This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2020.
The Anglophone Crisis is an ongoing armed conflict in the Republic of Cameroon in Central Africa, where historically English-speaking Ambazonian separatists are seeking the independence of the former British trust territory of Southern Cameroons, which was unified with Cameroon since 1961.
January On 1 January, suspected separatists burned down the office of the Divisional Officer of Muyuka, after clashing with soldiers in the area. In Buea, separatists clashed with Cameroonian soldiers and burned a vehicle.Cameroon: Suspected Ambazonia boys set ablaze Muyuka's D.O's office, Journal du Cameroun, 3 January 2020. Accessed 3 January 2020. In Donga Mantung, six people were killed in a Cameroonian raid. In Bamessing, Cameroonian forces started a four-day clean-up of road blocks mounted by separatists.Cameroon: Ngoketunjia Division – Villagers Vent Anger On Fighters, Seize Weapons, AllAfrica, 6 January 2020. Accessed 7 January 2020. The same day, the Ambazonia Military Forces declared that a lockdown encompassing all of Southern Cameroons would take place between 7 and 12 February, in order to prevent the 2020 Cameroonian parliamentary election from taking place in the Anglophone regions. The separatists declared that anyone caught outdoors in cities and villages during the lockdown would be considered an enemy, and stated that the declaration had been issued weeks in advance in order to give people time stock up food and prepare.Cameroon/2020 twin polls: Separatists announce five-day lockdown in Anglophone regions, Journal du Cameroun, 3 January 2020. Accessed 3 January 2020. On 2 January, civilians in Balikumbat demonstrated against the separatists, accusing them of forcing people to give them money and of bringing insecurity to the village. The protest was guarded by Cameroonian soldiers.Cameroon: Youths in Balikumbat go wild over separatists “excesses”, Journal du Cameroun, 3 January 2020. Accessed 3 January 2020. On 4 January, residents of Balikumbat stormed nearby separatist camp, seized weapons and arrested fighters.Weapons of separatists seized by angry villagers in Cameroon's troubled Anglophone region, News Ghana, 5 January 2020. Accessed 5 January 2020. On 5 January, Fon Ndofoa Zofoa III of Babungo gave separatist fighters in the vicinity 24 hours to release villagers they had abducted, threatening to expel the fighters' families from the village. He also urged villagers to assist the Cameroonian security forces if they could.Babungo Traditional Ruler Bans Ambazonia Activities In His Village, Cameroon News Agency, 6 January 2020. Accessed 6 January 2020. In response to the ultimatum, armed separatists attempted to storm the palace and abduct the Fon, but villagers intervened and stopped the separatists.Cameroon: Population foils separatist attempt to kidnap fon in NW Region, Journal du Cameroun, 7 January 2020. Accessed 7 January 2020. In Babessi, separatist fighters abducted the SDF mayor along with at least four councillors.Cameroon: Babessi mayor, four councillors abducted in restive NW region, Journal du Cameroun, 9 January 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020. In Ndu, a detainee died after being tortured by Cameroonian soldiers.Donga Mantung: Soldiers Torture One Detainee To Death, Others Transferred to Bamenda, Cameroon News Agency, 5 January 2020. Accessed 6 January 2020. On 6 January, "General Divine", a separatist commander based in Meme Division, was killed by his own men, who accused him of terrorizing nearby communities. According to sources, fellow separatists had warned him many times not to commit atrocities against civilians, and when he did not stop, they finally decided to get rid of him.Cameroon:’Ambazonia General’ killed by peers in SW Region, Journal du Cameroun, 6 January 2020. Accessed 6 January 2020. Another commander was also killed during the incident.Infighting between separatists kills 2 in Cameroon's restive Anglophone region, News Ghana, 7 January 2020. Accessed 7 January 2020. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the upcoming 9 February election, 350 Cameroonian soldiers were deployed to various locations in Southwest Region to protect voters.Cameroon/February twin polls: 350 soldiers deployed to restive South West region, Journal du Cameroun, 7 January 2020. Accessed 7 January 2020. On 7 January, nine suspected separatists arriving on bikes stormed a gendarme post in Bangourain, West Region. The sole gendarme on duty ran away, enabling the attackers to capture weapons and ammunition without encountering any resistance.Cameroon: Armed men attack Gendarmerie Unit in West region, do away with arms, Journal du Cameroun, 7 January 2020. Accessed 7 January 2020. In Donga-Mantung, separatists burned down the ELECAM office in Misaje, as part of their campaign to disrupt the February election.Cameroon: Suspected separatists set ablaze ELECAM office in Misaje, NW region, Journal du Cameroun, 8 January 2020. Accessed 8 January 2020. By 8 January, there had been at least five instances where villagers had attacked separatist camps. Separatist leaders openly condemned war crimes committed by fellow separatists, and the Ambazonia Defence Forces ordered its fighters to arrest anyone caught terrorizing civilians. Separatists also claimed that some of the separatist excesses were actually false-flag actions conducted by Cameroonian forces, an allegation strongly denied by Cameroon.Cameroon Anglophone Villagers Attack Separatist Camps Over Abuse, Voice of America, 8 January 2020. Accessed 8 January 2020. In Meme Division, at least five separatist fighters laid down their arms.Cameroon: More Ambazonia fighters drop arms in Meme, Journal du Cameroun, 9 January 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
