PREVENTING AND MITIGATING MASS ATROCITIESIN NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST CAMEROONIDENTIFYING POLICY OPTIONSPOLICY BRIEF MAY 2023

THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM

teaches that the Holocaust was preventable and that byheeding warning signs and taking early action, individuals
and governments can save lives. With this knowledge,
the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
works to do for the victims of genocide today what theworld failed to do for the Jews of Europe in the 1930s
and 1940s. The mandate of the Simon-Skjodt Center is
to alert the United States’ national conscience, influence
policy makers, and stimulate worldwide action to prevent
and work to halt acts of genocide or related crimes against
humanity, and advance justice and accountability. Learn
more at ushmm.org/genocide-prevention.

COVER: Mile 16, Buea, Southwest Cameroon. May 11, 2019: A motherand child walk past a destroyed car in a small town on the main highway
on May 11,2019 near Buea in SW Cameroon. These towns were attacked
by the military as suspected armed militants or protestors were known to
live. This is one of many residential areas that now lie empty as residents
fled to the main city of Buea or into the deep tropical forests. In 2017,separatists in Cameroon's Anglophone territories declared an independent
state of Ambazonia, an area formerly known as Southern Cameroons, andtook up arms against the Cameroonian government. The violence has
forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and, according to the UN,
left more than a million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Giles
Clarke/UNOCHA via Getty Images

CONTENTS
Summary............................................................................................... 1
Background .......................................................................................... 2
Atrocities and Human Rights Violations ............................................... 3
Current Dynamics ................................................................................. 3
Previous International Responses ........................................................ 4
United States ................................................................................................ 4
Mediation Efforts ........................................................................................... 4
Regional Organizations ................................................................................. 4
United Nations .............................................................................................. 5
United States Interests and Opportunities ...................................................... 5

Barriers to Effective Policy Action to Mitigate Mass Atrocities ............ 6
Policy Options ...................................................................................... 7
For the Government of Cameroon .................................................................. 7
For armed separatist groups in Cameroon ...................................................... 7
For foreign governments and multilateral organizations ................................... 8
For the United States government .................................................................. 9

Endnotes ............................................................................................ 10

The Simon-Skjodt Center focuses on situations where there is a risk of, or ongoing, genocide and related
crimes against humanity. The Center primarily works on large-scale, group-targeted, identity-based mass
atrocities. Mass atrocities are large-scale, systematic attacks against civilian populations.
In response to growing concerns about mass atrocity risks related to Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis and theneed to stimulate creative preventive responses,1 the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s SimonSkjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide solicited expert opinions on policy options to prevent andmitigate mass atrocities in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. The following brief is informed by theconclusions and recommendations put forth by these experts.

SUMMARY
●
●

●
●

●

Cameroon has hovered near or within the high-risk (top-30) category of the Early Warning Project’s
Statistical Risk Assessment of countries at risk of mass killing since 2014.2
This brief focuses on armed conflict and instability in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions,where long-standing grievances have given way to conflict between armed Anglophone separatists andgovernment security forces.3
The crisis has resulted in over 6,000 people killed and over 600,000 people internally displaced.4
Major impediments to resolution of the Anglophone crisis include the Cameroonian government’s
commitment to military victory, the splintering of separatist groups, and the international community’slack of attention and preventive engagement.
The crisis requires re-energized US and international policy action to halt atrocities and bring theconflict parties to a peaceful solution.

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Map of Cameroon. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

BACKGROUND
The situation remains dire in Cameroon’s Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions since the SimonSkjodt Center first warned of the immediate risk of mass atrocities against civilians in June 2020.5 The crisis
emerged from decades of grievances of Anglophone citizens,6 who make up 20 percent of the population in amostly Francophone country.7 For the past several decades, the Cameroonian government has enacted policies
that economically and politically marginalize the Anglophone region despite demands for reform.8
In October 2016, Anglophone teachers and lawyers launched protests over the imposition of French-speaking
teachers in Anglophone schools and the “francization” of the Anglophone common law system. 9 Security
forces responded to the growing protests with violence, which fed Anglophone nationalism and promptedclashes between the two sides. By 2017, armed Anglophone separatists began fighting for independence forthe territory they refer to as Southern Cameroons, or Ambazonia.10 Violent conflict primarily between armed
separatists and state security forces continues to date.11

