Cameroon: Ambush by separatist fighters in North West region

BBC News reported on 17 September 2021 that at least 10 elite soldiers from the Cameroonian army had been killed in an ambush in Bamessing (North West region). A separatist group claimed responsibility. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Fighting has been ongoing in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon since 2017. The separatists have long complained of marginalization of the English-speaking minority by the country"s French-speaking majority. In an attempt to form an independent country, the secessionists have attacked government security forces as well as innocent civilians. All efforts by both state and separatist representatives to engage in peaceful dialogue has not yielded any positive results. The security situation remains precarious and continues to endanger the lives of many Cameroonian Christians within the affected areas. While the conflict does not necessarily have religious undertones, there are direct attacks on Christians coming from both sides of the conflict if they do not support their cause. An indirect impact also comes from the way the government is focusing its attention on combatting separatists, which has given Boko Haram the opportunity to take advantage of security loopholes left by the security forces in the Far North region."