The Anglophone armed conflict in Cameroon: Four unarmed teenagers killed and a woman stripped and mercilessly beaten
2 min read
Since the beginning of the year 2021, there has been a rise in human rights violations in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The warring parties have continuously killed unarmed civilians. Though there have been calls from the national and international stakeholders for a cessation of hostilities and the commencement of the negotiations process to end the armed conflict.
Recently, Cameroon news agencies have reported and accused members of the Cameroon Defense and Security forces of the killing of four unarmed civilians in Bamenda, the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Reports indicate that the four were killed in Meta Quarter and that the military was in search/targeting armed separatists who are reportedly staying in the town.
The killing of unarmed civilians has become a new normal in the armed conflict-hit regions, most of whom are teenagers. The Mimi Mefo platform reports that, “The main actors, whose gunshots provoked the military, had left the area and those caught are these innocent guys … Since they were met consuming drugs, they were classified as Ambazonian fighters. But the boys killed were innocent,” a local tells MMI in tears.
In a thirty second video, circulated online, a woman has been seen stripped and mercilessly beaten by unidentified individuals believe by Cameroonian news agencies to be separatists fighters. Mimi Mefo Info reported, “In the 30 seconds footage which began making the rounds Friday, men believed to be separatist fighters could be heard accusing the woman of having an affair with an ‘Ekelebe’, a word commonly used by separatists to refer to a soldier. It is not clear where the video taken but sources say the incident took place in the restive Anglophone regions of Cameroon. The lady’s identity has also not been known. It remains unclear if she survived the torture.”
The continuous harassment of civilians in the English Speaking Regions of the country is a call for concern. There have also been reports of police and armed separatist extortion of the civilian population especially in Buea municipality.
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