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ATROCITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Cameroonian security forces have continued to target civilians in the Anglophone region.12 Security forces
have been accused of unlawful killings; destroying property; arbitrarily arresting, detaining, and torturing
civilians; and firing indiscriminately into crowds.13 According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data
Project, political violence by armed separatists and government forces against civilians has increased in recent
months.14
Armed Anglophone separatists have continued to attack teachers, students, and schools in Anglophone areas—
ostensibly to enforce a boycott on state-mandated Francophone education—leaving approximately 700,000
students without access to education as of December 2021.15 Children and teachers who do not follow the
separatists’ boycott have been kidnapped, assaulted, and killed.16 As of the end of 2022, only 46 percent ofschools in the Anglophone region remain functioning.17 Continued attacks on health facilities andhumanitarian workers have restricted aid delivery and left approximately 30 percent of hospitals inoperable asof June 2021.18 Additionally, armed separatists have increasingly used improvised explosive devices, andwhile separatist leaders claim these explosions target the military, they have also killed and severely injured
civilians.19
Acts of sexual violence against women and girls, by both government and separatist forces, are reportedly
widespread throughout the Anglophone region.20

CURRENT DYNAMICS
The violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions has ebbed and flowed in recent years as civilians in
Cameroon have continued to face severe risks. The situation has become a grinding crisis where armed actors
on both sides may have little incentive to shift towards peace, and where global powers have made insufficientand so far unsuccessful efforts to end the violence.21
There is limited information on the size and composition of the Anglophone separatist movement.22 Some
separatist groups have joined forces, but the alliances made among armed groups appear weak, anddisagreements among leaders have led to frequent splintering and division within political groups.
The conflict has also expanded across national borders. One Cameroonian separatist group, the Ambazonia
Governing Council, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, a secessionist group in Nigeria, announced apartnership in April 2021.23 In the beginning of the conflict, Anglophone Cameroonians had been able to livein Nigeria with relative security, with the exception of an extradition of separatist leaders back to Cameroon
that was facilitated by the Nigerian government in 2018.24 More recently, the Nigerian and Cameroonian
governments are allegedly coordinating crackdowns on separatist groups, increasing fear among refugees from
Cameroon living in Nigeria.25 Additionally, separatist attacks in Cameroon’s Francophone regions havecontinued in recent months.26
Government security forces have allegedly enlisted the help of Fulani, a pastoral ethnic group, living in andaround Ngarbuh in Northwest Cameroon to attack Ambazonian fighters and people who are perceived to

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support them.27 Survivors of a brutal massacre in Ngarbuh in February 2020 reported that government forces
and armed Fulani committed the assault.28
The advanced age of Cameroon’s president of over 40 years, Paul Biya, also presents a looming threat ofdestabilization.29 While a transition to new leadership could improve the security situation, it could also cause
uncertainty and destabilization throughout the country. Posing additional concerns, experts shared that there
are several groups in Biya’s close circles competing for power, some with the resources to fund a civil war if it
serves their financial or political purposes. The potential escalation in violence that could follow Biya’s
incapacitation or passing should necessitate immediate atrocity prevention planning. 30

PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES
Coordinated, sustained, and calibrated international responses necessary to effectively respond to
atrocity risks and ongoing crimes in Cameroon are woefully lacking today. This section summarizes
key components of the international response to the crisis to date.

United States
In response to reports of serious human rights violations, the State Department withheld approximately $17
million USD in security assistance to Cameroon in February 2019.31 However, the United States has continued
to provide the Cameroonian government forms of security assistance.32 The US government ended
Cameroon’s preferential trade benefits and announced a policy to impose visa restrictions on individuals
believed to be undermining efforts to end the crisis.33 The US Senate and House of Representatives passed
resolutions urging action to end violence and respect human rights.34 During the December 2022 US-Africa
Leaders Summit, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Cameroonian Foreign Minister Lejeune
Mbella Mbella and reportedly “discussed ways to find sustainable and peaceful solutions” to the Anglophonecrisis and the need for addressing broader human rights concerns in Cameroon.35

