At Least 14 Killed as Separatist Fighters Attack Village in Cameroon’s Anglophone Region

At least 14 people, including seven children, were killed on Wednesday after suspected separatist fighters attacked the village of Guidado in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest region, according to state media.

The attack comes amid a renewed surge in violence linked to Cameroon’s nearly decade-long separatist conflict involving the anglophone minority in the predominantly francophone country.

Confirming the incident, Northwest Regional Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique said the victims comprised one man, six women, and seven children aged between two and 11 years.

“This morning, an attack carried out by a terrorist group against civilians resulted in the deaths of 14 people,” Lafrique said during a broadcast on state television, CRTV.

He added that 14 other people sustained injuries and were evacuated to hospitals in Ndu and Nkambe for medical treatment. According to the governor, President Paul Biya has ordered the implementation of additional security measures to restore calm in the affected area.

Cameroon’s anglophone crisis began in late 2016 after peaceful protests by English-speaking lawyers and teachers were violently suppressed by security forces. Protesters accused the government of political and economic marginalisation of the English-speaking regions.

Since then, armed separatist groups demanding an independent anglophone state have frequently targeted politicians, civil servants, and teachers accused of collaborating with the government. In response, security forces have been accused of carrying out harsh military operations in communities suspected of supporting separatist fighters.

Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 6,000 civilians have been killed by both government forces and separatist groups since the conflict erupted.