A Norwegian court extended the detention of a Cameroonian separatist leader who was arrested last September in the Scandinavian country for alleged crimes against humanity, a victims' group lawyer said.
"Cho Lucas Yabah, born August 11, 1972, will remain in custody until January 14, 2025, unless otherwise decided by the prosecution or court," the court decided Tuesday after a hearing, according to a document shared with AFP by lawyer Emmanuel Nsahlai.
He represents a group of victims of the conflict that has pitted the Cameroonian army against armed groups in western Cameroon since 2016.
According to the document, Cho Lucas Yabah -- also known as Lucas Cho Ayaba -- is accused of having "served as President of the Ambazonia Governing Council and commander of the Ambazonia Defense Force," an armed separatist group accused of kidnapping civilians and civil servants.
"He denies that his activities targeted civilians as their primary objective," the report said.
The court also approved a ban on visits and communication to prevent him tampering with evidence or threatening witnesses.
Yabah was arrested in September by Kripos, a Norwegian police unit charged with investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Cameroon has been gripped since 2016 by a bloody conflict in its two anglophone regions, in the northwest and southwest, between separatists and state forces.
The conflict was sparked by the brutal suppression of peaceful protests in the anglophone regions by long-time President Paul Biya.
The conflict has resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and displaced more than a million people, according to the International Crisis Group.