Cameroon is concurrently fighting an internal war commonly known as the Anglophone Crisis.

After World War I the country was divided into 80 percent French and 20 percent British territories. The latter was further separated into Northern and Southern British Cameroons.

In the 1960s, part of the British territory joined Nigeria, and the rest was annexed to French Cameroon. Both territories retained a certain level of autonomy as a federation. In 1972, the federation was dismantled, giving French Cameroon executive power over both English and French regions.

When the current president, Paul Biya entered into power in 1982, he changed the country’s name to La Republique du Cameroun. A progressive erosion of the Anglophone culture began to take place, with English speaking teachers being replaced by Francophones; and French magistrates taking over the English common-law judicial system.

Protests by teachers and lawyers in 2016 turned violent when French military officials were sent in response to the uprisings. A new wave of separatists was formed, declaring independence over the Anglophone side. They refer to this self-declared country as Ambazonia, in reference to the Ambas Bay, a body of water separating the Southern Cameroons region from the republic of Cameroon.

The violence has escalated to the point where civilians often get caught in the cross-fire between military and armed separatists in the country. Villages have been burned, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Many are forced to live in the jungle and seek asylum in neighbouring countries. Others have made it further afield, entering countries like South Africa through the Kruger National park, facing natural predators like lions, leopards and rhinoceros along their journey.

“Humans of the Forgotten War” is an umbrella project created by Reframe House for the Victoria Relief Foundation, that will be released in staggered stages to raise awareness on the current situation on the ground. It makes use of conceptual photography and film to interpret the stories of asylum-seekers, refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and prisoners of war through artistic means.

Collected here are some of the photographs that feature in the project. These images are part of the “Humans of the Forgotten War: Stories” series, with some of the real names changed for safety purposes.

Many have been living hiding in the jungle for months. Those who manage to escape to neighboring countries often live in exile. “For the past ten years I haven’t had a home. I’m still under refugee status, which makes it very difficult to do certain things. It’s like you’re in an open prison. You feel that you’re free but you’re not free because you’re limited in so many things,” said Ben, one of those who spoke to Reframe House for the project.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has identified 4.4 million people in need in Cameroon, with 53 percent of those being children. “There is a complete lack of visibility of the crisis,” said Carla Martinez, Head of Office, OCHA Cameroon.

“The underfunded response means that many of our humanitarian partners are having to close down because they don’t have funds to continue,” added Martinez. The loss of resources will translate into a population that continues to live without adequate medical support, education, shelter or food.

Journalists on the ground are often targeted and turned into victims of torture and violence. They operate in fear, often risking their life to get the stories out. Most people in the anglophone region feel caught up between two evils—the separatists who say they’re fighting for independence, and the soldiers who say they’re trying to protect them.

The already complex conflict of the Anglophone Crisis is further compounded with a rather vast number of belief systems at play in the area. There are those who wish for independence and the creation of an Ambazonian nation, others advocate for effective decentralisation, there are federalists who wish for two, four to six, and ten state federation, as well as con-federalist view points.

As a result of the conflict, there are many who have become prisoners of war — such as journalists, separatists and civilians. Conditions in prison are deplorable, with food being used as a means to control inmates.

The following conceptual images were created with South Cameroonian displaced people representing the sentiments and emotions that prisoners in Cameroon have expressed.

They wear animal masks predominantly from Cameroon, alluding to the feeling of despair and abandonment that many of them experience behind bars. Those being photographed need to protect their identity out of fear of being targeted. They wear Ndop cloth, traditional Cameroonian attire which was once exclusively used for nobility, but later popularised in other regions of the country.

For this project, contact with the French military was established, but they refused to comment. The government did not respond.

Culled from Newsweek.com

About 200 refugees living in Cross River have been trained on various vocational skills by the Community Refugee Relief Initiative, CRRI in Calabar, Ogoja, and Ikom.

Vanguard learned that they were trained by different professionals on various skills including ICT, aluminum work, tailoring and fashion design, pastries, and cake making amongst others.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the weekend at the ICT career empowerment centre in Agagom, Ogoja, the Chairman, Board of Directors, CRRI, Dr. Celestine Atangcho stated that the crisis will surely come to an end and people will go back home, but the essence of empowering them through various skills acquisition programs was to ensure they can take care of themselves independently.

He said the various training was to equip them with the skills that can help them feed their families before and after the crisis.

According to Atangcho, there were a lot of bright and industrious young people who were just languishing at various locations because they left their comfort zones and businesses abruptly and cannot continue their former trade here in Nigeria.

