Cameroon: Kenyan national killed in Southwest region Nov. 21

Event

A Christian priest from Kenya was shot and killed on Wednesday, November 21, near a church in Kembong (Southwest region). The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.

Cameroonian authorities had previously called on all foreign nationals present in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions to register with local administrative authorities to make sure they had adequate protection.

Further such incidents are possible in the near-term, with tensions between Anglophone separatists and the government becoming increasingly violent in recent months.

Context

A Christian missionary from the US was shot and killed on October 30 while traveling from Bambili to Bamenda (Northwest region).

Tensions between the country's minority English-speaking community and the national authorities in the Northwest and Southwest regions remain high amid an ongoing separatist movement. The period since November 2016 has been marked by the closure of English-speaking schools, strikes, unrest, and 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

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