15 killed in Cameroon attack as residents flee 10 villages

Fifteen people were killed in an armed-group attack on the village of Madegoua near Makary in Cameroon’s Far North region, triggering the displacement of residents from 10 nearby villages.

Several hundred people fled toward Kousseri after the assault on Wednesday, while others travelled toward Mora and Waza, according to information reported by RFI. The arrivals have placed additional pressure on health services in border communities and raised concerns about a possible humanitarian crisis.

Displaced families seek shelter

Mahamat Amadou, a health official in Waza, said displaced people arrived in fear and without basic support.

“They arrived here terrified, sleeping in the open air without food or security,” Amadou said in comments quoted by Africanews.

Displaced residents have said they had not received assistance from the government. They also reported that many women and children had gone several days without food. The exact number of people forced from their homes has not been provided.

Kassoum Saley, a displaced resident, told Africanews that Boko Haram had ordered people to leave their villages. “They come to kill us and take our belongings,” he said, adding that residents were overwhelmed and had to guard their village from 6pm to 5am.

Responsibility remains unclaimed

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. An unnamed security analyst told Reuters that the assault was likely carried out by an ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province operating in the area. That assessment has not been independently confirmed.

Cameroon’s Far North borders Nigeria and Chad and has for years faced violence involving Boko Haram and other armed groups active in the Lake Chad Basin. Cameroon is part of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which is mandated to combat Boko Haram and other armed groups around Lake Chad.

The attack has intensified pressure on communities receiving people displaced by the violence, with local health services now coping with increased demand and fears growing over the humanitarian consequences.