A man is arrested in Norway on suspicion of encouraging crimes against humanity in Cameroon

According to Norwegian police, they apprehended an individual on suspicion of inciting crimes against humanity in Cameroon on Wednesday. They are currently seeking authorization from an Oslo court to maintain him in preventive detention while the investigation is ongoing.

According to a statement from the police, the individual in question was in his fifties and was suspected of being involved in a critical capacity in an ongoing armed conflict in the central African nation.
A spokesperson for the Oslo district court identified the individual as Cho Lucas Yabah.

The suspect’s attorney, Morten Engesbak, stated that the suspect would not plead guilty to the charges against him and opposed the police’s request to maintain him in detention.

“He is of the opinion that the case is predicated on an inaccurate comprehension of the circumstances in Cameroon and his role,” Engesbak stated in a statement to Reuters. He also stated that Yabah was assisting with the investigation.

Since 2017, separatists have been protesting the marginalization they perceive as occurring by the majority French-speaking authorities in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions by engaging in armed conflict with government forces.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has accused government troops, militias, and separatists of assaults, torture, house burnings, and other forms of abuse, in addition to the over 6,000 deaths that have occurred during the conflict.

“Norway has an international obligation to prevent the establishment of a sanctuary for individuals who perpetrate war crimes or crimes against humanity,” stated Norwegian police investigator Anette Berger in a statement.