from ROSY SADOU in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Cameroon Bureau
YAOUNDÉ, (CAJ News) – INSURGENCY by rebel groups in northern Cameroon resulted in the death of no less than 30 people in northern Cameroon in recent weeks.
The Far North region is the epicentre of the crisis, largely blamed on the Islamist groups emerging from neighbouring Nigeria.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has documented the killings, for the month of March.
It disclosed that at least 165 security incidents were reported.
Their impact on the civilian population includes at least 30 people killed, including a woman and a child, 30 people abducted, including 13 children and five women, and 30 others injured.
The militants have imposed illegal taxes on civilians, particularly herders, fishermen and farmers.
“Civilians are also victims of theft of food, livestock, and valuables, as well as kidnappings for ransom,” said an OCHA spokesperson.
Humanitarian access remains limited in the region due to insecurity, marked by regular clashes between the security forces and militants.
The violations are rife in the Lake Chad area and localities along the Cameroon-Nigeria border.
Furthermore, the impact of the freeze on humanitarian funding by a donor country continues to significantly restrict the continuation of several emergency programmes and assistance to hundreds of vulnerable people.
– CAJ News