At least 14 civilians were killed and 14 others wounded after a violent attack on the village of Guidado in the Ndu subdivision of Cameroon’s Northwest region, according to government officials and state media, in one of the deadliest recent assaults targeting civilians in the country’s conflict-hit English-speaking areas.
Northwest Regional Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique confirmed the casualties in an official statement, while state broadcaster CRTV reported that the victims were attacked inside their homes during the raid.
Heavy Civilian Toll
Authorities said those killed included seven children aged between two and 11, six women and one adult man. Fourteen additional people were injured and taken to medical facilities in Ndu and Nkambe, where several were reported to be in critical condition.
Local officials said emergency services and security forces were deployed to the area following the attack, while families of the victims began burial preparations under heavy security.
Government Blames Separatist Rebels
The Cameroonian government blamed the attack on separatist fighters commonly known as “Amba Boys,” armed groups that have waged an insurgency against the central government since 2016, seeking independence for the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions.
The government said investigations were under way to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Targeting of the Mbororo Community
Local officials and community sources said most of the victims belonged to the Mbororo community, a semi-nomadic pastoralist group that has increasingly been drawn into the conflict.
Separatist factions have previously accused Mbororo residents of collaborating with government forces or joining pro-government self-defence groups, allegations the community has consistently denied.
Human rights monitors say attacks on Mbororo settlements have increased over the past year, aggravating ethnic and communal tensions in the region.
A Protracted Conflict
The attack underscores the continuing instability in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, where a conflict now in its second decade has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Despite repeated military operations by government forces and periodic calls for dialogue, violence between separatist fighters and state forces along with reprisals against civilians has continued.
Authorities said security operations would be stepped up to protect civilians, but analysts warn that without renewed political dialogue, communities are likely to remain exposed to further violence.
