In a shocking and tragic incident, unknown gunmen unleashed horror in Mamfe, a town in the Southwest Region of Cameroon, leaving close to 30 civilians dead.
At least 24 corpses have arrived at the Mamfe District Hospital mortuary since this morning, reports have said.
In videos and pictures circulated online, a stream of corpses lay outside the hospital; among them were women and children.
Reports say the gunmen dragged most of the victims out of their homes and shot them dead.
The assailants struck the village of Egbekaw, Mamfe, a region deeply engulfed in the protracted Anglophone Crisis.
Reports say the bloodbath came hours after the Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency, Mengot Victor Arrey-Nkongho, arrived in Mamfe to celebrate President Paul Biya’s 41st anniversary in power.
The horrifying attack adds to the already grim statistics of the Anglophone Crisis, which has claimed the lives of over 6,000 people since it began in 2016.
Anglophone lawyers and teachers who wanted to address long-standing grievances and disparities within the Cameroonian government led an industrial strike that marked the beginning of this crisis.
However, it has since escalated into a full-scale conflict, causing immense suffering and loss of life.
This brutal bloodbath coincides with President Paul Biya’s 41st year in power as the leader of Cameroon.
The 90-year-old president has faced intense criticism for his handling of the Anglophone Crisis.
Growing worries about the crisis in the English-speaking parts of the country have characterized Biya’s lengthy tenure since taking office on November 6, 1982.
Despite official reports that the situation was improving in the Southwest Region just a week ago, the recent attack in Mamfe has left the local population in shock and despair.
It highlights the continued volatility of the situation and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the Anglophone Crisis.
The international community remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence and loss of life in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions.
Calls for dialogue and diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of the conflict persist, with hopes for a sustainable solution to end the suffering of the people caught in the crossfire.
Mimi Mefo Info
