Catholic bishops in Cameroon have raised alarm over the ongoing suffering of Cameroonians in the conflict-ridden Northwest and Southwest regions.

For eight years, separatists have been fighting to form a breakaway state named Ambazonia. It started with strikes by teachers and lawyers in the two regions demanding autonomy for the Anglosaxon education system and Common Law all practiced in the two regions. The government responded with lethal force, and what started as peaceful protests turned violent. Separatist groups emerged, declaring the independence of “Ambazonia”.

The government’s military crackdown led to an ongoing armed conflict. According to the International Crisis Group, at least 6000 people have been killed and more than a million forced from their homes.

Catholic bishops in the Central African country are now expressing discomfort with the war that has refused to abate, and which has caused so much pain and anguish to millions of people.

In “recent times, the anxieties of the vast majority of Cameroonians have been transformed into cries of despair at the misery they are living through and the degradation of our beautiful country, Cameroon. Our consciences as pastors and citizens cannot remain indifferent to these cries of distress. For from the north to the south, and from the east to the west of Cameroon, we are all brothers, “the clerics said in a communiqué that sanctioned their Annual Conference that took place in Buea, Southwest region from January 4 to January 11, 2025.

“The crisis in the northwest and southwest regions, as well as the unrest in the far north, is certainly being contained, but it still remains and continues to cause the loss of so many lives.”

“In the northwest region in particular, where reconstruction had begun, the violence continues with guerrilla groups wreaking havoc, sometimes even routing overwhelming military forces,” they said.

They complained about the ‘ghost town operations’ which usually took place every Monday, but now include Saturdays. These are days separatists have declared that no activities would take place in the two regions-an effort to assert their presence and control.

The bishops suggested that the continuing violence could be sustained by “people with entrenched economic interests” who might be getting “scandalously rich.”

“Yet, it’s clear that, as with any conflict, NOSO war is ruinous and destructive for a country. It continues to breed divisions and resentments, hatreds and settlings of scores,” the Bishops said.

Survivors of the war-many of whom have found refuge in safer French-speaking regions, have been telling gruesome stories of the pain they endured before escaping to safety.

Thelma Ayafor, 19, woke up on September 29, 2019 to terrifying news: her mother, Florence Ayafor, a prison warden, had been kidnapped, raped, tortured and then decapitated.

“We received a call from the guys who perpetrated the act. They sent a driver with the pullover my mother was putting on to come and give us, and told us that it would be the last souvenir of our mother, “she told Catholic World Report.

She said the kidnappers didn’t require any ransom.

“They wanted my mother’s blood,” Thelma said.

Fighting back stubborn tears, Thelma told CWR that the kidnappers sent them videos illustrating how her mother was killed, and described where the body and the decapitated head were dumped.

Thelma says she had to flee to the capital Yaoundé, because separatists have also been threatening her.

“It’s been five years since my mother was killed, but the pain is still there. And we have been living from hand to mouth; life has really been tough on us,” she said.

Clarise, 35, tells a similar story of pain, anguish and survival. In a 2020 raid in Kumbo in Cameroon’s Northwest region, the military set her home ablaze.

“It was about 1 a.m.I was sleeping with my twin kids, and then I heard gunshots. Before I could do anything, the house was on fire. I held the two children in my arms and went through the backdoor, but met a soldier-his gun pointed at me. I thought that was the end. Maybe he was moved by the sight of my babes. He motioned me to escape into the bush. I trekked for hours in the bush and finally got to the road and then took a cab to Bamenda, but Bamenda wasn’t quite safe either and so I took the bus to Yaounde.”

The twins, now six years old, were also a consequence of the war. Clarisse says in 2017, four masked men raped her, and the result was the pregnancy.

“So I don’t know, and probably will never know the biological father of these children,” she said.

“Some people advised me to abort the pregnancy, but I am Catholic. My religion teaches me that children are a gift from God .Although it was a very painful experience, I still thank God for giving me these children. They are my solace,” she told CWR.

The separatist conflict, which began in 2016, has its roots in Cameroon’s colonial history. Initially colonized by Germany after the 1884 Berlin Conference partitioned Africa, Cameroon was later divided between Britain and France following Germany’s defeat in World War I. France was allocated 80% of the territory (French Cameroon), while Britain administered the remaining 20% (British Southern Cameroons) as part of Nigeria.

