Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: From Colonial Divide to a Burning Conflict

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Video originally published on July 16, 2025.

Cameroon, once hailed as a stable nation in Central Africa, is now engulfed in a violent struggle that threatens its unity and the lives of millions. The war in the English‑speaking Northwest and Southwest regions has escalated dramatically in 2025, yet the world remains largely silent. Understanding how colonial legacies, broken promises, and recent spikes in bloodshed have converged is essential to grasp why the crisis matters now more than ever.

Key Takeaways

Cameroon, once hailed as a stable nation in Central Africa, is now engulfed in a violent struggle that threatens its unity and the lives of millions.
The origins of Cameroon’s current turmoil lie in the arbitrary borders drawn at the Berlin Conference of 1884.
May 2025 marked a stark intensification of the conflict. On May 5, an improvised explosive device detonated against a military vehicle, shredding it and killing two members of Cameroon’s elite Rapid Intervention Battalion while wounding three others.
Both sides of the conflict have been implicated in systematic abuses.
Separatist groups have increasingly relied on improvised explosive devices and hit‑and‑run raids, as evidenced by the May 5 IED attack that crippled a Rapid Intervention Battalion vehicle.
Despite the scale of the crisis, global attention remains minimal.

Historical Roots and the Linguistic Divide

The origins of Cameroon’s current turmoil lie in the arbitrary borders drawn at the Berlin Conference of 1884. Germany first claimed the territory, but after World War I the land was split between Britain and France. The French administered four‑fifths of the country, imposing French language, civil law and centralized governance. The British governed the remaining two slivers—Northern and Southern Cameroons—as extensions of Nigeria, preserving English as the language of instruction and a common‑law legal system. When the French portion achieved independence in 1960, the United Nations offered the British‑administered Southern Cameroons a binary choice: join Nigeria or join the new Republic of Cameroon. The region voted to unite with Cameroon under a federal arrangement that promised autonomy over legal, educational and administrative affairs. That promise eroded quickly; by 1972 the federation was abolished through a national referendum, and power became concentrated in the Francophone capital, Yaoundé. Over the following decades, Anglophone schools were assimilated, courts shifted toward civil law, and government appointments favored Francophones, leaving the English‑speaking minority feeling marginalized and dispossessed.

Escalation of Violence: Recent Attacks and Civilian Casualties

May 2025 marked a stark intensification of the conflict. On May 5, an improvised explosive device detonated against a military vehicle, shredding it and killing two members of Cameroon’s elite Rapid Intervention Battalion while wounding three others. Five days later, suspected separatist fighters shot a civilian in Bamenda for drinking a beer associated with Francophone culture, underscoring how cultural symbols have become flashpoints. The violence peaked on May 15 when government forces launched an operation in the village of Pinyin, killing six civilians, including a man with documented mental‑health issues. These incidents illustrate a rapid escalation from targeted attacks to broader civilian harm within a single fortnight. Waimiri May 5, 2025, an IED exploded, ripping a military vehicle to shreds. And when that meaning came, I for one realized it would not solve our problems." Realizing that this wouldn’t be enough to end the conflict, the government followed this anemic carrot up with the stick of a ramped-up military offensive, and began recruiting vigilante groups to fight the separatists in a scene that is once again oddly reminiscent of the DRC.

Human Rights Violations: Targeting Civilians and Vulnerable Populations

Both sides of the conflict have been implicated in systematic abuses. The May 10 killing in Bamenda shows separatist fighters willing to punish ordinary citizens for perceived cultural transgressions. The Pinyin operation demonstrates government forces’ willingness to use heavy‑handed tactics that result in civilian deaths, even among the most vulnerable, such as a man with mental‑health challenges. Earlier in the crisis, the script notes that schools, hospitals and homes have been burned, entire villages emptied, and mass displacement forced upon over half a million people. Human Rights Watch estimates at least 6,000 civilian deaths and nearly 600,000 internally displaced persons, highlighting a pattern of rights violations that transcends battlefield engagements. Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 6,000 civilians have been killed by both government forces and armed separatist fighters since the fighting started. One marked by assassinations, kidnappings, military raids, mass displacement, and systemic human rights abuses on both sides.

