Cameroon: North-West and South-West - Situation Report No. 64 (April 2024)

This report is produced by OCHA Cameroon in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 1 to 30 April 2024. The next report will be issued in June 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Continued use of IEDs on main roads and in public places increases protection risks.

• Repeated lockdowns hamper humanitarian access.

• Attacks on health and education personnel remain a concern in NWSW.

• Four suspected cases of Monkey pox reported and two confirmed positive in the Mbonge health district, South-West.

SITUATION OVERVIEW / HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

The North-West and South-West (NWSW) regions continued to witness clashes between non-State armed groups (NSAGs) and State security forces (SSFs). The current situation is also characterised by targeted attacks, arson, destruction of property, loss of life from stray bullets, arbitrary arrests and detentions, kidnappings for ransom and extortion, and attacks on health workers.

The continued use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by NSAGs keeps exposing the population to incidents. Several IED explosions in public places were recorded in the NWSW, ten of them in the NW: two in Kumbo, one in Jakiri, one in Sop (Bui division), two in Bamenda II (Mezam division), two in Batibo and Nen (Momo division), and one in Bamuka (NgoKentunjia division). Although IEDs mostly target SSFs, civilians and humanitarian workers can be affected, particularly when IEDs are used in public places or on main roads. Three of the IED incidents recorded in April resulted in civilian casualties. In the SW, one IED incident was recorded in Agong (Lebialem Division).

Frequent lockdowns, roadblocks, and restrictions on movements by NSAGs continue to occur in the NWSW, hampering humanitarian access to people in need in crisis-affected areas, as well as the population's access to life-saving humanitarian assistance and services, including income-generating activities.

Monday is still observed as a ghost town day in both regions. In the NW, the roadblock along the Bamenda-Mamfe road is still in place. The movement of vehicles has been banned along the Bambui-Big Babanki road, blocking the BamendaFundong axis. A lockdown has been imposed in Mezam division for four consecutive Thursdays from 18 April onwards. A restriction on movement has been imposed in Bali Central, same situation in the Bafut municipality and along the BafutWum main road. This impeded humanitarian access and caused delays in response. In Meme division of the SW, about nine incidents were recorded where civilians were either killed, abducted, or physically assaulted for not respecting the imposed Monday ghost towns. Extortion and demands for illegal payments remain a major challenge. Attacks on health personnel remain a concern, with two incidents recorded in the SW in April.

Attacks on education personnel also persist with nine incidents recorded in April (seven in the NW and two in the SW). Despite the difficult context, humanitarian partners advocate for unhindered, timely and principled humanitarian access.