Cameroon separatists ban National Unity Day celebrations in Bamenda

On May 20, separatist groups operating in Cameroon’s Anglophone Northwest region ordered residents of Bamenda to remain indoors and prohibited participation in the country’s National Unity Day festivities, directly challenging President Paul Biya. The Cameroonian army responded by deploying additional armored vehicles and troops to the city, though the limited official events that went ahead passed without serious incidents.

The ban comes amid an ongoing low‑intensity conflict that began in 2016 over the forced imposition of French language and administration. International estimates place the death toll at more than 6,000 and record roughly one million people displaced by the fighting. A recent papal visit had sparked hopes for mediation, but those expectations have quickly faded as the separatists maintain their stance.