Cameroon: Armed groups kill two in Anglophone regions April 25

Event

Unidentified armed groups killed two people in Cameroon's Anglophone regions on Wednesday, April 25. A group of armed individuals shot and killed a soldier and wounded another in Andek (Northwest region) on Wednesday; the killed soldier had reportedly been previously threatened by separatists. The same day, another group of suspected separatists killed a teacher in Kumba (Southwest region). Continuing separatist unrest is expected in the Anglophone regions in the coming weeks, and further related attacks are possible in the abovementioned areas and elsewhere in the Northwest and Southwest regions in the near-term.

Context

Tensions between the country's minority English-speaking community and the national authorities in the Northwest and Southwest regions remain high. The period since November 2016 has been marked by the closure of all English-speaking schools, strikes, unrest, and sporadic violence. These tensions have escalated considerably since October 2017, when secessionists unilaterally proclaimed independence in the region.

Advice

Due to ongoing sociopolitical violence, individuals in Southwest and Northwest regions are advised to closely monitor the situation, obey all instructions issued by the local authorities (particularly curfews), and adhere to advice issued by their home government.