Mediation Efforts
The most direct attempt at resolving this conflict had come through a high-level mediation process led by the
Swiss government and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. In September 2022, the Cameroonian
government ended the Swiss-mediated peace talks that began in 2019 and had since stalled.36 On January 20,
2023, the government of Canada announced it would facilitate a peace process between and agreed to by the
Cameroon government and five major separatist groups.37 While new talks may signal hope, uncertainty
remains surrounding the Cameroon government’s official participation in the mediation process.38

Regional Organizations
Regional organizations have expressed concern over the situation and have reiterated commitments to peace
but have not generated tangible progress to prevent mass atrocities. The European Union made several
statements condemning violence and urging a peaceful mediation of the conflict but continues to trade freely
with Cameroon through an Economic Partnership Agreement that entered into force in 2014.39

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4In January 2017, former chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
released a statement expressing concern about the situation.40 Current Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat
visited Cameroon in July 2018 and discussed the situation in the Northwest and Southwest regions with
President Biya and in July 2019 publicly supported dialogue efforts.41 The African Union Assembly has issued
calls for dialogue and in 2022 reiterated a call for a cessation of hostilities.42 The African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights issued press releases and resolutions on human rights violations in Cameroon andrequested the opportunity to visit the country and assess the situation,43 but the government of Cameroon has
not authorized the request.44

United Nations
UN member states, secretariat officials, and independent experts have issued statements and reports expressing
concern.45 In 2018, the UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide called for an independent investigationof abuses committed by both parties during the conflict.46 In March 2019, on behalf of 38 countries, the United
Kingdom presented a statement to the UN Human Rights Council expressing concern over the Anglophone
Crisis.47 This concern led to an Arria-formula meeting of Security Council members on the humanitarian crisis
in Cameroon on May 13, 2019,48 and a visit by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle
Bache-let, to Cameroon in May 2019 followed by a technical mission by the Office of the UN HighCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) later that year.49 On April 29, 2022, the UN Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued findings on Cameroon expressing concern about widespread
violence and urged Cameroon to prioritize national reconciliation, transitional justice, and efforts to ensureaccountability.50

United States Interests and Opportunities
The August 2022 US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa situates Cameroon and the region as a criticalpartner for US national security interests.51 Additionally, the US government identifies Cameroon as serving“a key role in regional stability.”52 Yet the US government has acknowledged that armed conflict in Cameroon,
alongside several crises in the region, has contributed to “fragility [that] provides fertile ground for expanding
terrorist activity.”53 The US government maintains a partnership with the Cameroon government to counter
terrorist threats from the Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram.54
The Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy underscores the United States’ interest in working with like-minded partners
to strengthen responses to political and security crises in Africa.55 US action to prevent atrocities in Cameroon
presents an opportunity to strengthen these ties and engage with the government of Cameroon to limit thepotential of other actors that do not share the same interests, such as China and Russia.56 US efforts to maintaina relationship with the current government and potential successors should not limit efforts to push for an end
to the atrocities and for a peaceful solution to the conflict.
The December 2022 United States-Africa Leaders Summit highlighted the US government’s “continued
efforts to strengthen ties with African partners based on principles of mutual respect and shared interests andvalues,” including advancing peace and security and human rights.57 The implementation of the efforts
initiated at the Summit presents an opportunity for the US government to act upon the atrocity prevention
commitments it has laid out on paper. The US Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities

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reiterates US commitments to atrocity prevention and should, as with regional strategies, guide US action topromote peace and stability in Cameroon.58

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE POLICY ACTION TO MITIGATEMASS ATROCITIES
Hopes for an effective negotiated solution to the crisis have dimmed as the government remains
committed to a military victory while separatists are set on independence. Experts shared with theSimon-Skjodt Center several reasons why the crisis has continued for years:●

The Cameroonian government has not engaged seriously in negotiations. Negotiations are widely
acknowledged as the key to ending the crisis. Those involved in the recently terminated process led by
the Swiss government and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue reported that Biya did not seriously
engage in negotiations, seeing the crisis as a Cameroonian issue, not one to be resolved throughoutside parties. Additionally, the Swiss mediation process faced criticism for including “only a limited
number of actors” involved in the conflict.59 While a new effort moderated by Canada may bepromising, the government of Cameroon publicly dismissed the initiative.60 Experts expressed
frustration with the Cameroonian government’s unwillingness to meaningfully engage.

