News

14, May 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: UN situation report ⁰

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

14, May 2026

Cameroon’s gold sector: investigation uncovers more than 200 illegal mining companies ⁰

An investigation into Cameroon’s gold sector has uncovered more than 200 illegal artisanal mining companies, most of them foreign-owned, the country’s mines ministry said on Wednesday.

The investigation was launched after huge discrepancies emerged between Cameroon’s official gold exports and far higher import figures reported by other countries, in particular the United Arab Emirates.

“About 200 illegal companies have been identified in the east and Adamawa regions, more than 95 percent of them foreign firms,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to a list published by the ministry, many of the companies are run by Chinese nationals.

Authorities have called on the firms to “immediately halt mining activities” but did not mention possible sanctions or legal action.

A 2023 report published last December by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative showed major discrepancies in official figures.

Cameroon reported producing 953 kilograms of gold that year, with just 22.3kg officially exported. But importing countries reported receiving 15.2 tonnes (15,200kg), nearly 680 times more.

“This suggests a large share of gold, especially artisanal mining, bypasses official channels and is diverted into informal networks or smuggled,” said researcher Aicha Pemboura in a March report on organised crime in central Africa.

Despite a new mining code adopted in 2023, Pemboura says corruption and the influence of powerful elites still limit enforcement.

Source: AFP

13, May 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 1 killed in clashes in Buea ⁰

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

12, May 2026

Yaoundé: EU envoy accuses Russia of using Cameroon- flagged vessels to evade oil sanctions ⁰

The European Union’s ambassador to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea accused Russia on May 7 of using ships registered under Cameroon’s flag to help bypass Western sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine.

Speaking during Europe Day events in Yaoundé, Ambassador Jean-Marc Chataigner sharply criticized what he described as the misuse of Cameroon’s maritime registry by aging oil tankers operating outside international standards.

“Cameroon’s flag is being used illegally by too many uninsured, poorly maintained and aging tankers,” Chataigner said. “These ghost ships travel across the oceans without ever docking in Cameroon while helping finance attacks on Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

Although he did not mention Russia directly in that part of his speech, the comments clearly referred to Moscow, which he had discussed earlier.

Western governments have repeatedly accused Russia of relying on a so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers to bypass sanctions imposed on its energy exports since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Russian crude shipments remain under close scrutiny by Western countries, including when the vessels involved operate under foreign flags.

According to several observers, ships linked to Russian oil exports have registered under Cameroon’s flag in recent years. Cameroon is frequently cited internationally as a so-called flag-of-convenience country, where foreign-owned ships can register under less restrictive conditions.

The issue has reportedly led the European Union to increase pressure on Yaoundé to stop granting its flag to vessels suspected of helping Russia avoid Western sanctions.

Beyond maritime issues, Chataigner also addressed migration concerns and again accused Russia of exploiting vulnerable populations and weaknesses in international control systems.

“Those who wage war today do not hesitate to exploit the vulnerability of populations and weaknesses in oversight systems,” the ambassador said.

He then referred to Cameroonians who, according to him, leave for Russia after promises of better opportunities before later being recruited to fight in Ukraine.

“Some Cameroonians, tempted by risky adventures, leave for Russia with promises of a better future and later find themselves recruited and turned into cannon fodder in a conflict that is not theirs,” Chataigner said.

He referenced remarks previously made by President Paul Biya in February 2026 warning young people against pursuing dangerous opportunities abroad.

Chataigner concluded by contrasting those practices with what he described as a different vision of international cooperation.

He called for partnerships “that respect international law, national sovereignty and the aspirations of our peoples,” and said cooperation should rest on “trust, transparency and reciprocity.”

Source: Sbbc

11, May 2026

EU approves new sanctions on Israeli settlers over West Bank violence ⁰

European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed new sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, as a change of government in Hungary ended months of blockage.

“It’s done. The European Union is sanctioning today the main Israeli organisations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonisation of the West Bank, as well as their leaders,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on social media.

“These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay.”

Israel responded by denouncing the planned EU sanctions as “arbitrary and political” and vowed to stand ‘”for the right of Jews” to settle in the West Bank.

The move in response to rising violence and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had been stalled by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.

But the ouster of the nationalist leader and Israel ally, by rival Peter Magyar, now appears to have paved the way for the veto to be lifted.