There are many of the Cameroonians who were gainfully employed or working for themselves before the crisis started about 5 years ago, many of such persons may not have the opportunity to go back to the same business again while some would.

” But in the interim, we feel it is pertinent for them to gain knowledge in other files which will become useful to them both here in Nigeria and also when they get home after the crisis.

“A lot of these refugees have been involved in livelihood programmes. Today, some students, trainees who have completed their livelihood programmes have graduated and we will support them in the little way we can.

” So on a brighter side, we’re hopeful that with the skills that they’ve acquired, they’ll be able to fend for themselves, feed themselves, feed their families and we’re hoping that we will continue with that kind of empowerment programmes.

” So that is one area that we’re very happy that it’s happening today with these trainees graduating from Calabar, Ikom, Ogoja and hopefully in a few months to come, we’re going to go to Taraba to do the same exercise there.

“One year ago, I was talking to you, we were launching the center, and today, we’re happy to know that a few refugees have gone through that training and their lives, hopefully, will never be the same.

“We are trying to open up some workshop so that they will go in and get busy and hopefully attract some revenue to sustain themselves and hopefully that workshop will serve as a future training ground for more refugees so that is the plan going forward. We’re just praying that we have the resources to follow through.

Speaking earlier in Calabar, Administrative Assistant of CRRI in Nigeria, Mr. Allan Agbor said the training was a continuous process as various trainees come in batches and different phases too with ICT, barbing, Aluminum works, catering, pastry, and cake baking amongst others.

 “We are here today at the Calabar office at Caritas to graduate the students that we’ve trained in various vocational areas here in Calabar precisely tailoring, hairdressing, barbing and some persons are still continuing their training.

Agbor said:” Over 180 persons took part in various training from different fields, we have 38 persons from the fields of tailoring, hairdressing,

“Over 156 persons in ICT, Furniture, and glassworks here in Calabar, as well as motor mechanics and they, would be put into workshops fully equipped workshops sponsored by CRRI where they will practice as business persons operating the place and they will also be like coaches to train subsequent batches of trainees.

“Also, we have a monitoring team to take make sure they become resourceful, besides the coordinator for CRRI here in Calabar, we have selected persons who go round to ensure they are useful and effective at their job.

For his part, Mr. Ojong Samuel who spoke on behalf of the refugees, lauded CRRI for their magnanimity describing the training as a life transforming experience.

” We are very excited and elated about this huge gesture by CRRI, it’s not an everyday thing, and we don’t take it for granted, we really want to commend the entire CRRI team , especially Dr. Celestine Atangcho for his big heart .

” As for me, I used to be a driver while in Cameroon, but I can no longer do that here with ease unless I have my own vehicle, but with my training in glass and Aluminum works, I can train my six children and pay my bills,” he said.

Vanguard News Nigeria

Seven children were injured in a homemade bomb explosion on Friday 30 April 2021, a security source has said.

The explosion occurred in Gouma, a locality in the Makary district of the Logone-et-Chari division in the Far North.

The improvised explosive device was concealed in a bag and was detonated from a distance. Cameroon Concord News gathered that seven children were injured in Friday’s explosion.

Some of the injured were treated and others returned to their families.

The attack has not yet been claimed. But security sources suggest that Boko Haram is behind it.

The governor of the Far North region refused to comment on this latest attack.

Since 2014, the Far North region has been the scene of bloody incursions by Boko Haram fighters.

Cameroonian soldiers serving with the Joint Multinational Force stationed in Wouglo, a locality bordering Nigeria, were also attacked by Boko Haram on 22 April.

The attackers were repelled and the army reportedly suffered no casualties.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon continues to be affected by three concurrent, complex humanitarian situations caused by the conflict and violence in the Far North region, hostilities in the North-West and South-West regions, and the presence of over 293,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in the eastern regions (East, Adamawa and North). Humanitarian needs are compounded by structural development weaknesses and chronic vulnerabilities that further challenge the long-term recovery of affected people. The preexisting situation has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 3.9 million people were estimated to be in need in 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak – a number which rose to 6.2 million due to the impact of the epidemic.

As of 31 December 2020, almost 2 million people were displaced within Cameroon, either as internally displaced persons, refugees or returnees.

The number of displaced persons in the Far North is steadily increasing mainly due to the armed conflict. As of December 2020, over 560,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Displacements in the Far North often take place in anticipation of attacks, allowing the population to carry a minimum of goods, and sometimes food stock, with them.

These internal displacements are characterized by their short distances: more than 80 per cent of the IDPs find refuge in a locality within their division of origin. Furthermore, daily pendular displacements are also reported in areas affected by conflict. Due to insecurity, families work in their fields during the day, but leave their villages at nightfall to sleep in the mountains or nearby villages.