Separatist Tactics vs. Government Counterinsurgency: A Dangerous Cycle

Separatist groups have increasingly relied on improvised explosive devices and hit‑and‑run raids, as evidenced by the May 5 IED attack that crippled a Rapid Intervention Battalion vehicle. Their tactics aim to disrupt military mobility and sow fear among both soldiers and civilians. In response, the government has deployed the Rapid Intervention Battalion and conducted swift, punitive operations such as the May 15 raid on Pinyin. These heavy‑handed counterinsurgency measures, while intended to suppress the rebellion, often result in civilian casualties, which in turn fuel further resentment and recruitment for the separatists. The script describes this as a “cycle” where each side’s actions intensify the other’s resolve, perpetuating a stalemate that has persisted since 2018. An armed conflict between separatist groups demanding independence and the central government in Yaounde, the crisis began as peaceful civil society protests before spiraling into a full-blown insurgency. Quoting from Peacelab, “Many young peacebuilders are accused of being traitors, arrested, kidnapped or even killed by the separatist armed groups, with little to no attention given to the victims.

International Apathy and Media Silence

Despite the scale of the crisis, global attention remains minimal. The script notes that the conflict was only debated informally at the UN Security Council after a European Parliament appeal, with South Africa blocking a formal debate. The African Union’s Peace and Security Council was described as lacking political will, offering only rhetorical support without concrete sanctions. Attempts at mediation by Switzerland (2019‑2022) and Canada (2023) collapsed when the Cameroonian government withdrew or refused external facilitation. This diplomatic inertia, combined with limited media coverage, has left humanitarian actors struggling to address the needs of millions while the world “puts two fingers in its ears.” In 2025, while providing an update on the Cameroon crisis, Africa Confidential wrote that the Anglophone Crisis had remained a "bloody stalemate", with neither the government nor the rebels in a position to win the conflict. On May 5, following appeals by the European Union Parliament, it was announced that the Anglophone Crisis would be debated at the UN Security Council.

Pathways to Peace: Youth‑Led Initiatives Amidst Stalemate

The conflict has settled into a “bloody stalemate,” with neither the government nor the separatists able to claim decisive victory. Yet, the script highlights a growing grassroots movement led by Cameroonian youth, who constitute over 60 % of the population. Organizations such as Local Youth Corner Cameroon provide safe spaces for dialogue, while groups like Defy Hate Now promote media literacy to combat hate speech. These young peacebuilders face intimidation, arrests, and even death, yet they persist, believing that dialogue and mediation can break the cycle of violence. Their efforts suggest that any durable resolution will likely need to emerge from within civil society rather than from top‑down military solutions. As the year wore on, however, the separatists engaged in informal talks with the government, culminating in President Biya's announcement that the government would hold a Major National Dialogue with the separatists.

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FAQ

What is the central development in Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: From Colonial Divide to a Burning Conflict?

Cameroon, once hailed as a stable nation in Central Africa, is now engulfed in a violent struggle that threatens its unity and the lives of millions.

What remains uncertain right now?

Why does this matter strategically?

Both sides of the conflict have been implicated in systematic abuses. If the belligerents are unwilling to end this conflict, and the international community seems powerless to do so, we are forced to ask again, “Where does that leave Cameroon?” According to Achaleke Christian Leke, a Cameroonian peacebuilding and development expert, the answer might come from its youth.

What indicators should observers monitor next?

Separatist groups have increasingly relied on improvised explosive devices and hit‑and‑run raids, as evidenced by the May 5 IED attack that crippled a Rapid Intervention Battalion vehicle.

Sources

About the Author

Wilfred M. Waimiri

Wilfred M. Waimiri creates and presents analysis focused on military doctrine, strategic competition, and conflict dynamics.

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