Cameroon: Priest killed in Buea (Southwest) July 20

Event

A priest was killed on Friday, July 20, in Buea (Southwest region) during an exchange of fire between government forces and separatist militants. It remains unclear if the priest was targeted and who was responsible for his shooting. The government forces and separatist militants have both have denied responsibility. Additional attacks and/or clashes between Anglophone separatists and security forces are possible in the Southwest, as well as in the Northwest region, in the coming weeks.

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. Armed separatists in English-speaking regions of Cameroon have killed over 80 soldiers and police since October, according to a report released by the government on June 20. The fighting has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee over the border into Nigeria.

Advice

Due to ongoing sociopolitical violence, individuals in the Northwest and Southwest regions are advised to closely monitor the situation, obey all instructions issued by the local authorities (particularly curfews), and avoid protests or large gatherings due to the risk of associated violence.

On a separate note, some Western governments advise against travel to the Far North region as well as other areas bordering Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic; travel to these areas should only be considered with appropriate security protocols in place.