Heavy rain and flooding in the Far North aggravated the impact of armed violence and exacerbated existing food insecurity and poverty, especially affecting destitute households and persons displaced from previous emergencies. While the region is flood prone and some degree of flooding occurs annually due to the Logone river overflowing, in 2020 the scale was more severe. In September 2020, heavy rains impacted lowland locations, pushing people to leave their villages to less affected areas, especially in the Logone et Chari and Mayo-Danay divisions. Houses and farmland were damaged or destroyed and many roads rendered impassable, isolating villages, making it difficult to assess damages and needs and to provide assistance. The situation further deteriorated in November 2020 as downstream areas closer to Lake Chad became more impacted. Overall, this flooding affected over 162,000 people, in comparison to 80,000 in 2019, causing substantial loss of livelihoods (loss of over 3,200 animals and the destruction of 19,676 hectares of farmland).

A multi-sectoral needs assessment which was carried out in the Far North in December 2020 found that food is the priority need for the displaced population as well as for the host community, followed by access to drinking water and health for the host community and shelter for the displaced population.

As of December 2020, the crisis in the North-West and South-West led to the displacement of over 1.1 million people, including almost 706,000 IDPs, 361,000 returnees and 64,000 people who fled to Nigeria. People continue to move within the two regions and to other regions, some being displaced by violence several times. Temporary displacements continue to be recorded as civilians flee for safety. 11,479 sudden internal displacements were reported in the North-West and South-West due to ongoing violence from October to December 2020. Most displaced individuals intend to go back to their locations of origin once the situation would allow them to. Protection continues to be a major humanitarian concern in the two regions.

Since the reopening of schools on 5 October 2020, after a months-long period of school closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, a noticeable increase in school enrolment rates was followed by a spike in attacks against education. From October to December, 35 attacks against education were recorded in the North-West and South-West regions. This figure almost certainly underestimates the real impact, as some incidents may not have been reported. Major incidents took place in Meme (SW), Fako (SW), Mezam (NW), Bui (NW), and Boyo (NW) divisions, with the Kumba massacre on 24 October 2020 being the most violent incident. Major incidents included cases of killing, torture and abduction of students and teachers, as well as arson of education facilities.

The number of Central African refugees located in the eastern regions of Cameroon, has increased from 284,000 in September to 293,000 in December 2020. 70 per cent of these refugees have no formal education and 47 per cent are without employment. 27 per cent live in formal sites while 73 per cent stay with host communities. Mounting tension and hostilities before, during and after the 27 December 2020 Presidential elections in the Central African Republic led to an anew flight of Central Africans to Cameroon.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Five Cameroon government soldiers were killed and several injured and dozens missing when Ambazonia Restoration Forces also known as the Marines of Bambalang in the North West Region attacked a military base last night, a military officer told Cameroon Concord News.

Fighters from the Ambazonia Restoration Forces successfully dislodged Cameroon government troops from a base in Menfung in the Ngalim district after a gunfight.

“The Amba fighters killed five soldiers and injured several others in the attack on the base,” a military officer told Cameroon Concord News.

The Ambazonia Restoration Forces sacked the base, forcing troops to withdraw in disarray, hinted another military officer, who gave Cameroon Concord News the same toll.

We gathered that so far 22 army soldiers have returned while 32 are still missing and are presumed to have escaped the attack.

Yaoundé has reportedly launched a search and rescue operation to locate the missing soldiers.

The Marines of Bambalang have also released a video of the attack which is attached to this report.

By Alain Tabot-Tanyi

Southern Cameroons Vice President Dabney Yerima will call for an attack on interests of La Republique du Cameroun in Ambazonia, Cameroon Intelligence Report has learnt from sources close to the Interim Government.

Our informant revealed that the exiled Southern Cameroons leader told his war cabinet late on Wednesday to make French Cameroun colonial officers and business interests in the Ambazonia homeland the highest priority of targets for the Restoration Forces.

Dabney Yerima lambasted President Biya of French Cameroun for turning the Federal Republic of Ambazonia into a military base from which every evil against the people of Southern Cameroons is planned and executed.

Ever since the French Cameroun dictator declared war against the English speaking people of Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia towns and villages are now home to La Republique du Cameroun’s largest contingent of troops.

Despite its bloody and persisting military campaign against Ambazonia Self Defense Groups for over four years now, the Cameroon government army has lost large parts it once held in Southern Cameroons to the Amba forces loyal to the Southern Cameroons Interim Government.

By Chi Prudence Asong