●

The Cameroonian government has prioritized solutions generated during the Major National Dialogue
held by the government in September and October of 2019.61 However, the Major National Dialogue did
not include “key opposition and separatist leaders [who] remained in prison”—and some moderate
Anglophone leaders did not participate.62 Most experts believe that the results of these talks areunlikely to generate any meaningful solutions.

●

Separatist groups are splintered. Without a coherent list of demands or legitimate coalition of
Anglophone leaders to negotiate, it will be difficult to achieve peace through negotiations. Since
armed separatist groups are deeply fractured and lack unified leadership and clear demands, mediators
faced difficulty selecting which separatist groups to include in the Swiss-led negotiations anddiscerning whether groups accurately reflect broader constituencies.

●

Foreign governments continued to support the Swiss mediation process and were reluctant to support
new approaches, despite the failure of these talks to make significant progress. Advocates sharedfrustration that such strong commitment to the Swiss-led process impeded efforts to create alternative
processes with a potentially greater likelihood of success.

●Foreign governments are not prioritizing the Anglophone crisis. It is common for the Anglophone crisis
to be misperceived as communal violence by policy makers in foreign countries. However, the state isa key player in this crisis, and, as noted earlier, evidence from multiple sources implicates state actors
in serious human rights violations. Experts reported that policy makers working on Central African
affairs view Cameroon as a “slow burn” crisis, not an emergency. Cameroon is seen as relatively
stable by outsiders, even though civilians in the Anglophone region continue to suffer. With otherglobal crises demanding immediate attention, foreign leaders generally have not prioritized the crisis

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in the Anglophone region. This approach has resulted in responses that lack the urgency necessary forpreventing and mitigating atrocities.
●

The African Union—alongside regional and international actors—has yet to propose effective responses.
The African Union has not leveraged its leadership and political power to encourage an end to
atrocities and conflict through mediation.

POLICY OPTIONS
Experts identified several options for actions that could help end mass atrocities and support apeaceful resolution of the conflict. While it is unlikely that all actors will embrace each option, theoptions should inform serious discussion and debate within and among governments and otherstakeholders.

For the Government of Cameroon:
●
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●

●
●
●

Immediately cease the targeting of civilians, adhere to international human rights and humanitarianlaw, and seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Address the Anglophone community’s underlying grievances:○ Fully participate in a credible mediation process that includes conflict parties, civil society,and representatives of affected Anglophone communities, with particular attention to theinclusion of women.63○ End discriminatory practices against Anglophones and ensure proper representation in civilian
infrastructure, including educational and legal settings. This should also include ending theprohibition against teaching in English, making public services accessible in English, anddestigmatizing the use of English in professional capacities.
○ End arbitrary detention of government critics and release individuals unjustly detained forexercising their rights.64
Launch credible investigations, supported by the African Union and/or UN, into allegations of mass
atrocities. Ensure that perpetrators on both the government and separatist sides are held accountableaccording to international legal standards.
Protect and support people displaced by the crisis.
Increase safety measures and improve access to the Anglophone regions for humanitarianorganizations.
Permit access for and ensure the safety of journalists and media organizations operating in Cameroon.

For armed separatist groups in Cameroon:●●●

Immediately cease the targeting of civilians, including attacks on students and teachers, adhere tointernational human rights and humanitarian law, and seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Develop and strengthen existing relationships with organizations with mediation expertise to facilitate
discussion among separatist groups and strengthen a shared agenda in order to make successful
mediation more likely.
Focus on coalition building among separatist groups to designate mutually agreed-upon
representatives with the authority to represent the groups in negotiations.

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For foreign governments and multilateral organizations:
●
●

