The long-standing conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions took a violent turn on Saturday, March 22, when Ambazonian separatist fighters launched a deadly assault near Mbingo in the Belo subdivision of the country’s North-West region. The attack resulted in the killing of one soldier and the abduction of three others.
The assailants circulated videos showing the slain soldier stripped and left on a roadway, while they subjected the captured soldiers to torture. Footage has reignited concerns over the ongoing brutality in the region, where government forces and separatist groups have engaged in a bloody struggle for more than eight years.
This is not the first time that soldiers have been killed by separatists in Mbingo. A similar incident in October 2024, resulted in the deaths of two Cameroonian soldiers.
A Conflict Rooted in Colonial History
The current crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions has deep historical roots. The country was once divided between French and British colonial administrations. In 1961, British-controlled Southern Cameroons voted to join the newly independent Republic of Cameroon, which had gained independence from France a year earlier. However, many English-speaking Cameroonians have since voiced grievances over political and cultural marginalisation by the predominantly Francophone government in Yaoundé.
In 2016, peaceful protests by English-speaking lawyers, teachers, and students demanding greater recognition of their legal and educational systems escalated tensions. The government’s violent crackdown on these demonstrations exacerbated the situation, leading to the emergence of armed separatist movements. By 2017, these groups declared the independence of the ‘Federal Republic of Ambazonia’, triggering the armed conflict that continues to this day.
A Humanitarian Catastrophe
The war has exacted a heavy toll on civilians. Humanitarian organisations report that more than 6,000 people lost their lives, and over a million faced displacement from their homes. Reports from human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, have implicated both government forces and separatist fighters in extrajudicial killings, torture, kidnappings, and other abuses. The widespread violence has also led to the destruction of villages, the collapse of local economies, and a severe humanitarian crisis.
Struggles for Peace Amid Ongoing Violence
Efforts to mediate the conflict have so far yielded little success. In January 2023, the Canadian government announced that both sides had agreed to enter peace negotiations under its facilitation. However, despite diplomatic efforts, hostilities have persisted, and attacks like the recent one in Mbingo continue to destabilise the region.
The latest assault highlights the urgent need for renewed diplomatic efforts and an inclusive dialogue that addresses the root causes of the conflict. As violence escalates, the international community faces increasing pressure to intervene and push for a sustainable resolution to one of Africa’s most overlooked crises.
With no clear end in sight to the violence, civilians remain caught in the crossfire of a conflict driven by historical grievances, political divisions, and armed resistance. Unless both the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian leaders commit to meaningful negotiations, the cycle of violence is likely to continue, deepening the suffering of those trapped in the war’s devastating wake.
