Nigeria: Over 20,000 Cameroonian refugees flee to Nigeria

Event

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that more than 20,000 registered refugees have fled to Nigeria due to violent unrest in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions since October 2017 (as of mid-March). Moreover, the recorded number of refugees has doubled since mid-January 2018. The majority have fled to the southeastern Nigerian states of Cross River, Taraba, Benue, and Akwa-Ibom. The influx of refugees is expected to continue in the coming months as a resolution to the current unrest in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions appears remote in the near-term.

Context

Simmering resentment in the Anglophone regions dating to the period of independence has resurfaced within the minority English-speaking community in Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest regions since November 2016. Tensions between English- and French-speaking communities have escalated considerably since October 2017, when secessionists unilaterally proclaimed independence in the region. Cameroonian authorities fear that Nigeria could be used as a base for Anglophone secessionists.

Advice

Individuals in the above states are advised to closely monitor the situation and adhere to any advice issued by local authorities and their home governments.