●

●

●
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●

Support and pursue creative options to re-energize and expand an independent mediation effort led byan international third-party, such as the current Canada-led effort.
Ensure international support and coordination for the mediation and involve actors with leverage overthe conflict parties.65○ Expand multilateral actor involvement with groups such as other African governments, local
mediation efforts such as the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiation,66 and international
governments such as the United States and France, who could help generate greater politicalpressure for Biya to take a more serious role in negotiations.67
Apply coordinated pressure on conflict parties to reach a mediated agreement.
○ Encourage international actors with economic, political, and/or cultural ties with Cameroon toutilize their relationships in order to support peace.
○ Impose targeted sanctions, including travel and visa restrictions, against perpetrators ofviolence and individuals provoking conflict. These sanctions should be (1) targeted against
individuals with international exposure, including financial ties abroad, (2) accompanied byadequate resources for sanction enforcement, (3) imposed in coordination with or support
from international partners, and (4) paired with clear communication to targeted individuals
regarding actions that would trigger sanction removal.68○ Generate greater attention for the Anglophone crisis in international fora, such as by putting
Cameroon on the agenda as a topic of discussion in relevant UN fora, trade negotiations, andbilateral and multilateral meetings with actors who have a significant capacity to influence thesituation such as the United States and France.
Highlight ongoing mass atrocities and promote accountability○ Add Cameroon to the agenda of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
○ Demonstrate sustained attention from the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide,including a potential visit to Cameroon.
○ Create or support an independent investigation into abuses committed by all parties in
Cameroon to advance justice and accountability efforts.
○ Appoint a UN Special Envoy for Cameroon or a Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in
Cameroon to investigate mass atrocities and advance justice and accountability in Cameroon.
Prioritize efforts to protect and support people displaced by the crisis.
Increase support for local civil society organizations (CSOs) and other actors advancing atrocity
prevention in Cameroon.69○ Provide these actors with financial assistance and protection when appropriate, as CSOs in
Cameroon have faced significant threats and intimidation as they carry out their work.70
Integrate atrocity prevention into development programming.
○ Encourage entities such as the UN Development Program and other governments’development programs with active operations across Cameroon to analyze the effects of theirwork on current atrocity dynamics and their capacity to influence actors in the conflict toward
ending mass atrocities.

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For the United States government:●●

Formulate a clear atrocity prevention strategy based on comprehensive analysis and planning.
○ Conduct an internal comprehensive conflict and atrocity risk assessment for Cameroon to
inform the development of a new atrocity prevention strategy for the country.71○ Conduct scenario planning, including for Biya’s eventual transition out of power. Planningshould identify opportunities for programmatic and diplomatic actions to help prevent
atrocities in the context of a potentially disordered transition.
○ Review security assistance to Cameroon to ensure such assistance is not supporting violenceagainst civilians. Condition reinstatement of withheld security assistance on effective efforts
to protect civilians and promote accountability for grave human rights violations.
○ Arrange for the visit of senior US officials to Cameroon to demonstrate to the Cameroonian
government its commitment to preventing atrocities and holding perpetrators accountable.
○ Ensure implementation of outcomes of the United States-Africa Leaders Summit reflects theurgency of preventing mass atrocities in Cameroon.
Protect civilians fleeing violence in Cameroon○ Given the ongoing nature of the violence in Cameroon, Cameroonians seeking asylum in the
United States may credibly fear persecution or violence if they were to be returned. Whileeach asylum case is considered individually, as a general matter, the ongoing violence andpersecution in Cameroon’s Anglophone region is a threat to safety and may be a valid reason
for seeking refuge in the United States.72○ Expand the US government Temporary Protected Status for Cameroon after it expires in
December 2023 should risks remain in Cameroon.73○ Explore additional efforts to protect those fleeing violence as part of a broader atrocity
prevention and response plan.

