Nine students, who were reportedly molested by separatist fighters on June 1st while travelling from Esu to Wum for the General Certificate of Examination (GCE), have now arrived in Wum, local sources have confirmed. Security concerns led to the relocation of their examination centre to Wum.
Today, June 3rd, 2025, students began the GCE examinations. The local authorities have implemented measures to ensure that all students can access their examination centres.
Context of the Anglophone Crisis and Impact on Education
The incident occurs within the broader context of the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions. This crisis, which began in 2016 with protests by lawyers and teachers against perceived marginalisation and the imposition of the French language and legal systems, escalated into an armed conflict in 2017 after separatist groups declared an independent state called “Ambazonia.”
Education has been a significant casualty of the conflict. Separatist groups have frequently targeted schools, students, and educators. Tactics have included enforcing school boycotts, issuing threats, and carrying out abductions and attacks. Arson, vandalism, and theft have devastated numerous schools, disrupting the education of hundreds of thousands of children in the Anglophone regions. Separatist groups often frame these actions as opposition to the Cameroonian government’s education system, perceiving it as a tool of Francophone assimilation.
Authorities often relocate GCE examination centres, as they did for these nine students, to create a more secure environment for candidates during times of instability. However, travel between localities remains a significant risk for students and civilians alike.
Human Rights Watch and other organisations have documented numerous attacks on education by separatist groups since 2017, including killings, beatings, and widespread kidnappings of students and school staff. These actions have drawn condemnation for their severe impact on children’s right to education and their future prospects.
The journey of these nine students to Wum further shed light on the persistent challenges faced by civilians, particularly students, in accessing basic services like education in the conflict-affected regions. Local authorities have reiterated their commitment to the GCE examinations proceeding as planned, despite the volatile security landscape.
