Between January and March 2026, at least 33 access constraints were documented in the North-West and South-West (NWSW) regions.

Humanitarian activities continue to face significant access constraints on Mondays, which are widely observed as “ghost town” days, as well as during ad hoc lockdowns imposed by non-State armed groups (NSAGs). During the reporting period, NSAGs announced a lockdown aimed at disrupting the celebration of National Youth Day in February across the North-West and South-West regions and enforced a one-day lockdown in Widikum (Momo division), which was subsequently extended into a regular weekly Tuesday lockdown.

Between January and February, traffic circulation along the Bamenda–Jakiri axis was significantly disrupted for more than a month due to heightened tensions between NSAGs, affecting civilian movement.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continued to be used by NSAGs, especially in the North-West (Bui and Momo divisions), primarily to attack State security forces. Although humanitarian workers are not a direct target, the use of IEDs in highly populated areas and on the main roads pose a risk for all civilians. At least 19 IED-related incidents were recorded, 13 in the NW and 6 in the SW, representing a decrease compared to the same period in 2025, when 38 incidents were reported. Especially in the SW, humanitarian partners had to face bureaucratic impediments resulting in operational delays and, in some cases, limiting the implementation of certain activities in specific locations.

As for the attacks against education, six incidents affecting education were recorded in the NW and two in the SW respectively.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Armed clashes broke out on Monday in Cameroon’s conflict-hit English-speaking Southwest Region, leaving one person dead, according to security sources and local residents.

The fighting erupted at about 7:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) in Buea, the regional capital, between government forces and suspected separatist fighters, a military official said.

“The separatist terrorists opened fire on civilians, killing one person and injuring several others. Our forces repelled and pushed them back,” the official, who requested anonymity, said.

Residents said that heavy gunfire was heard across the town, forcing many people to stay indoors and avoid going to work.

According to local police, Buea had experienced relative calm for nearly two years before Monday’s violence.

Cameroon has been grappling with an armed separatist conflict in its English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions since 2017, as separatist groups seek to establish an independent state.

Source: Xinhuanet

At least eight people have lost their lives following a road accident involving two passenger buses along the Bamenda–Bafoussam route on Sunday, May 10.

The collision reportedly involved a 19-seater vehicle and a larger 70-seater bus transporting passengers between the two cities. The smaller bus is said to have suffered the most impact.

Sources indicate that several victims died before reaching medical care, while others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to the Mbouda District Hospital. Survivors from the 19-seater were admitted for treatment, although the condition of passengers from the second vehicle remains unclear. The larger bus reportedly sustained only limited front-end damage.

‎‎The circumstances that led to the crash are still unknown, with authorities yet to provide an official account.

Meanwhile, the situation at the Mbouda District Hospital has drawn criticism from witnesses present during the emergency response. One resident who assisted in transporting victims described difficult conditions, pointing to the absence of electricity and the unavailability of a functioning backup generator at the time patients were being received.

Investigations are expected to provide further clarity on both the cause of the accident and the handling of the victims.‎

Source: Lebledparle.com

Nigeria’s Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has raised the alarm that the growing burden of catering for more than 13,000 Cameroonian refugees in Ikyogen community of Kwande Local Government Area, has continued to overstretch the state’s resources.

Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), James Iorpuu, therefore called on the Federal Government to urgently step in with intervention and stronger collaboration.

Iorpuu, who made the appeal yesterday while briefing journalists during the monthly distribution of food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state, disclosed that the refugees are presently residing in Ikyogen with about 3,000 host community members in Kwande, Benue LGA which shares border with Cameroon.

The SEMA boss lamented that the state could no longer sustain the humanitarian pressure.

Source: Daily Trust

The Centre for Environment and Development (CED) has warned about the insecure land tenure status of rural communities in Cameroon, saying weaknesses in the country’s customary land system leave large areas vulnerable to appropriation.

In a report published on April 27, 2026, titled To Whom Does This Land Belong?, the organization said rural populations face major obstacles in securing land rights under existing laws and administrative practices.

According to the CED, the process for registering customary land remains difficult and expensive. The organization described the procedure as “opaque, complex and costly,” saying it converts communal land into individually owned plots without adequately reflecting local land-use systems.

The report said land registration in practice applies mainly to areas that are clearly cleared or cultivated. However, much of the land used under customary systems is occupied collectively or through seasonal and shifting patterns of use.

For the CED, this exposes large portions of community land to the risk of allocation or redistribution to concessionaires, private investors or the state.

Unregistered land treated as state domain

The organization also found that unregistered land is commonly treated as part of the national domain, a situation that disproportionately affects poorer rural populations living in forest regions where pressure linked to logging, mining, conservation and agricultural projects is particularly strong.

The CED noted that Cameroonian law provides limited protection for unregistered farms and plots through compensation payments when land is taken by the state. But the organization said these payments generally cover only crops or infrastructure and do not compensate for the value of the land itself.

According to the report, most of the land concerned can be allocated through various legal arrangements — including ownership titles, leases or exclusive occupation licenses — to logging companies, mining operators, livestock farmers, agricultural investors or the state, particularly within classified forest areas.

The CED attributed the situation mainly to two factors: the broad definition of “public purposes” under Cameroonian law and the lack of full legal recognition of customary land ownership as a property right.

As a result, the organization argued, holders of customary land rights do not benefit from the same protections as formal landowners, particularly regarding compensation at market value in cases of expropriation.

Source: Business in Cameroon