Cameroon: Gunmen attack school in Northwest

Event

Schools continue to be targeted in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. On Friday, May 11, unidentified militants set fire to the bilingual Government High School in Bafut (Northwest region). According to security guards, the men arrived at the school on motorcycles. Local residents were able to put out the blaze, but the school reportedly suffered significant damage. A day after the attack, the governor of the Northwest region ordered a temporary ban on motorcycles in Bafut to prevent further incidents.

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 governments.