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ENDNOTES
References to “the Anglophone crisis” and “the crisis in Northwest and Southwest Cameroon” are used interchangeably
to refer to the conflict in Cameroon’s Northwest/Southwest regions.
2“Cameroon,” Early Warning Project, US Holocaust Memorial Museum,https://earlywarningproject.ushmm.org/countries/cameroon. The Early Warning Project is a joint initiative of the SimonSkjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Dickey Center forInternational Understanding at Dartmouth College; The Early Warning Project focuses on the risk of new mass killing—asubset of mass atrocities—to help fill an analytic gap that is critical to prevention. The project defines a mass killing as
having occurred when the deliberate actions of armed groups—including but not limited to state security forces, rebel
armies, and other militias—result in the deaths of at least 1,000 non-combatant civilians who are targeted as part of a
specific group, over a period of one year or less. The Early Warning Project’s latest review of potential new mass killings
did not find sufficient evidence that the violence in Cameroon met these criteria. We revisit these judgments each year.
This assessment is just one tool meant to be a starting point for discussion and further research, not a definitive
conclusion on risks. Given the ongoing violence against civilians in Cameroon, deeper analysis about potential escalationis certainly merited.
3
Armed conflict and instability in the far north between Boko Haram and the state fall outside the scope of this brief.
4“Cameroon,” International Crisis Group, accessed January 17, 2023, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/centralafrica/cameroon; “Cameroon Situation Report,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, December 30,
2022, https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/cameroon/.
5“Risk of Mass Atrocities in Cameroon,” US Holocaust Memorial Museum, June 2020,
https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/Cameroon_Policy_Brief_June_2020_English.pdf.
6After World War I, the colonial powers of France and the United Kingdom administered the former German colony of
Kamerun as mandate territories and then as joint trustees, leading to the development of politically and culturally distinct
Francophone and Anglophone regions. For a more comprehensive background to the crisis, see “Risk of Mass Atrocities
in Cameroon,” 1-2.
7
Roxana Willis et al., “Human Rights Abuses in the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis: A Submission of Evidence to the UK
Parliament,” University of Oxford Faculty of Law, 2019, 7-8,
https://www.rightofassembly.info/assets/downloads/Cameroon_Anglophone_Crisis_Report.pdf.
8
See “Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis at the Crossroads,” International Crisis Group, August 2, 2017,https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/250-cameroons-anglophone-crisis-crossroads.
9“Cameroon Teachers, Lawyers Strike in Battle for English,” Al Jazeera, December 5, 2016,
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/5/cameroon-teachers-lawyers-strike-in-battle-for-english.
10“Cameroon,” Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, February 28, 2023,
https://www.globalr2p.org/countries/cameroon/.
11“Cameroon Situation Report,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, December 7, 2022,
https://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/cameroon-situation-report-7-december-2022.
12“Cameroon: Events of 2021,” Human Rights Watch, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/countrychapters/cameroon.
13“Human Rights Report between October 2021 and March 2022,” Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa,
December 9, 2022, https://www.chrda.org/human-rights-report-between-october-2021-and-march-2022-there-was-anincrease-in-human-rights-violations-and-abuses-by-the-state-defense-and-security-forces-and-non-state-armed-groups-incameroon/; “Cameroon: Events of 2021”; “Cameroon 2021,” Amnesty International, 2022,
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/cameroon/report-cameroon/; “Cameroon’s Unfolding
Catastrophe” 26-33; Willis et al., “Human Rights Abuses in the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis.”
14“Regional Overview: Africa, January 2023,” Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, February 1, 2023,
https://acleddata.com/2023/02/03/regional-overview-africa-january-2023/.
15“Cameroon: Armed Separatists’ Attack on Education,” Human Rights Watch, December 15, 2021,
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/12/15/cameroon-armed-separatists-attack-education; “Spiral of Violence Shuts Schools
in Cameroon's Anglophone Region,” Al Jazeera, December 11, 2021,
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/12/11/spiral-of-violence-shuts-schools-in-cameroons-anglophone-region.
16
Lizzy Davies, “'They Punished Me for Having Books': Schools in Cameroon Terrorised by Armed Groups,” The
Guardian, December 16, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/dec/16/they-punished-me-for1

