Cameroonian Forces Raid Bamenda, Kill Three Civilians: A Bloody Start to 2024 in Ambazonia
By Andre Momo, BaretaNews | January 15, 2024
The new year began on a tragic note in the Anglophone region of Cameroon, as violence once again gripped the streets of Bamenda. On January 7, 2024, Cameroonian military forces, notably members of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), launched a deadly raid on the Mile 4 neighborhood in Bamenda, capital of the North-West Region. Ostensibly targeting separatist fighters, the operation resulted in the deaths of three unarmed civilians, including a 16-year-old student named Mary Nfor.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene. Heavily armed BIR troops stormed the area in the early hours, firing indiscriminately. Residents reported that homes were broken into and personal belongings destroyed. In addition to the civilian deaths, several young men were arrested without explanation or charge. Their current whereabouts remain unknown, prompting fears of forced disappearances.
Among those killed was Mary Nfor, a bright student described by her teachers as “full of potential and dreams.” Her family is devastated, unable to comprehend why their daughter, who had no links to armed groups, was gunned down in what was supposed to be the safety of her own neighborhood.
The raid has triggered widespread condemnation. The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), a leading watchdog documenting abuses in the Anglophone regions, strongly denounced the military’s actions. In a public statement, CHRDA labelled the killings as part of a “systematic pattern of extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests” committed by Cameroonian security forces in the country’s restive English-speaking regions.
“This is not an isolated incident,” the CHRDA stated. “It reflects a broader culture of impunity in which security forces operate above the law, with little to no accountability.”
Since 2016, the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon have been embroiled in a violent conflict between government forces and separatist fighters seeking independence for what they call “Ambazonia.” While both sides have been accused of abuses, critics argue that the state’s military actions have disproportionately affected civilians, often under the guise of counter-insurgency operations.
As images and testimonies from the Bamenda raid circulate on social media, calls for international intervention have intensified. Activists are urging the African Union, United Nations, and other global stakeholders to break their silence and hold the Cameroonian government accountable for what they describe as crimes against humanity.
For many Ambazonians, the events of January 7 are yet another reminder of their precarious existence. Mourning families continue to demand justice, while communities brace for the possibility of further violence. As the conflict drags on with no clear resolution in sight, the cost in civilian lives continues to mount.
In the words of one local resident, speaking under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, “We are not safe in our own homes. If the soldiers don’t kill us, the silence of the world surely will.”
