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Cameroon's Anglophone War Enters Ninth Year

Cameroon's Anglophone War Enters Ninth Year

A Forgotten Separatist Conflict Claims More Civilian Lives

Today: Separatists Kill 15 in Mbororo Village

Overview

Suspected separatist fighters killed 15 civilians, including eight children, in an early-morning attack on a Mbororo herding community in Cameroon's Northwest Region on January 14, 2026. The massacre in Ndu subdivision targeted an ethnic group that separatists accuse of collaborating with government forces—a dynamic that has turned the nine-year Anglophone conflict into a multi-sided war where civilians are killed by all parties.

Since 2017, armed groups seeking independence for Cameroon's English-speaking regions have fought the military of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who was sworn in for an eighth term in November 2025. The war has killed over 6,500 people, displaced 580,000, and created what the UN calls the world's most neglected displacement crisis. Peace talks have repeatedly failed, and the conflict has fragmented into dozens of competing armed factions that increasingly fund themselves through kidnapping and extortion.

Key Indicators

6,500+
Deaths since 2017
Documented fatalities in the Anglophone conflict; actual toll believed higher.
584,000
Internally Displaced
Cameroonians forced from their homes in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
2,245
Schools Closed
Educational institutions shut down due to separatist attacks and threats.
9 years
Conflict Duration
Armed fighting began in 2017 after a crackdown on peaceful protests.

People Involved

Paul Biya
Paul Biya
President of Cameroon (Sworn in for eighth term, November 2025)
ST
Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe
Self-proclaimed President of Ambazonia (Life sentence; appeal opened December 2025)
LC
Lucas Ayaba Cho
Leader, Ambazonia Defence Forces (Detained in Norway since September 2024)
AL
Adolphe Lele Lafrique
Governor, Northwest Region (Active; overseeing government response)

Organizations Involved

AM
Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF)
Armed Separatist Group
Status: Active; fragmented command

One of the largest armed factions fighting for Anglophone independence, though command has fragmented since Ayaba Cho's arrest.

CA
Cameroon Armed Forces
State Military
Status: Active counter-insurgency operations

The national military forces conducting counter-insurgency operations in the Anglophone regions since 2017.

MB
Mbororo Community
Ethnic Group
Status: Targeted by separatists; some armed as militias

Seminomadic Fulani herders who own 70% of cattle in Anglophone regions and are caught between separatists and government forces.

Timeline

  1. Separatists Kill 15 in Mbororo Village

    Atrocity

    Armed fighters attacked the Mbororo community in Ndu subdivision at dawn, killing 15 people including eight children aged 2-11. Governor Lele Lafrique called it a 'massacre.'

  2. Supreme Court Opens Appeal

    Legal

    The Supreme Court opened an appeal case for Ayuk Tabe and nine other imprisoned leaders, six years after their military tribunal convictions.

  3. Biya Wins Disputed Election

    Political

    Cameroon's Constitutional Council declared Biya winner with 54% amid opposition claims of fraud. Post-election protests killed at least five people.

  4. Biya Rejects African Mediation

    Political

    Former South African President Thabo Mbeki revealed that Biya had rejected a mediation offer by former African presidents to resolve the crisis.

  5. Norway Arrests Separatist Commander

    Legal

    Norwegian police arrested ADF leader Lucas Ayaba Cho on charges of incitement to crimes against humanity—the first such prosecution in Norwegian history.

  6. Ngarbuh Massacre Kills 21

    Atrocity

    Soldiers and armed Mbororo killed 21 civilians including 13 children in Ngarbuh village. After international pressure, the government admitted partial responsibility.

  7. Biya Grants 'Special Status'

    Political

    President Biya announced special status for Anglophone regions with nominally expanded regional powers. Separatists rejected the offer; fighting continued.

  8. Separatist Leaders Get Life Sentences

    Legal

    A military tribunal sentenced Ayuk Tabe and nine leaders to life in prison after a trial where defense lawyers received evidence during a single 17-hour overnight hearing.

  9. Separatist Leader Extradited

    Legal

    Nigerian authorities arrested Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 47 others and extradited them to Cameroon. A Nigerian court later ruled the expulsion illegal.

