Cameroonian Military’s Atrocities Caught on Camera, Sparks Global Outrage
By Andre Momo, BaretaNews | December 20, 2024
Cameroon’s military brutality in Ambazonia reached a horrifying new chapter this month, as graphic video footage surfaced online on December 19, 2024, capturing elite troops from the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) firing live rounds at unarmed civilians. The shocking incident occurred in Bamenda, North-West Region, on December 15, during what witnesses described as a peaceful gathering. At least five civilians were killed, with several others reportedly injured.
The disturbing footage, which quickly went viral across social media platforms, shows uniformed soldiers opening fire without provocation, triggering panic as civilians scream and flee. One clip captures a man lying motionless on the ground as others attempt to carry him away under fire. Analysts have confirmed the perpetrators as members of Cameroon’s elite forces, long accused of operating with impunity.
This brazen act of state violence has ignited global condemnation and renewed scrutiny of the Cameroonian government’s conduct in the Anglophone regions. Human rights advocates, Ambazonian activists, and diaspora organizations have called for immediate international intervention, describing the killings as part of a systematic campaign of terror aimed at silencing dissent and crushing aspirations for self-determination.
“This is no longer a civil conflict — it is a war on civilians,” said one Ambazonian community leader in the UK. “The evidence is irrefutable. The world must act.”
Calls for justice are mounting. Prominent Ambazonian figures and legal experts are demanding an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC), asserting that deliberate attacks on civilians constitute war crimes under international law. Rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) have echoed these demands and called for targeted sanctions against military officials and political leaders responsible for orchestrating and enabling these atrocities.
Meanwhile, the Cameroonian government has yet to issue a formal response, further fueling suspicion of complicity and cover-up. Local journalists in Bamenda report increased military patrols and a tense atmosphere, with families of victims afraid to speak publicly for fear of reprisal.
BaretaNews joins the growing call for accountability and justice. We demand:
-
Immediate independent investigations into the Bamenda massacre;
-
Sanctions on top-ranking military officials and their political enablers;
-
International diplomatic pressure to end the military’s occupation-style presence in Ambazonia; and
-
Recognition of the legitimate grievances and rights of the Ambazonian people.
For too long, the world has looked away as Cameroon’s military crimes mount unchecked. The Bamenda massacre, caught on camera for the world to see, must be a turning point. Enough is enough.