SIMON-SKJODT CENTER FOR THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE

10having-books-schools-in-cameroon-terrorised-by-armed-groups; “Cameroon - The education crisis in the Northwest andSouthwest regions,” ACAPS, February 19, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/acaps-thematic-report-camerooneducation-crisis-northwest-and-southwest-regions-19.
17“Cameroon Humanitarian Situation Report No. 4: 1 January to 31 December 2022,” UNICEF, February 2, 2023,
https://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/unicef-cameroon-humanitarian-situation-report-no-4-1-january-31-december-20222-february-2023.
18“Cameroon,” Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; Moki Edwin Kindzeka, “After Cameroon Government
Ban from Western Regions, MSF Says Thousands Lack Healthcare,” Voice of America, June 23, 2021,
https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_after-cameroon-government-ban-western-regions-msf-says-thousands-lackhealthcare/6207370.html.
19“Cameroon Situation Report,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, August 5, 2021,
https://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/cameroon-situation-report-5-aug-2021; “European Parliament Resolution of 25
November 2021 on the Human Rights Situation in Cameroon,” European Parliament, 2021/2983(RSP), November 25,
2021, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0483_EN.html. The European Parliament resolution
notes “in the first five months of 2021, armed separatists carried out at least 27 attacks with improvised explosive devices
in 13 towns, more than in all previous years of the crisis combined.”20
Jess Craig, “Sexual Violence Pervasive in Cameroon's Anglophone Regions,” Al Jazeera, April 29, 2021,
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/29/gender-based-violence-pervasive-in-cameroons-anglophone-regions.
21
Experts interviewed by the Simon-Skjodt Center noted that individuals associated with the separatist movement may be
profiting from a “wartime economy” in a region where little other economic opportunity exists, and that some individuals
within the Cameroonian government may be incentivized not to end the crisis if it sends the self-serving message that astrong military response may be required to address the violence.
22
In 2019, the International Crisis Group estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 armed separatist combatants divided among
seven armed militias and about 20 smaller armed groups (“Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks?”
International Crisis Group, May 3, 2019, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/272-criseanglophone-au-cameroun-comment-arriver-aux-pourparlers). See also Tomás F. Husted, “Cameroon: Key Issues and U.S.
Policy,” Congressional Research Service, September 22, 2021, 6,
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46919/2.
23
R. Maxwell Bone, “Cameroon's Forgotten Civil War Is Getting Worse,” Foreign Policy, December 2, 2021,
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/02/cameroon-civil-war-worse-nigeria-ambazonia-anglophone-crisis/.
24
Bone, “Cameroon's Forgotten Civil War Is Getting Worse”.
25
Bone, “Cameroon's Forgotten Civil War Is Getting Worse”.
26
Moki Edwin Kindzeka, “Cameroon Separatists Infiltrate Town, Abduct Youths,” Voice of America, September 7, 2022,
https://www.voanews.com/a/cameroon-separatists-infiltrate-town-abduct-youths/6734751.html;
Moki Edwin Kindzeka, “Cameroon Says Separatists Disguised as Military Kill, Loot,” Voice of America, July 15, 2021,
https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_cameroon-says-separatists-disguised-military-kill-loot/6208288.html. The
International Crisis Group reported the conflict had spread into Cameroon’s Francophone regions by mid-2018(“Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks?” International Crisis Group, May 3, 2019,https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/272-crise-anglophone-au-cameroun-comment-arriver-auxpourparlers).
27“Cameroon: Civilians Massacred in Separatist Area,” Human Rights Watch, October 28, 2020,
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/02/25/cameroon-civilians-massacred-separatist-area; Jess Craig, “How an ‘executionstyle’ massacre unfolded in Cameroon,” The New Humanitarian, March 3 2020,
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2020/03/03/Cameroon-Ambazonia-Ngarbuh-massacre.
28“Cameroon: Civilians Massacred in Separatist Area.”
29
Mathieu Olivier, “Cameroon: After 40 Years as President, What's Life in a Post-Biya Era?” The Africa Report,
February 28, 2022, https://www.theafricareport.com/173211/cameroon-after-40-years-as-president-whats-life-in-a-postbiya-era/.
30
Husted, “Cameroon: Key Issues and U.S. Policy,” 1.
31
Husted, “Cameroon: Key Issues and U.S. Policy,” 14. Ryan Browne and Jennifer Hansler, “US to cut aid to Cameroon
due to alleged human rights violations,” CNN, February 7, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/06/politics/cameroonsecurity-assistance/index.html.
32
US Security assistance to Cameroon reportedly supports counterterrorism efforts, maritime security, and regional
stability, among other areas, according to the US Department of State (“U.S. Relations With Cameroon,” US Departmentof State, November 7, 2022, https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-withcameroon/#:~:text=U.S.%20security%20assistance%20strengthens%20Cameroon's,promotes%20respect%20for%20hum
an%20rights).
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“President Trump Terminates Trade Preference Program Eligibility for Cameroon,” US Trade Representative, October