  10. Biya Declares War

    Milestone

    President Paul Biya formally declared war on separatist groups, authorizing full military operations in the Anglophone regions.

  11. Independence Declared, Protesters Killed

    Milestone

    Separatists declared independence for the Republic of Ambazonia on the anniversary of Southern Cameroons' 1961 independence from Britain. Security forces killed at least 17 protesters.

  12. First Armed Attacks on Military

    Escalation

    Separatist groups launched their first attacks on military installations, transforming the protest movement into an armed insurgency.

  13. Government Shuts Down Internet

    Escalation

    Cameroon cut internet access to Anglophone regions for 93 days, banned the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, and arrested its leaders.

  14. Lawyers and Teachers Begin Protests

    Origin

    English-speaking lawyers and teachers began strikes protesting the imposition of French in courts and schools, launching what would become the Anglophone Crisis.

Scenarios

1

Stalemate Persists as Biya Completes Term

Discussed by: International Crisis Group, Africa Center for Strategic Studies

The conflict continues at current intensity through Biya's term ending in 2032. Neither side can defeat the other militarily. Separatist factions remain fragmented and increasingly criminal, while government forces maintain control of major towns but not rural areas. Humanitarian conditions deteriorate. This is the default trajectory absent major changes.

2

Biya's Death Triggers Succession Crisis

Discussed by: Chatham House, RANE Worldview, Africa Center

The 92-year-old president's death or incapacity triggers a power struggle in Yaoundé. Senate President Marcel Niat Njifenji would constitutionally assume power and organize elections within 120 days. A violent factional scramble among elites—the largest threat to Cameroon's stability—could create an opening for negotiations or cause the Anglophone conflict to expand.

3

International Prosecution Shifts Dynamics

Discussed by: Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group

Norway's prosecution of Ayaba Cho results in conviction, establishing precedent for international accountability. Other countries pursue similar cases against separatist commanders in diaspora. This pressure, combined with continued separatist fragmentation, weakens armed groups enough to force negotiation. Requires sustained international engagement currently absent.

4

Formal Peace Process Begins

Discussed by: Swiss mediation team, African Union

External pressure—possibly from France, the US, or African regional bodies—compels Yaoundé to enter formal talks. Separatist leaders negotiate from prison or diaspora. Switzerland or another neutral party mediates. Failed 2019 Swiss talks and Biya's 2025 rejection of African mediation suggest this requires either a new government or dramatically increased international pressure.

Historical Context

Nigerian Civil War / Biafra (1967-1970)

July 1967 - January 1970

What Happened

The Igbo-majority Eastern Region declared independence as Biafra after ethnic pogroms killed thousands. Nigeria imposed a blockade that starved an estimated 3,000-5,000 people daily. The war killed between 500,000 and 3 million people, mostly civilians.

Outcome

Short Term

Biafra surrendered in January 1970. Nigeria's government declared 'no victor, no vanquished' and pursued reintegration rather than retribution.

Long Term

Ethnic tensions persist. The Indigenous People of Biafra launched a new separatist campaign in 2021, demonstrating unresolved grievances 50 years later.

Why It's Relevant Today

Both conflicts stem from colonial-era borders forcing ethnically distinct populations together. The Biafran case shows that military victory doesn't resolve underlying grievances—and that separatist movements can resurface decades later.

South Sudan Independence and Civil War (2011-2018)

July 2011 - September 2018

What Happened

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a 98% referendum vote, ending Africa's longest civil war. Within two years, a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar exploded into ethnic warfare between Dinka and Nuer forces. An estimated 400,000 people were killed.

Outcome

Short Term

A 2018 peace agreement ended active fighting but left underlying tensions unresolved.

Long Term

South Sudan remains fragile, with delayed elections and persistent ethnic divisions. The case demonstrated that independence alone doesn't resolve underlying conflicts.

Why It's Relevant Today

South Sudan shows that winning independence may not end violence. Ambazonia's fragmented leadership and ethnic complexities—including the Mbororo conflict—suggest independence would face similar challenges even if achieved.

11 Sources:
+5
Washington Post Xinhua Wikipedia International Crisis Group Human Rights Watch Amnesty International Ifri USCRI Al Jazeera Chatham House Human Rights Watch