, believing it would safeguard their autonomy. Instead, within a decade, the federal arrangement was dismantled, the institutions of Southern Cameroons were abolished, and Ambazonia’s right to self-rule was swallowed into a centralized state.
The betrayal of 1961 created the first wound: the absence of a sovereign parliament where Ambazonians could legislate for themselves.
First Flames of Resistance (1970s–1990s)
As assimilation deepened, courageous Ambazonians began to organize. Leaders such as Fon Fongum Gorji Dinka, Dr. Carlson Anyangwe, and Chief Ayamba Ette Otun challenged the illegality of union and proclaimed the right to self-determination.
- In 1985, Fon Fongum Gorji Dinka declared the Republic of Ambazonia, giving the nation its rightful name.
- The Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) emerged in the early 1990s, organizing conferences and issuing declarations such as the Buea Declaration (1993) and the Bamenda Proclamation (1994).
- These gatherings resembled proto-parliaments, where activists debated motions, issued resolutions, and asserted the right to sovereignty.
Though not yet an official legislature, these movements were the forerunners of Parliament, keeping alive the dream of Ambazonian self-rule.
Diaspora and Exile Activism (2000s)
By the 2000s, the struggle expanded globally. Ambazonians in the diaspora formed movements like AGovC, SCYL, MORISC, and APLM. Conferences in Europe, North America, and Africa debated motions and issued communiqués that mirrored parliamentary practice.
Meanwhile, refugees in Nigeria and Ghana organized councils, ensuring displaced Ambazonians could participate in decision-making.
This period showed that Ambazonia’s sovereignty was no longer a local cry, but a global demand. Yet a unified Parliament had not yet been reborn.
The 2017 Restoration of Statehood
The turning point came with the teachers’ and lawyers’ strikes of 2016–2017. When peaceful protests were met with violent repression, Ambazonians rose in unity.
On October 1, 2017, the independence of Ambazonia was formally re-declared. This moment marked the rebirth of Ambazonian statehood. From that day, the world was reminded that Ambazonia was not a forgotten territory but a sovereign people reclaiming their place among nations.
However, the Parliament itself was not yet re-established. From 2017 to 2024, governance was exercised by interim governments, liberation councils, and parallel movements. The state had been reborn, but its sovereign Assembly—its Parliament—remained fragmented, awaiting its full reconstitution.
The Rebirth of Parliament in 2025
In 2025, the Republic of Ambazonia formally re-established the Parliament of Ambazonia as the sovereign legislative institution. This was not the creation of something new, but the rebirth of what had been suppressed since 1961.
The reconstituted Parliament brought together:
- County-Elected MPs, chosen by the people.
- Representatives of Defense Groups, nominated by their commanders but bound under civilian authority.
- Political and Restoration Movements, each allotted seats to channel their platforms into debate.
- Refugee Representatives, elected from camps in Ghana and Nigeria.
- Recipients of Parliamentary Honors, elder statesmen and women who serve as moral guardians.
By 2025, Ambazonia had achieved what decades of resistance had struggled to deliver: a unified, lawful, representative Assembly speaking with one sovereign voice.
This was the true rebirth of Parliament—a national covenant of democracy, liberation, and inclusion.
Forebearers of the Cause
The 2025 Parliament stands on the shoulders of giants. Among the forebearers of the Ambazonian struggle are:
- Dr. E.M.L. Endeley – champion of early self-rule.
- John Ngu Foncha – architect of the 1961 federal union who later denounced its betrayal.
- S.T. Muna – defender of the Southern Cameroons’ identity.
- Fon Fongum Gorji Dinka – proclaimed the Republic of Ambazonia.
- Dr. Florintine Fonche – successor to Dinka as President of Ambazonia, who carried the legal case for sovereignty.
- Papa John Litumbe – tireless advocate for justice.
- Sisiku Ayuk Tabe – leader of the 2017 restoration of independence.
- Dr. Akwanga Ebenezer & Dr. Cho Ayaba – diaspora leaders who gave global visibility to the cause.
- Hon. Joseph Wirba – whose 2017 defiance in Cameroon’s Assembly electrified Ambazonia.
These figures are honored in Parliament’s records, archives, and portraits. They are the ancestral voices of the modern Assembly.
Milestones in the Journey to Parliament
- 1961 – Betrayal of self-determination in the UN plebiscite.
- 1985 – Proclamation of the Republic of Ambazonia by Gorji Dinka.
- 1993–1994 – Buea and Bamenda Declarations reaffirm self-rule.
- 2017 – Rebirth of Ambazonian statehood through independence restoration.
- 2025 – Formal rebirth of Parliament, consolidating liberation groups, refugees, and county MPs into a single legislative body.
This timeline marks Parliament as the crown of Ambazonia’s resistance.
Transparency and Historical Memory
The reborn Parliament is not only legislative—it is historical. It maintains:
- Archives of key speeches and declarations (Wirba, Dinka, Foncha).
- Video records of debates and restoration rallies.
- Digital archives accessible to citizens at home and abroad.
This ensures the sacrifices of the past remain the compass of the future.
Symbolism of Sacrifice
The 2025 Parliament is a sanctuary of remembrance. Each seat represents not only a constituency but also the fallen, the imprisoned, the displaced. Refugee MPs give voice to exile; defense representatives testify to sacrifice; honorees carry wisdom.
Thus, the Parliament is both an institution of law and a shrine of memory.