Southern Cameroon’s nationalists have announced a state burial for Chief Ayamba Ette Ottun, the chairman of the separatist Southern Cameroons National Council. He died in Mamfe on Wednesday June 18th at 91.

Ottun, who was also traditional ruler of the Onaku people in Eyumojock, will be buried on Saturday 26 July at 2pm, a programme jointly drawn up by the SCNC and Ottun’s family said his body will be displayed for viewing at the Banya residence in Mamfe from noon on 25 July.

Ottun became the chairman of the SCNC in 2001 after the death of Martin Ngeka Luma, a former West Cameroon vice minister of Education, who held the position of national chairman.

“His remarkable dedication to the struggle of statehood was capped with his vow never to shave his noticeable long grey beard until the day when the southern Cameroons would be totally free,” said a biography published by his family.

“And though he never lived to see that day, he never betrayed his solemn oath.”

Ottun shut into the limelight in 1999 when he joined a group of activists of the Southern Cameroon’s Youth League in the seizure of Radio Buea and the announcement of the independence of former British Southern Cameroons. With other activists, he was jailed for 18 months without charge or trial.

“As an activist, member of the National Executive and National Chairman, he served the Council with dedication, devotion and commitment. He was a passionate believer and defender of the right to self-determination of the British Southern Cameroons people,” the SCNC said in a statement.

He is being remembered worldwide by Southern Cameroon’s activists who are more vibrant in the Diaspora because of the repression of the central government in Yaounde.

Even in mourning, they have tried to push their case for a breakaway state – deliberately using the administrative names of the self-proclaimed state of Southern Cameroon in their communications.

The SCNC added that “we call on all faithful members of the SCNC at home and abroad to remain committed to the ideals Chief Ayamba gave his time, energy and life, namely, the restoration of our sovereign British Southern Cameroons statehood with bright and equal opportunities for all.”