Gunmen kill several in attack on school in Kumba (Southwest region) October 24
Category: Criminal Activity
Severity: 4 (High)
Source: Drum Cussac
10/24/2020 (Cameroon) - Unidentified gunmen attacked a school in Kumba in the restive Southwest region on Saturday, October 24, killing at least four children and injuring over a dozen others. Attackers targeted the Mother Francisca school in Fiango, and reports indicate that the perpetrators were separatist militants, although this was not immediately confirmed.
A heightened security presence is to be anticipated in the vicinity of the incident in the immediate term. Further violent attacks are likely across the Southwest region of Cameroon in the medium term, and counter-security operations are to be anticipated also.
Context
Tensions between Cameroon's minority English-speaking community and the national authorities remain high in the Northwest and Southwest regions, where a separatist movement has transformed into a low-level armed insurgency. The situation has deteriorated considerably since September 2017, when secessionists unilaterally proclaimed independence in the region. The United Nations estimates that at least 50,000 Cameroonians have fled the fighting to Nigeria since the beginning of the conflict, with more than 675,000 others believed to have been internally displaced.
Those in Cameroon's Anglophone region are advised to maintain a heightened level of vigilance due to the high risk of violence between separatists and the government forces. Monitor local media for the latest updates on the security situation and adhere to any directives issued by local authorities or security forces, including curfews.
Copyright © 2024 Drum Cussac
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