Rights Group Accuses Cameroon Soldiers of Killing Civilians

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Cameroonian soldiers of killing at least nine civilians in the restive South West region of Cameroon in January. A child was among those killed.

Witnesses told the rights campaigning group that soldiers entered in Mautu Village on foot at around 14:00 on 10 January and then began shooting at people as they ran away in fear.

HRW goes on to say that soldiers left the village at about 16:30 with at least four vehicles, which had arrived with additional soldiers after the attack began.

The report added that soldiers also looted scores of homes and threatened residents.

Witness described their thirst for justice and desire to see the abusers held to account, but they also spoke about the challenges of ensuring accountability in Cameroon.

A day after the attack, Cameroon’s defence ministry denied they had killed civilians, saying they had carried out a “preventative raid on the positions of terrorist groups”.

The country is divided into French-speaking and English-speaking groups, who are mostly based in the South West and North West regions. Members of the Francophone majority dominate the government and a conflict with Anglophone campaigners turned into bloody conflict in 2017.

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