Cameroon Anglophone crisis marks 10 years with report of 4,000 deaths

Ten years after the onset of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, human rights organizations have released a partial list documenting approximately 4,000 reported deaths linked to the conflict. The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) and The Global Campaign for Peace & Justice in Cameroon released the data in Buea to provide identities to victims in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

While the database contains roughly 4,000 names, organizers note that only about half of the victims have been identified, with the rest remaining unidentified. Total casualty estimates for the decade-long conflict vary widely, with some groups suggesting the actual death toll could range between 6,500 and 10,000 or more.

The crisis originated in October 2016, stemming from legal and educational disputes. Lawyers in the English-speaking regions protested against the perceived erosion of the Common law system and the appointment of magistrates trained in the French-speaking civil law tradition. What began as professional mobilizations in courts and schools eventually escalated into a prolonged armed conflict.