Cameroon: Police officers kidnapped in Northwest region Sept. 9

Event

At least 50 suspected separatist militants launched an attack on the Oku police building, located in the Northwest region, on Sunday, September 9, before reportedly abducting three police officers. Further such attacks are likely in the coming days despite the implementation of a dusk-to-dawn curfew the same day. All travel by unauthorized individuals is prohibited between 18:00 and 06:00 (local time) until further notice.

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 regular violence. These tensions have escalated considerably since October 2017, when secessionists unilaterally proclaimed independence in the region. 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 (CAR); travel to these areas should only be considered with appropriate security protocols in place.