On 9 January 350 gendarmes deployed in Northwest Region to counter the separatist effort to sabotage the upcoming elections, following a similar deployment in Southwest Region.Cameroon: 350 gendarmes deployed to restive NW region ahead of twin polls, Journal du Cameroun, 10 January 2020. Accessed 10 January 2020. In Santa, Cameroonian soldiers invaded the village Mbenjom Awing, killing two separatist fighters, one civilian as well as livestock, and burning down several houses.Soldiers Burn Houses, Kill Civilian, Livestock In Awing, Cameroon News Agency, 10 January 2020. Accessed 10 January 2020. On 10 January, five soldiers of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) were arrested for abducting a man in Buea.Cameroun : des soldats du Bir accusés du kidnapping d'un homme, Journal du Cameroun, 12 January 2020. Accessed 12 January 2020. (French) On 11 January, a prominent officer of the Red Dragon militia was killed while leading an attack on Cameroonian forces in Menji.Cameroon: Field Marshal's aid killed in gun battle in Lebialem, Journal du Cameroun, 13 January 2020. Accessed 13 January 2020. On 12 January, suspected separatists burned down the residence of CPDM politician Kennedy Acha in Bamenda.Cameroon: Residence of CPDM bigwig set ablaze in Bamenda, Journal du Cameroun, 13 January 2020. Accessed 13 January 2020. On 13 January, separatists ambushed and killed one Cameroonian soldier and injured another in Muyuka.Cameroon: Suspected Ambazonia fighters kill soldier in Muyuka, Journal du Cameroun, 14 January 2020. Accessed 14 January 2020. On 14 January, Cameroonian troops raided the villages of Bangem and Babubock, burning dozens of houses. On 15 January, separatist fighters ambushed and killed a Cameroonian soldier in Bamenda. The soldier's girlfriend was also wounded in the incident.Cameroon: Suspected Amba fighters kill soldier in Bamenda, Journal du Cameroun, 16 January 2020. Accessed 16 January 2020. In Bamenda, separatists attacked two civilians who had attempted to circumvent a separatist checkpoint, killing one of them and injuring the other.Cameroon: Rise in killings in Anglophone regions ahead of parliamentary elections, Amnesty International, 6 February 2020. Accessed 8 February 2020. On 16 January, separatists ambushed Cameroonian soldiers in Mamfe. The death toll was not revealed. On 18 January, a gun battle occurred between Cameroonian soldiers and separatist fighters in Mulang, Bamenda, after the separatists had set fire to a garbage truck. The separatists eventually withdrew to their base in Ntasen.Ambazonia Fighters Set HYSACAM Truck On Fire, Cameroon News Agency, 18 January 2020. Accessed 18 January 2020. In Meluf, six dead bodies were discovered by villagers. Local sources reported that the dead were ADF fighters who had been abducted and killed by the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces. It was also reported that the six dead were among a total of 40 ADF fighters who had been abducted. ADF spokesman Tapang Ivo Tanku confirmed the loss. Both the ADF and the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces condemned each other, while both claimed that the infighting owed to infiltration by the Cameroonian Army. The Cameroonian Army denied this claim. On 19 January, "General Chacha" of the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces posted a video where he demanded that all separatist groups submit to his militia.Cameroon's Anglophone Separatists Turn to Infighting, Voice of America, 22 January 2020. Accessed 23 January 2020. On 21 January, suspected separatist abducted 24 school children in Kumba. Security forces rescued the hostages in an operation later the same day, "neutralizing" two of the abductors in the process.Cameroon: 24 kids earlier kidnapped, rescued by security forces in SW, Journal du Cameroun, 21 January 2020. Accessed 21 January 2020. In Kondengui Central Prison, other prisoners broke into the cells of Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine other Ambazonian leaders serving a life sentence, stealing food and money. The victims wrote a letter in which they stated the prison administration had been silent on the matter, despite there being witnesses, and they claimed that there was a conspiracy threaten their lives.Jailed Ambazonia Leaders Fear For Their Lives, Cameroon News Agency, 26 January 2020. Accessed 26 January 2020. On 22 January, a soldier was killed in Ndoh. Cameroonian forces retaliated the next day, carrying out a mass shooting inside a market. At least 16 people were killed, and at least five were wounded. On 23 January, former Ambazonian general Leonard Nambere, who had returned to Cameroon on 31 December 2019 upon accepting an amnesty deal, went to visit inmates at the Kondengui Central Prison. He was nearly lynched by Anglophone inmates who blamed him for abandoning the Ambazonian cause, and had to be smuggled out of the prison.Cameroon: ‘Repented Ambazonia General’ cheats death in Kondengui, Journal du Cameroun, 23 January 2020. Accessed 23 January 2020. In Kumba, police officers clashed with separatist fighters, killing one fighter.Cameroon: Security officers kill suspected Ambazonia fighter in Kumba, Journal du Cameroun, 23 January 2020. Accessed 23 January 2020. On 26 January, General Chacha of the Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces was captured and summarily executed when Cameroonian soldiers raided his base in Kikaikom, Kumbo. Some estimated 20 other separatist fighters were also killed during the raid.Cameroon: Dreaded Ambazonia General killed in Bui, Journal du Cameroun, 27 January 2020. Accessed 27 January 2020. Following the escalation, the Cameroonian police braced for the possibility that separatists could start carrying out attacks in Yaoundé, warning that there was already a network in place that could make such attacks possible.Cameroonian police on high alert over possible separatist attacks in capital, XinhuaNet, 27 January 2020. Accessed 27 January 2020. In Ndop, armed men took control of a local radio station and set the building on fire. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.Cameroon Rebels Attack Reporters, Torch Media Offices, Voice of America, 30 January 2020. Accessed 30 January 2020.