The residents of Mamfe in the Anglophone South-West region of Cameroon were confronted with a distressing reality. A certain armed group, the identity of which remains unknown, launched an attack on a local neighborhood during the preceding night. As confirmed by municipal and prefectural authorities, the tragic incident resulted in the loss of at least 24 innocent civilians, comprising both men, women, and children.
The attack occurred just before 4:00 AM local time in the Egbekaw neighborhood, which is considered high-risk due to the presence of armed groups in the area. The city is located on the edge of a river and a forest. The population was caught off guard in their sleep by the flames of a deliberate fire, and those who attempted to escape were shot.
The Cameroonian authorities have described the attack as “terrorist,” and it resulted in 24 deaths, all of them civilians. Ten houses were set on fire. Some NGOs report a higher death toll.
The massacre is believed to be in retaliation against local civilian populations suspected of cooperating with government armed forces. Cameroonian authorities have announced an investigation to find those responsible for this massacre.
Since the beginning of the Anglophone crisis in 2016, the city of Mamfe in the South-West region has been targeted multiple times by separatists. Three years ago, the city’s mayor was assassinated by armed individuals, and the city’s hospital was set on fire last year.