Eric Tataw, whose nom de guerre is "Garri Master", will appear before a U.S. District Court judge in Maryland for a bail application on September 8. This was revealed by a U.S. Justice Department document consulted by SBBC. The separatist leader is currently being held by the U.S. Marshall's Office in Maryland. He was arrested on August 31 for his alleged involvement in atrocities perpetrated in the troubled North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon following a lawsuit filed by Cameroonian-born lawyer Emmanuel Nsahlaï.

Indeed, Eric Tataw is suspected of having ordered, directed, and financed violence against civilians, in particular workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), Cameroon's largest agro-industrial company. Since 2017, CDC employees have been targeted by separatists who either kill or amputate them. This violence aims to disrupt the operations of the State company just because it is owned by the government. Eric Tataw is also alleged to have ordered the kidnapping and murder of teachers.

The arrest is an important step in Yaoundé's fight against separatist leaders based abroad. The Cameroonian government has repeatedly called on partner countries harboring these masterminds to extradite them so that they can be tried for their crimes.

L.A.