Hundreds Flee Homes in Cameroon’s Far North After Armed Group Kills 15

Hundreds of people have fled their homes in Cameroon’s Far North region after an armed group killed 15 people in an attack on the village of Madegoua, near Makary.

The attack triggered a mass displacement from 10 nearby villages, with several hundred residents fleeing towards Kousseri and others heading to Mora and Waza, near the Nigerian border.

Displaced residents said they arrived in the border communities frightened, with many sleeping outdoors and lacking food and security. Local health officials warned that the sudden influx is putting pressure on already strained health services.

Residents also reported that women and children had gone several days without food and said they had received little or no assistance from the government.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, a security analyst cited by Reuters said it was likely carried out by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which operates in the region.

Cameroon’s Far North has faced years of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups operating around the Lake Chad Basin. The country is a member of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which works to combat armed groups in the region.

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