The night of Tuesday, July 30, was harrowing for the residents of Sop, a village in Ndu, Donga Mantung division, located in Cameroon’s troubled North West region. An attack by armed Mbororos led to the tragic loss of life and the destruction of a home, as captured in amateur footage reviewed by MMI.
It is not yet clear what the motives are behind the attacks. However, local sources report that a sick man, whose name has not been disclosed, was burned alive in a house by the invaders. “We heard gunshots at about 11 pm and were scared. We were afraid to come out. At about 2 am, we heard a loud cry and came out to discover flames coming from one house,” a local resident recounted.
The house, owned by a prominent villager in Sop, was reduced to ashes. According to local accounts, “occupants of the house escaped through the window, while a sick man who could not escape was burnt as the house was set ablaze.”
Several other individuals sustained injuries and have been taken to a nearby health facility for treatment. The attackers, armed with guns, machetes, and knives, have instilled widespread fear in the community. Villagers claim that the assailants have threatened to return and continue their violent acts.
MMI has learned that these armed Mbororos were also responsible for the killing of Princewill, a motorbike rider from the neighbouring village of Nseh Makop, who was dragged from his home and shot dead two weeks prior. These allegations have not been independently verified as the authorities did not carry out any investigation into the killings.
Tensions between the Mbororos and the indigenous people of Donga Mantung have been longstanding, exacerbated in recent years by the escalation of the Anglophone crisis. As with many previous incidents, public authorities have yet to respond to this tragic event.
