Cameroon Conflict: Lies, War, and Complicity
By Andre Momo
A searing exposé by The Elephant has laid bare the chilling extent of the Biya regime’s manipulation of the narrative surrounding the war in Southern Cameroons. With surgical precision, the article dismantles the myths, censorship, and propaganda that have enabled President Paul Biya’s government to mask one of Africa’s most underreported conflicts—and reveals the uncomfortable truth about international complicity.
For over seven years, the Cameroonian state has waged a brutal military campaign against the Anglophone regions. Entire villages have been razed, civilians murdered, and journalists silenced. Yet to much of the world, the crisis appears muddled, distant, or simply invisible. That is no accident.
Propaganda and Silence: Tools of Oppression
As The Elephant documents, the regime has spent years engineering a narrative that paints the conflict as a fight against “terrorism” or “separatist extremism.” This narrative has been broadcast through state-run media and amplified by government-friendly outlets, drowning out the voices of victims, activists, and independent journalists.
Dissenting opinions are criminalized. Whistleblowers are jailed. Anglophone reporters face constant threats, and international correspondents are denied access or pressured to toe the official line. The goal is simple: maintain control over perception in order to maintain control over power.
The war is not only being fought with guns but with headlines, editorials, and press releases. And while Cameroonian media is muzzled under authoritarian pressure, international media has largely failed to question the state narrative—choosing instead to repeat it or ignore the conflict altogether.
International Complicity: The Price of Quiet Partnerships
The exposé also calls out foreign governments and multilateral institutions for their quiet complicity. Through military cooperation, development aid, and political diplomacy, international actors continue to embolden the regime—either through indifference or strategic self-interest.
France, in particular, remains a major backer of the Biya government, driven by economic ties and a long legacy of Françafrique politics. Meanwhile, organizations like the IMF and World Bank continue to release funding packages with few strings attached, even as state forces carry out war crimes with impunity.
By turning a blind eye, these actors help sustain a regime that systematically violates the rights of its own people. Their silence is not neutrality—it is endorsement.
The Ambazonian Struggle: A Fight for Truth and Self-Determination
What is most infuriating is that the core demands of the Ambazonian movement—dignity, autonomy, justice—remain unacknowledged by those most able to intervene. Instead of recognizing the legitimate grievances of a people whose cultural and political rights have been trampled for decades, the world has chosen to view them through a distorted lens shaped in Yaoundé.
This conflict did not erupt overnight. It is the result of years of broken promises, constitutional betrayal, and institutional erasure. The violence we see today is not the root—it is the symptom. And no amount of media manipulation can change that.
BaretaNews: The Time for Complicity Must End
At BaretaNews, we stand firmly with the victims of this disinformation war, and with all who have risked their lives to speak the truth.
We echo The Elephant in demanding:
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An end to international complicity through arms sales, financial aid, and silence.
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Greater scrutiny from global media into the true causes and conduct of the war.
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Unrestricted access for independent investigators and human rights observers.
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Recognition of the Ambazonian people’s right to self-determination under international law.
The truth is not just a casualty of this war—it is a battleground. And on that battleground, silence is not an option. It is time for the world to stop enabling lies, and start standing for justice.
