Civilians in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon are at imminent risk of atrocity crimes due to continued violence between government forces and armed separatists. Armed extremist groups also pose an ongoing threat in the Far North region.

BACKGROUND:

In 2016 English-speaking lawyers, students and teachers in Cameroon began protesting their cultural marginalization by the Francophone-dominated government, leading to a violent crackdown by security forces in the north-west and south-west regions, an area predominantly inhabited by the country’s Anglophone minority. In October 2017 Anglophone separatists proclaimed independence and declared a new state of “Ambazonia” in the north-west and south-west regions. Since then, clashes between armed separatists and Cameroonian security forces have escalated, resulting in widespread atrocities against the civilian population. More than 6,500 people have been killed since 2016, though the actual numbers are believed to be higher.

Throughout the conflict, security forces have perpetrated extrajudicial killings and widespread sexual and gender-based violence and burned Anglophone villages. Individuals suspected of separatist ties have been subjected to arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment. Armed separatists have also killed, kidnapped and terrorized populations while steadily asserting control over large parts of the Anglophone regions. Separatists and government forces have both perpetrated targeted attacks on health facilities and humanitarian workers, restricting the delivery of and access to vital aid and forcing various international humanitarian organizations to suspend their operations. Separatists have also banned government education and frequently attack, threaten and abduct students and teachers, as well as burn, destroy and loot schools.

Although deadly attacks by separatists have declined in recent years, the conflict remains unresolved and continues to pose a risk to civilians. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 1.5 million people require humanitarian assistance in the Anglophone regions. OCHA also estimates that at least 334,098 people have been internally displaced by violence in the two regions, while more than 76,493 have fled to Nigeria.

The government has consistently downplayed the severity of the crisis, responding primarily through security and counterterrorism measures, while taking little meaningful action to address the underlying political grievances and root causes or to end the violence. The international community has also taken limited action. The Council of the European Union, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and others have appealed for an end to the violence and urged government action while additional actors have previously offered to serve as mediators. In May 2025 former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, revealed that President Paul Biya rejected a mediation attempt by former African presidents aimed at resolving the crisis in the Anglophone regions. The UN Security Council (UNSC) has held only one meeting on Cameroon, an Arria-formula meeting on the humanitarian situation, in 2019.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:

Ongoing clashes between government forces and separatist groups in the Anglophone regions continue to exact a heavy toll on civilians, who are sometimes caught in the crossfire of fighting and face various other threats, including arbitrary detention, targeted attacks, abductions for ransom, illegal taxation, roadblocks, extortion and restrictions on movement. Attacks on specific communities, such as herders from the Mbororo ethnic group, have been particularly deadly. Separate attacks in December 2025 and January 2026 killed at least 23 people, most of them women and children, in Wowo and Gidado villages, north-west Cameroon. The violence also reached Mbat in the north-west region, where on 13 and 14 February the village was burned and looted, forcing around 850 residents to flee and resulting in massive loss of homes and property, including hundreds of houses and 155 farms destroyed.

Recent humanitarian reporting notes that non-state armed groups, particularly separatist fighters, have increasingly deployed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against government forces and convoys across the Anglophone regions, particularly in Bui and Momo. During 2025 OCHA recorded at least 131 IED-related incidents. Although humanitarian workers were not a direct target in these incidents, the use of IEDs in highly populated areas and on main roads posed a risk to civilians.

OCHA also reported that attacks against education and healthcare continue, with 81 education-related incidents and 20 healthcare-related incidents recorded across the Anglophone regions in 2025. These attacks have disrupted access to schooling and medical care, compounding the humanitarian impact of the conflict on local communities. The situation is further illustrated by a recent incident in Bui Division, where local news reported that suspected separatists abducted approximately 15 students from the Government Bilingual High School in Kumbo.

Amid these developments, the government has sought to reaffirm its commitment to civilian protection. In his 31 December New Year’s message to the Nation, President Biya reiterated the government’s determination to safeguard peace, particularly in regions affected by insecurity, including the Far North, north-west and south-west regions.

ANALYSIS:

The international community often perceives the conflict in the Anglophone region exclusively as an insurgency by armed separatist groups against the Cameroonian government. However, the situation is much more complex. Although the Anglophone and Francophone areas of Cameroon have been unified since 1961, there is a long history of disputes over the extent to which access to government resources is controlled by the French-speaking majority. The risk of atrocities will continue if the root causes of the conflict, including poor quality of government services, weak governance and marginalization of parts of the population by a highly centralized state, remain unaddressed.

Civilian populations, particularly women and children, are disproportionately bearing the brunt of violence and face heightened risk of abuse and exploitation. The targeting of individuals based upon their cultural identity poses a direct threat to Anglophone civilians and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ethnic communities are also often targeted for their alleged collaboration with either side of the conflict.

The conflict dynamics in the Anglophone regions have changed as the crisis has become increasingly financially lucrative, with separatist groups expanding their sources of revenue through kidnapping and extortion. Armed separatist groups are increasingly disorganized and in competition with one another, making the situation – and possible pathways to peace – extremely challenging. The electoral process and outcomes underscore the persistent centralization of political power and the limited avenues for meaningful participation for opposition and Anglophone voices.

RISK ASSESSMENT:

• • • Past or present discriminatory, restrictive or exclusionary practices, policies or legislation against marginalized communities and persons belonging to minority groups.
    • Politicization of identity, past events or motives to engage in violence.
    • Increased fragmentation of armed groups posing a significant challenge to conflict termination and sustainable peace.
    • Policy or practice of impunity for – or tolerance of – serious violations of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), atrocity crimes or their incitement.
    • A security sector that lacks professionalism and engages in violations of IHRL and IHL.

NECESSARY ACTION:

Security forces must end all extrajudicial killings of unarmed civilians and ensure that the human rights of all Cameroonians are equally protected, regardless of cultural identity. Security forces implicated in violations of IHL and IHRL should be investigated and held accountable. Armed separatist groups must halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Safe and unfettered humanitarian access should be restored and guaranteed. Regional and international partners providing military support should condition further assistance on verifiable progress in human rights compliance, including public reporting on disciplinary actions and improvements in civilian protection. Special attention should be given to enhancing protection measures in the Far North region, with deployment of trained civilian protection officers and early-warning mechanisms for vulnerable communities.

The government should take immediate steps to address the structural marginalization of Anglophone communities, including the rapid rollout of targeted socio-economic development programs, establishment of mechanisms to guarantee equitable political representation and the enforcement of language rights protections. The government should hold an inclusive dialogue with parties to the Anglophone crisis, mediated by a neutral player on neutral territory.

The African Union and Economic Community of Central African States should work with the government to prevent further deterioration of the conflict. Efforts by the UN’s Regional Office for Central Africa, including good offices, must prioritize finding a political solution to the violence and encourage inclusive dialogue. The UNSC should discuss the situation in Cameroon and urge parties to the conflict to end hostilities and find a peaceful solution to the multifaceted crisis.