The U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé has issued a press statement calling for the effective resumption of school in Cameroon’s troubled Anglophone regions. This appeal comes amid a two-week lockdown imposed by armed separatists, known as Ambazonia fighters, aimed at disrupting the start of the 2024/2025 academic year.
According to the national academic calendar, schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday, September 9, 2024, across the country. The U.S. Embassy emphasised the importance of education, stating, “As classes resume in the coming days, we cannot forget that every child has a right to an education.”
For the past eight years, armed separatists have weaponized education for political leverage, targeting teachers, students, and educational institutions in the ongoing conflict. The U.S. Embassy reiterated the sanctity of educational spaces, noting that “schools are sanctuaries for learning, and children must not be prevented from attending classes.”
The embassy also strongly condemned “all forms of violence against civilians” and expressed deep concern over recent incidents and threats in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. “We reaffirm the need for peaceful approaches to address complex political and security issues,” the statement concluded.
The calls by the US authorities reinforce the many voices that have been condemning the use of education as a political tool by the Ambazonia separatists. It is not clear what objectives the separatists hope to achieve by preventing school resumption for two weeks. However, in the past, such orders have resulted in schools being attacked and many civilians injured or killed.