In 1961, British Southern Cameroons joined French Cameroon to form a bilingual federal republic. However, in 1972, the country was transformed into a unitary state, leading to feelings of marginalization among the Anglophone regions (Northwest and Southwest).

Anglophones have since faced economic, cultural, and political exclusion, prompting calls for federalism or secession. It’s become a major threat to the unity of the Central African country. Besides the military response, the government also convened what it called a Major National Dialogue in 2019 in efforts to resolve the conflict.

The dialogue amongst other issues proposed the adoption of what it called “a special status” for the two English-speaking regions, the restoration of the House of Traditional Chiefs, the election of local governors, the immediate relaunch of certain airport and seaport projects in the two regions, and the rapid integration of ex-combatants into society.”

The Archbishop Emeritus of Bamenda, His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua, told CWR that what the government organized in his view was a monologue.

“A dialogue was supposed to bring together the main protagonists of the war to the table. We, the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province (which covers the Northwest and Southwest Regions) had insisted that separatists both at home and abroad including imprisoned separatist leaders should be present. This was not done,” he said.

During their Annual Seminar in Buea, the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon reiterated the need for frank and sincere dialogue.

“Is it not time for the political class to sit down in humility and engage in calm dialogue, mindful of its responsibility to lead our people, our country, towards happiness, which requires justice, forgiveness, reconciliation?” they queried.

“True peace does not come from graveyards, but from reconciliation. The Church proclaims the gospel of peace and thus, invites her sons and daughters to dialogue as a contribution to peace,” they urged.

Source: World Catholic Report

Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) have expressed concern about the deteriorating social, economic, and political conditions in the country, urging both government officials and citizens to embrace responsible governance, national unity, and ethical leadership as critical steps towards sustainable development and peace.

In a message addressed to the people of God in the Central African nation following their January 4-11 48th Annual Seminar in the Catholic Diocese of Buea, NECC members highlight the distress and suffering experienced by many Cameroonians.

“In recent times, the anxieties of the vast majority of Cameroonians have been transformed into cries of despair at the misery as they are living through and the degradation of our beautiful country, Cameroon. Our consciences as pastors and citizens cannot remain indifferent to these cries of distress,” Catholic Bishops in Cameroon say in their Saturday, January 11 message titled “Take Courage, Do not be Afraid.”

Addressing a Nation in Crisis

NECC members recall their 1990 pastoral letter, which called for an examination of conscience amid economic challenges, urging the state to prioritize the well-being of its people.

“In 1990, we addressed a pastoral letter to all our compatriots on the economic crisis in our country, in which we invited each of our fellow citizens to examine his or her conscience in the face of the two serious economic crises that our country was going through at the time. It was our hope that such an examination of conscience would lead to rapid and radical solutions,” the Bishops recall. 

They continue, “We then appeal to the public authorities to ensure that the people in their distress would always and everywhere feel the support of the state. They should ensure that the interests of the nation and the well-being of our people were given priority in their actions. We also call on all Cameroonians to change their lives, to convert their hearts, the Cameroonian people in general and Christians in particular, to know that: We are not just victims of the crisis; we are also its causes and agents.”

Despite decades of appeals, they lament that the nation remains trapped in “economic and social stagnation,” with a future that remains uncertain.

“Unfortunately, 35 years after the alarm bells rang concerning the economic crisis and 65 years after our country gained independence, it must be said that we are still living in economic and social stagnation with an uncertain future,” NECC members lament.

Tax Burden

In their January 11 message, Catholic Bishops also decried the tax burden on citizens.

“One of the causes of Cameroon’s anguish is undoubtedly the tax burden, which increases year in, year out, to the detriment of the most vulnerable populations. It is seen as the ultimate means of suffocating those Cameroonians whose purchasing power is so low,” NECC members lament.

They add, “The proof of this is in the failure to apply Article 66 of our fundamental law and its implementing text, that is, Law No. 003-2006 of 25 April 2006, which requires all Cameroonians who assume important responsibilities in the service of the nation to declare their assets.”

