| Egbekaw massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Egbekaw, Mamfe, Manyu, Southwest Cameroon |
| Date | 6 November 2023 |
Attack type | Arson, mass shooting |
| Deaths | 30+ |
| Injured | Many |
| Perpetrator |  Tigers of Ambazonia |
| Motive | Reprisal attack for the death of an Ambazonian separatist the day prior |
On 6 November 2023, the Tigers of Ambazonia (also called "Tigers of Manyu") carried out a massacre in Egbekaw, Mamfe, Southwest Region, Cameroon.[1] Over thirty people were killed, mostly Boki residents.[2]
Background
Anglophone separatists say they are being discriminated against.[1] They want a separate Anglophone state which they call Ambazonia.[1] In 2016, they protested and rioted.[1] In 2017, they began an insurgency in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon.[1] On 4 October, two civilians were extrajudicially killed by the Ambazonia Defence Forces, who said that the civilians were Cameroonian spies.[3][4]
The Boki community in Egbekaw allegedly hired Nigerian mercenaries to hunt down Ambazonian separatists, the local group being Tigers of Ambazonia, and the mercenaries killed one separatist in Egbekaw on 5 November.[2] The Tigers vowed revenge on the Boki community in Egbekaw, warning non-Boki villagers to expel Boki residents.[2]
In Egbekaw, celebrations were planned for Paul Biya's 41st anniversary ruling the country.[1] Several senior politicians of Manyu Department were expected to be in attendance.
Massacre
Before dawn on 6 November 2023, the Tigers attacked Egbekaw. Residents stated that the separatists attacked the village around 4am local time, firing on sleeping villagers and torching houses.[5] At least 30 people were killed in the attack, and many more were seriously injured.[6] The Tigers also targeted specific houses where they knew Boki residents resided.[2] By the evening of 6 November many of the burnt bodies were still being counted.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Separatist gunmen kill at least 20 in Cameroon
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Manyu: More than 30 die in Amba attack". Cameroon News Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ↑ "Cameroun : au moins 20 morts dans une attaque de séparatistes anglophones". Voice of America (in French). 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ↑ "The unlawful killings of two Cameroonian people by separatists must not go unpunished". Amnesty International. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ↑ "About 20 killed in Cameroon separatist attack". www.enca.com. 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ↑ "Statement on the Killings and Burnings in Egbekaw Village; Mamfe Central, Manyu Division South West Region". Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa. 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
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