UN calls for independent investigation into Cameroon massacre

The United Nations human rights office has issued a call for an independent and impartial investigation into the massacre of 23 people in a village in Cameroon’s northwest anglophone region on 14th February. 

The attack resulted in the death of 15 children, including nine under the age of five. UN reporters say two pregnant women were also among the victims. 

A spokesman for the UN, Rupert Colville, told reporters that the facts were still unclear but that witnesses saw 40 armed men, including members of the security forces, attack the village. 

“The authorities claim there was gunfire coming out of the village towards them — towards the defense forces and gendarmes," he said. "Our understanding is that two houses in particular were targeted.  But the upshot of that — the number of children killed, and pregnant women is really horrifying”. 

Following the massacre, Cameroon’s government has pledged to mount a full investigation into the killings and publicise the findings. The UN has urged authorities to ensure impartiality in the investigation and to hold those responsible to account. 

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from northwest Cameroon as clashes between defence forces and armed separatist groups continues to escalate. The conflict began in 2016, when a separatist insurgency emerged among minority English-speaking groups, seeking autonomy from the French-speaking government. 

The crisis has meant that 2.3 million people are in urgent need of food, shelter and protection. UN aid agencies have issued an appeal for $317 million to help limit the impact of the conflict. 

Photo: UNOCHA