Cameroon Ministry of Defense official decries Anglophone crisis as organized insurrection

As Cameroon marks ten years since the onset of the Anglophone crisis in October 2016, Cyrille Atonfack Guemo, a senior official from the Ministry of Defense, has characterized the movement as a premeditated insurrection rather than a spontaneous social protest.

According to Guemo, the conflict, which began with professional grievances from lawyers and teachers, evolved into a highly organized military operation. He asserts that the armed groups in the North-West and South-West regions demonstrate complex command structures, logistical planning, and coordination that suggest years of preparation.

Guemo further argues that the separatist rhetoric of emancipation serves as a cover for predatory activities. He claims these groups have implemented a regime of terror, involving the systematic looting of resources, the destruction of vital infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and the displacement of civilians from their ancestral lands.