Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions recorded 987 reported kidnapping incidents between January and September 2026, up 17.2% from the same period in 2025 and nearly double the number recorded in 2024. More than 70% of these incidents occurred in the Northwest. The figures, drawn from data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), were cited by FEWS NET in its Cameroon food security outlook for October 2026 to May 2027, published on October 30.

According to FEWS NET, continued military operations, reprisals by separatist groups, and rising incidents of kidnapping and illegal payments continue to disrupt economic activity and travel across the two English-speaking regions. The Northwest has been particularly affected, with attacks on public transportation, an increasing number of roadblocks, and illegal checkpoints along major roads. These obstacles disrupt trade, make it harder for farmers to sell their produce, and drive up transportation costs.

Insecurity is also taking a toll on agricultural production. In conflict-affected areas, the amount of land under cultivation remains 20% to 40% below pre-crisis levels because farmers struggle to access their fields, face security threats, and are repeatedly displaced. FEWS NET reports poor harvests and weaker demand for agricultural labor, which further limits income opportunities for rural households.

Markets are also struggling to operate normally. Fewer market days, travel difficulties along trade routes, and reduced cross-border trade have limited food supplies and opportunities for households to earn income. These problems have been compounded by higher prices for smuggled Nigerian fuel, which have risen by nearly 40% since March 2026. The increase has contributed to higher transportation costs and rising prices for both food and nonfood products.

The conflict, which has pitted Anglophone separatist groups against government forces since late 2016, also continues to force people from their homes. As of September 2026, approximately 493,400 people remained displaced by the crisis, according to figures cited by FEWS NET.

Against this backdrop, FEWS NET expects Crisis-level acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3) to remain widespread across the Northwest and Southwest from November 2026 through at least May 2027. A small but growing share of the worst-affected households may face Emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), while reduced humanitarian assistance threatens to make access to food even more difficult.

By Jacques Eboka Eboka with files

An explosion killed at least four people and severely burned ​16 others at an iron ‌smelting plant in Cameroon’s commercial capital Douala on Monday morning, the regional governor ​said.

The blast caused a fire which was extinguished, said Samuel Dieudonne ⁠Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral Region, which has Douala as its ​capital.

Douala-based manufacturing and trading company Metafrique Steel said its facilities in Bassa Industrial Park ​had been affected. It said there ​had been an “incident, which was caused by an ‌external ⁠factor and whose causes have yet to be determined,” without going into further detail.

An army rescue unit recovered the ​four bodies, ⁠Diboua told reporters.

“At the level of the plant, 16 ​burned victims were rescued and ​moved ⁠to the Douala General Hospital … We must not be too optimistic given ⁠the ​severity of the ​burns,” Diboua added.

Source: Reuters

Biya received Prince Albert II of Monaco in audience at the Unity Palace in Yaoundé on Friday, 30 October 2026.

The meeting marked the start of the Sovereign’s two-day visit to Cameroon, his first since 2003, when he came as Crown Prince.

Talks centered on the enduring friendship between Monaco and Cameroon, built largely on humanitarian and environmental cooperation, and on ways to strengthen ties further.

The Prince also visited the Edimar Princesse Grace Centre in Elig-Essono, accompanied by First Lady Chantal BIYA, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Named in tribute to his mother, Princess Grace, the centre has long benefited from Monaco’s support and is dedicated to the care of vulnerable children.

The visit enabled the Sovereign to observe the centre’s work at first hand and to reaffirm Monaco’s commitment to the young people it serves. Their joint appearance underscored the importance both countries attach to child welfare.

The occasion is expected to further strengthen cooperation between Yaounde and the Principality in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and mutual respect.

France will ask the European Union to sanction those responsible for a Russian interference operation targeting Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday, citing a report by the French agency that tracks foreign digital interference.

“In Africa as elsewhere, Vladimir Putin’s Russia seeks to manipulate the public opinions of sovereign states to harm France’s interests,” Barrot  wrote on X.

He said Viginum, the service created in 2021 to track such interference, had provided “unrelenting proof” of this in a report published the same day. Barrot said he would request the EU to impose sanctions specific to an interference operation targeting Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville.

French foreign minister said a French agency had provided ‘unrelenting proof’ of Russian interference in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.

Source: riskjournal

Four civilians and four suspected separatist fighters were killed in clashes in war-torn Northwest region, a security source said early Wednesday.

The incident occurred Tuesday in Koshin village in the region’s Menchum division.

The source said that suspected separatist fighters opened fire indiscriminately in the village, killing four villagers who were standing in a crowd.

Nearby government troops were alerted and confronted the fighters as they were attempting to retreat after the shooting, the source said, adding that four of the suspected fighters were killed in the ensuing battle.

Local authorities said additional troops had been deployed to the area to restore peace and order.

A crisis has been ongoing in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions since 2017, where separatists seek to create an independent nation.

By Jacques Eboka Eboka with files

The Supreme Court of Cameroon has abruptly halted the cassation appeal of Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o, a former Defence Minister and powerful stalwart of President Paul Biya’s regime, who is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for the massive embezzlement of public funds. The unexpected procedural maneuver has injected fresh uncertainty into one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases, raising questions about judicial transparency and the handling of elite financial crimes.

A sudden procedural adjournment

The development occurred on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, just as the high court was preparing to hear arguments regarding Mebe Ngo’o’s appeal against his conviction. In a move that surprised the defense team and legal observers, the college of judges opted to deprogram the case for a comprehensive re-examination of the dossier. The hearing was interrupted before the defense could even present its arguments, effectively pausing the legal process without a clear timeline for when the appeal will be rescheduled.

