For over seven years, Cameroon’s Anglophone regions have been engulfed in a violent conflict fuelled by the government’s refusal to address legitimate grievances and its continued repression of Anglophone communities. What began as a peaceful protest against the marginalization of English-speaking Cameroonians has transformed into a brutal war marked by severe human rights violations perpetrated by state forces.
Government security forces, including the military and police, have employed disproportionate force to silence dissent. Numerous eyewitness accounts detail summary executions, village burnings, and the deliberate targeting of civilians. The government’s use of heavy artillery and helicopter gunships against villages suspected of harbouring separatist fighters has led to mass casualties and widespread displacement.
Torture and inhumane treatment of detainees have become commonplace. Many Anglophones arrested in connection with the crisis are subjected to brutal beatings, waterboarding, and prolonged detention without trial. Prisons are overcrowded, and reports of extrajudicial killings within detention facilities continue to emerge.
Freedom of speech and press have been severely restricted. Journalists covering the conflict have been harassed, arrested, and in some cases, murdered. The government has shut down internet access in the Anglophone regions multiple times, preventing citizens from communicating and exposing the realities of the crisis.
Perhaps most damning is the government’s refusal to allow humanitarian organizations unrestricted access to affected communities. By blocking aid deliveries and attacking medical personnel, the state has exacerbated the suffering of displaced persons, leaving many without food, medical care, or shelter.
As international pressure mounts, the Cameroonian government has attempted to justify its actions as counterterrorism efforts. However, the sheer scale of the human rights violations committed by state forces indicates a deliberate campaign to suppress the Anglophone identity rather than a legitimate security operation.
It is imperative that the United Nations, African Union, and global human rights organizations intensify efforts to hold the Cameroonian government accountable. Without justice and accountability, peace in the North West and South West regions will remain elusive, and the suffering of the Anglophone population will persist.
Written By: Bande Clodette Ngweng
