Egbekaw massacre

Separatist mass murder in Cameroon

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

Anglophone Crisis

Timeline

2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

Battles and violent events

2016–17 protests
Batibo
Ndop
Wum
PSS Nkwen
Kidnappings of John Fru Ndi
July 2019 prison riots
Ngarbuh
Operation Free Bafut
Operation Bamenda Clean
Kumba
Operation Bui Clean
Bamessing
Missong
Akwaya
Bambui
Egbekaw

Political events

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]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Separatist gunmen kill at least 20 in Cameroon
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "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.