According to legal sources and reports from local media, the decision to halt the proceedings stems from unresolved questions regarding the conclusions of the public prosecutor and the specific roles attributed to various co-accused individuals in the sprawling financial scandal. The re-examination phase will require the court to clarify these procedural and evidentiary ambiguities before it can rule on the merits of the cassation appeal. For the defense, this unexpected delay prolongs a legal battle that has already spanned several years and keeps their client in indefinite limbo.

The origins of a sprawling corruption scandal

Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o was once one of the most influential figures in Cameroon. Born in 1957 in the South region, he held a succession of powerful positions, including prefect, director of the civil cabinet at the presidency, delegate general for national security, and minister of transport. His tenure as minister delegate at the presidency in charge of defence from 2009 to 2015 placed him at the center of the country’s security and military procurement apparatus.

His downfall began in March 2019, when police raided his residence and arrested him alongside several family members and associates. The subsequent investigation by the Special Criminal Tribunal uncovered a vast network of financial misappropriation. In January 2023, the tribunal convicted Mebe Ngo’o of embezzlement of public funds, corruption, conflict of interest, and money laundering. The court estimated that the diverted public funds amounted to approximately 23 billion CFA francs, a staggering sum that highlighted the scale of graft within state institutions.

Family convictions and ongoing imprisonment

The 2023 verdict did not only impact the former minister. His wife, Bernadette Mebe Ngo’o, was also convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for her role in the illicit financial network. Several other collaborators and business associates received varying prison terms and heavy fines. Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o has been incarcerated at the Kondengui Central Prison in Yaoundé since his arrest, enduring conditions that his supporters have frequently criticized as harsh.

The Special Criminal Tribunal was established by the Cameroonian government specifically to tackle major economic crimes and recover embezzled public assets. While the tribunal has secured numerous convictions against mid-level officials and business executives, the prosecution of high-ranking regime insiders like Mebe Ngo’o is relatively rare and often viewed through a political lens by domestic opposition figures. Critics have occasionally questioned whether such prosecutions are driven by a genuine desire for accountability or are tools used to sideline influential figures who may pose a threat to the established political order.

Implications for judicial transparency

The Supreme Court’s decision to deprogram the appeal has sparked debate among Cameroonian civil society organizations and legal analysts. Transparency advocates argue that the sudden adjournment undermines the principle of a swift and fair judicial process, particularly in cases involving the misappropriation of taxpayer money. They maintain that clarity regarding the roles of all accused parties should have been established during the initial trial phase, rather than being used as grounds for delay at the highest appellate level.

As the dossier enters this new phase of re-examination, the outcome of the cassation appeal remains highly uncertain. The defense will now have to wait for the court to complete its internal review before they can challenge the legality of the 30-year sentence and the underlying convictions. For the Cameroonian public, the case remains a critical test of the state’s commitment to eradicating high-level corruption and ensuring that the justice system operates independently of political influence.

Culled from Streamlinefeed by staff man Jacques Eboka Eboka

Twenty years after its creation, Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (Conac) continues to face limited cooperation from government institutions, delays in the implementation of its recommendations and legal restrictions on its authority. Of the 270 organizations contacted to contribute to its 2025 report on corruption in Cameroon, only 112 responded, while the remaining 158 provided no information.

Conac Chairman Dieudonné Massi Gams disclosed the figures on October 8, 2026, in Yaoundé, during the presentation of the commission’s annual report. The low response rate highlights the difficulties the institution continues to face despite two decades of anti-corruption efforts since its establishment on March 11, 2006.

In the report’s foreword, Massi Gams acknowledged that public awareness campaigns, investigations and corruption reporting mechanisms have not been enough to eliminate practices that remain widespread in public administration. He also noted that recommendations issued after investigations are not always implemented as quickly as expected. Reflecting on Conac’s record, Massi Gams described its first two decades as neither a complete success nor a failure. He nevertheless pointed to progress in public awareness and the establishment of corruption prevention mechanisms.

Investigative Powers Without Authority to Prosecute

One of the main obstacles identified in the report concerns the limits of Conac’s legal authority. Under the decree of March 11, 2006, the commission can receive corruption complaints, conduct investigations and gather evidence. However, it cannot initiate criminal prosecutions on its own.

Article 22 of the decree requires Conac to submit investigation files to the president of the Republic for appropriate decisions. In cases where an offense is caught in progress, the commission’s chairman can refer the matter directly to the minister responsible for justice.

Massi Gams believes this arrangement restricts Conac’s ability to act on corruption offenses uncovered through its investigations.

He also criticized the continued failure to effectively implement mandatory asset declarations for public officials. The requirement is established under Article 66 of Cameroon’s Constitution and governed by a law enacted on April 25, 2006. Two decades later, Conac considers the lack of effective implementation an obstacle to detecting illicit enrichment and monitoring changes in the wealth of people who hold public office.

The commission also faces insufficient resources and increasingly complex corruption practices, particularly those associated with the development of digital technologies. According to its 2025 report, financial losses linked to corruption cases identified during the year reached CFA6.27 billion, compared with CFA4.06 billion in 2024. These figures represent losses identified through the oversight and investigative mechanisms covered by the report.

To strengthen the country’s anti-corruption framework, Massi Gams called for updated legislation, more consistent implementation of Conac’s recommendations and stronger protections for people who report corruption. He also recommended greater use of digital tools and artificial intelligence to help prevent and detect corruption.

Source: Sbbc