“We wonder whether a country can only be built on and through taxation,” the Catholic Church leaders pose.

They add, “It is well known that Cameroon constitutes a real scandal of blessings because of the work of its forests and waters, its soil, its subsoil, and so forth and so on. On the other hand, we are witnessing the organized plundering of our economic heritage. We are thinking in particular of the sell-off and alienation of mining and agricultural concessions, which are being carried out through agreements signed here and there in a highly questionable manner.”

Corruption and Mismanagement

In their message, NECC members decry corruption as a “persistent cancer” undermining Cameroon’s progress.

Making reference to President Paul Biya’s recent end-of-year address the Catholic Bishops say, “The Head of State acknowledges that the malaise of Cameroonians also stems from bad governance and therefore poor management of public affairs. He cited, for example, the case of roads and urban infrastructure.”

NECC emphasize that corruption slows development, perpetuates poverty, and erodes trust in institutions.

“Each of us seems obliged to corrupt or be corrupted. It’s as if we are forced to live with corruption and accept it as part of our daily existence, reinforcing it,” they lament.

Infrastructure and Governance Failures

NECC members fault the government’s handling of infrastructure, highlighting inadequate road development and urban planning despite substantial budget allocations.

“How can we explain that the year 2024 ended with only 446 kilometers of asphalted roads and 228 kilometers of rehabilitated roads?” they pose.

The Catholic Bishops add, “How can we explain the fact that 65 years after independence, our development cannot guarantee basic human rights, such as the right to food, the right to education, the right to quality health care, the right to justice, in short, the right to life?” 

“Cameroonians feel a real despondency because of the lack that is on the rise in our country. Many of our fellow citizens are living in dramatically precarious conditions and in deplorable, undignified conditions. Unemployment among young people seems to have no end in sight, even among graduates. Hence, the mass exodus from the country in search of greener pastures,” NECC members further lament.

Call for National Renewal and Dialogue in Crisis Regions

Amid ongoing violence in the Northwest and Northwest regions, the Catholic Bishops advocate for genuine dialogue and reconciliation.

“The crisis in the northwest and southwest regions, as well as the unrest in the far north, is certainly being contained, but it still remains and continues to cause the loss of so many lives. In the northwest region in particular, where reconstruction had begun, the violence continues with guerrilla groups wreaking havoc, sometimes even routing overwhelming military forces,” NECC members ay.

They pose, “The violence in the Southwest and Northwest regions has been going on for seven years now. Could it be that those who wage the war are getting scandalously rich and do not want the war drawn to an end?”

“Is it not time for the political class to sit down in humility and engage in calm dialogue, mindful of its responsibility to lead our people, our country, towards happiness, which requires justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation?” the Catholic Bishops say, noting that “true peace does not come from graveyards but from reconciliation.”

Recommendations for a Path Forward

In their message, NECC members outlines concrete steps for rebuilding Cameroon, calling on the state to “Promote transparent governance and responsible public service management, foster job creation, particularly for youth, combat corruption and recover embezzled funds, guarantee basic human rights, including access to education, healthcare, and justice, uphold meritocracy in professional exams and appointments, and invest in sustainable infrastructure and environmental stewardship.”

They also urge citizens to exercise their fundamental rights “responsibly”, emphasizing freedom of expression paired with “respect for others.”

NECC members also call on the media to “uphold truth and resist pressures that compromise ethical journalism.”

Hope Amid Challenges

Despite the grim assessment, NECC members urge Cameroonians not to be discouraged.

“We must not be discouraged by our country’s current dramatic situation. God is with us. And if God is with us, who and what can be against us?” they say.

The Catholic Bishops further urged the people of God to “trust in a happier, more prosperous future for our country based on adequate social, economic, and political structures.” 

To achieve this, they appeal to “our individual sense of responsibility. Cameroon was betrothed to us by our forefathers, so we must make it prosperous as we sing in our national anthem. This is our collective duty. Let us resolutely accept to convert ourselves and above all, our mentalities and God will do the rest.”

“May God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace and Patroness of our country, watch over every citizen and grant us all the gift of true brotherhood and love for our common good,” NECC members implore.

Culled from aciafrica