Military Burns Village in Lebialem, Displaces Hundreds in Latest Atrocity
By Andre Momo, BaretaNews | July 18, 2024
The humanitarian crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions deepened yet again on July 9, 2024, when Cameroonian military forces launched a brutal raid on a village in Lebialem, South-West Region. In what survivors have described as a “punishment operation” targeting alleged separatist sympathizers, soldiers set over 30 homes ablaze, displacing nearly 500 residents and leaving an already traumatized population in further despair.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of terror as uniformed soldiers stormed the community at dawn, torching homes with little warning. Residents, including children and the elderly, fled into the surrounding forest — most without food, water, or shelter. The fate of two elderly women reportedly trapped inside their burning homes remains unknown, sparking fears of further civilian casualties.
“This was not a battle. This was collective punishment,” said one survivor who managed to escape with his three children. “They came with fire and rage — not even the old or sick were spared.”
This scorched-earth attack is the latest in a disturbing pattern of state-led brutality aimed at suppressing the Ambazonian independence movement. The Cameroonian government has consistently used collective punishment tactics, such as burning villages, targeting civilians, and forced displacement, in an effort to undermine separatist support. However, such methods have only deepened local resentment and resistance.
Amnesty International swiftly condemned the attack, calling it a potential war crime and urging an immediate independent investigation. “The deliberate destruction of civilian homes and the displacement of non-combatants cannot be justified under any circumstances,” said an Amnesty spokesperson. “This is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
The July 9 attack comes amid a sharp escalation in violence across the Anglophone regions in 2024. Government raids, retaliatory separatist strikes, and growing displacement have turned villages like those in Lebialem into flashpoints of a war that shows no signs of resolution.
BaretaNews denounces this act of barbarism and calls on the international community to intervene before the situation deteriorates further. With nearly 500 people driven into the wilderness — many now facing starvation, disease, and exposure — there is an urgent need for humanitarian aid, shelter, and protection.
As international actors continue to issue statements of “concern,” the people of Ambazonia endure unspeakable suffering, largely out of view from the global media spotlight. The events in Lebialem are not isolated — they are part of a systematic campaign of terror that demands global condemnation and real accountability.
The silence must end. The burning of villages, the killing and disappearance of civilians, and the weaponization of fear cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.