EU officials said seven settlers or settler organisations would be blacklisted. The bloc also agreed to sanction representatives from Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving Israeli troops and settlers.

There has been a surge in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said.

While the EU is moving ahead with the sanctions on Israeli settlers, there remains no consensus among member states to take further steps against Israel, such as curbing trade ties.

A number of countries are pushing to ban products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“The work on trade measures for products coming from the illegal settlements moves forward,” an EU diplomat said.

Source: AFP

11, May 2026

Netanyahu vows to phase out US aid, blames social media for turning Americans against Israel ⁰

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that he plans to bring American financial aid to the Tel Aviv regime down to zero within the next decade, blaming social media platforms for “manipulating” the American public opinion towards Israel.

In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes aired on Sunday, Netanyahu was asked whether it was time for the Israeli regime to “reexamine and possibly reset” its financial relationship with Washington.

“Absolutely. I’ve said this to President Trump. I’ve said it to our own people. Their jaws drop,” he claimed.

“I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have,” the Israeli prime minister said, stating that the process should “start now” and be completed “over the next ten years.”

Netanyahu noted that he is well aware of declining support for Israel in the US.

The remarks come as a recent Pew poll revealed that six in ten Americans have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel, up seven percentage points since last year and nearly 20 points since 2022.

The Israeli prime minister dismissed the notion that the regime’s genocidal war in Gaza might have “contributed to this negative impression of Israel,” blaming the shift almost entirely on social media.

“Israel is besieged on the media front, on the propaganda front, and we’ve not done well on the propaganda war,” he claimed.

“We have several countries that basically manipulated social media with bot farms with fake addresses, to break the American sympathy to Israel.”

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.

Netanyahu’s comments come irrespective of the fact that the Israeli regime remains the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid since World War II, having received more than $300 billion in economic and military assistance from Washington since 1948.

Under a ten-year agreement signed in 2016, the US committed $38 billion in military aid to Israel through 2028, including $5 billion for the so-called Iron Dome anti-aircraft missile system.

Overall, American assistance accounts for roughly 16% of the regime’s military budget.

US Senator Bernie Sanders filed three resolutions in March, seeking to block nearly $660 million in arms sales to Israel.

He pointed out that three-quarters of Democrats and two-thirds of independents oppose Washington sending weapons to the Tel Aviv regime.

Source: Press TV

11, May 2026

Bamenda–Bafoussam road: 8 killed in collision involving passenger buses ⁰

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

10, May 2026

Iran submits response to latest US proposal for ending aggression ⁰

Iran has submitted its official reply to the latest US proposal for reaching a deal that allows a permanent end to the US-Israeli war of aggression against the country.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said in a Sunday report that the country had submitted its reply to the US proposal to Pakistan, which has mediated efforts aimed at ending the war of aggression.

IRNA said the reply insists that current negotiations between Iran and the US should solely focus on efforts to end the war, and other issues, including disputes surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, should be discussed at later stages of the talks.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced earlier this week that the country would submit its final response to the US proposal after carrying out deliberations and thorough examinations.

The US proposal had come in response to a 14-article plan submitted by Iran to allow a complete halt to the US-Israeli war of aggression.

The latest Iranian reply is focused on efforts to end the aggression on all fronts, including Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and to guarantee the security of shipping in the Persian Gulf.

Iran and the US held an intensive day of negotiations on April 11–12 in Islamabad, four days after Pakistan mediated a ceasefire to halt the US-Israeli aggression on Iran that had started in late February.

The talks collapsed over US maximalist demands, Iranian officials said.

A key sticking point in the current negotiations between Iran and the US is the restoration of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the Persian Gulf, which has come under Iranian control since the early days of the aggression.

Iran has indicated it is ready to reopen the Strait if the aggression ends permanently and the US lifts its illegal sanctions and blockade on the country.

Authorities in Tehran have said that a first phase of efforts to reach a deal must concentrate on shipping and sanctions, while signaling they are ready to discuss the country’s nuclear program in later stages of the talks with the US.

Source: Press TV

10, May 2026

13,000 Southern Cameroons refugees overstretching Benue resources ⁰

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

10, May 2026

Cameroon’s customary land system exposes rural land to appropriation ⁰

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