Separatist fighters in Cameroon’s Northwest region have been implicated in a new report documenting human rights atrocities being committed in English-speaking parts of Cameroon. The report published on June 20 by the Cameroon Anglophone Database of atrocities has identified where, when, what, and who committed the atrocities.
The atrocities included the destruction of Government School Nyugu in Balikumbat in September 2024, the burning of the Jakiri Divisional Office in July 2024, and the burning also of Government Technical High School Esu in Esu in December 2023. All these three acts of atrocities were committed by separatist fighters; the database says it has verified.
Who exactly committed the acts?
According to the Cameroon Anglophone Database of atrocities, all three atrocities took place in the country’s Northwest region.
The attack on Government Technical High School Esu, Esu, Menchum Division, took place on December 12, 2023, the report said.
Based on investigation, the “Lion’s Gate of Wum,” a separatist group under “General Lion” within the “Ambazonia Restoration Forces,” claimed responsibility. This group, according to the database, is associated with Samuel Sako Ikome, who claims the presidency of the Ambazonia Interim Government while residing in the USA. That attack resulted in the partial burning of the school.
The report says the fighters did not only attack the school and burn the school; they equally forced students to undress. After that, they kidnapped 15 students and two school administrators.
Balikumbat attack
On September 18, 2024, armed separatists also attacked Government School Nyugu in Balikumbat, Ngoketunjia Division, causing extensive damage to several classrooms.
“It was alleged that armed separatists inflicted severe damage to Government School Nyugu. Though none of the photographs and news articles provide identifiable evidence of the perpetrators, news sources suggest that separatists are the likely perpetrators.” The report stated.
Attack in Jakiri
According to the report, on July 21, 2024, separatists attacked the office of the Divisional Officer in Jakiri in Bui Division. The attackers set fire to the building. The report based on analyses of data labeled the Amazonia Defence Forces (ADF) of Bui as the perpetrator.
The ADF is the armed wing of the Ambazonia Governing Council, and both are led by Lucas Cho Ayaba, based in Norway.
“The narrator identified the perpetrators as ‘ADF of Bui State’, indicating that members of the Ambazonia Defence Forces in Bui Division, possibly under the command of ‘Major General Capo’, perpetrated the incident.”
As of this report, MMI could not obtain a comment from Samuel Sako Ikome of IG and Ayaba Cho Lucas of ADF, who has been detained in Norway since last year. We were unable to confirm if Major General Capo mentioned in the report is Capo in Bui, former ADF commander who has departed the group.
Incidents continue
Despite calls to quell violence and peacefully resolve the conflict, attacks still occur with regularity. The database has logged approximately 1,900 incidents from its inception in mid-2019 till present, including 70 incidents so far in 2025. Both numbers are a fraction of the total incidents, as many go unreported.
Last month, the Norwegian refugee Council ranked Cameroon as the most neglected crisis displacement in 2024.
The conflict has led to over 6000 deaths and over a million displaced since the eruption in 2016, according to the UN.
What is the Cameroon Anglophone crisis’s data on atrocities?
The Database of Atrocities is an apolitical, nonpartisan, secure location that stores information about atrocities perpetrated during the Anglophone Crisis and verifies incidents when possible.
Created by a group of researchers and civic leaders, it aims to counter the culture of impunity that pervades the crisis, secure evidence for future accountability procedures, assist human rights activists, journalists, and scholars advocating for human rights or conducting scholarly research, and serve as a deterrent to warring parties from engaging in further atrocities.
Editor’s Note: This report has been updated to clarify that the “Capo Daniel” mentioned earlier refers to the self-proclaimed General Capo in Bui.