31, 2019, https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/october/president-trump-terminatestrade; “Message to the Congress,” National Archives and Records Administration, October 31, 2019,https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/message-to-the-congress/; Antony Blinken, “Announcementof Visa Restrictions on Those Undermining the Peaceful Resolution of the Crisis in the Anglophone Regions of
Cameroon - United States Department of State,” US Department of State, June 7, 2021.
https://www.state.gov/announcement-of-visa-restrictions-on-those-undermining-the-peaceful-resolution-of-the-crisis-inthe-anglophone-regions-of-cameroon/.
34
US Congress, Senate, A resolution calling on the Government of Cameroon and separatist armed groups from theEnglish-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions to end all violence, respect the human rights of all Cameroonians,and pursue a genuinely inclusive dialogue toward resolving the ongoing civil conflict in Anglophone Cameroon, S. Res
684, 116th Cong., 2nd sess., introduced in Senate September 8, 2020, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116thcongress/senate-resolution/684/text?r=2&s=3; US Congress, House, Calling on the Government of Cameroon and armed
groups to respect the human rights of all Cameroonian citizens, to end all violence, and to pursue a broad-based
dialogue without preconditions to resolve the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions, H. Res 358, 116th Cong.,
1st sess., introduced in House May 7, 2019, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/358/text.
35“Deputy Secretary of State Sherman’s Meeting with Cameroonian Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella,” US
Department of State, December 18, 2022, https://www.state.gov/deputy-secretary-of-state-shermans-meeting-withcameroonian-foreign-minister-lejeune-mbella-mbella/.
36“Anglophone Crisis: Government finally rejects Swiss mediation, hangs on military option,” Mimi Mefo Info,
September 15, 2022, https://mimimefoinfos.com/anglophone-crisis-government-finally-rejects-swiss-mediation-hangson-military-option/; “Swiss facilitation process in Cameroon,” Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, June 27, 2019,https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-75621.html.
37“Statement on peace process in Cameroon,” Government of Canada, January 20, 2023,
https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2023/01/statement-on-peace-process-in-cameroon.html; “Canada Initiative
Offers Opportunity for Cameroon Peace Process,” International Crisis Group, February 9, 2023,
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/canada-initiative-offers-opportunity-cameroon-peace-process.
38“Canada Initiative Offers Opportunity for Cameroon Peace Process.”
39“Motion for a Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Cameroon, 2021/2983(RSP),” European Parliament,
November 23, 2022, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2021-0573_EN.html; “Council Conclusions
on Cameroon,” Council of the European Union, 7416/22, March 21, 2022,
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/54917/st07416-en22.pdf; “European Parliament Resolution of 25 November
2021 on the Human Rights Situation in Cameroon,” European Parliament, 2021/2983(RSP), November 25, 2021,
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0483_EN.html; “European Parliament resolution of 18 April
2019 on Cameroon,” European Parliament, 2019/2691(RSP), April 18, 2019,https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2019-0423_EN.html; “EU-Central Africa (Cameroon) Economic
Partnership Agreement,” October 2020, https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2020/october/tradoc_158984.pdf.
40“AU Expresses Concern on the Situation in Cameroon,” African Union, January 18, 2017,https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20170118-0.
41“Readout of the Visit of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to Cameroon,” African Union, July 16,
2018, https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20180716/readout-visit-chairperson-african-union-commission-cameroon; “The
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Welcomes the Initiative to Bring Peace to Cameroon,” African Union,
July 27, 2019, https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20190727/chairperson-african-union-commission-welcomes-initiative-bringpeace-cameroon. The chairperson of the African Union Commission also visited Cameroon in November 2019 as part ofa tripartite delegation. “Joint Final Declaration of the Tripartite Visit of the Chairperson of the AU Commission and theSecretaries General of the OIF and the Commonwealth,” African Union, November 28, 2019,https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20191128/joint-final-declaration-tripartite-visit-chairperson-au-commission-and.
42“Decision on the Report on the Activities of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the State of Peace and Security
in Africa,” African Union, Assembly/AU/Dec. 815 (XXXV), February 5-6, 2022,
https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/41583-Assembly_AU_Dec_813-838_XXXV_E.pdf; “Decision on the Report of
the Peace and Security Council on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa,” African Union,
Assembly/AU/Dec. 753 (XXXIII), February 9-10, 2020, https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/38180assembly_au_dec_749-795_xxxiii_e.pdf.
43“511 Resolution on the Continuing Violation of Human Rights Situation in the Republic of Cameroon,” African
Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, ACHPR/Res. 511, December 5, 2021,
https://www.achpr.org/sessions/resolutions?id=543; “442 Resolution on the Deterioration of the Human Rights Situationin Cameroon during the Covid-19 Period,” African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, ACHPR/Res. 442,
33

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August 7, 2020, https://www.achpr.org/sessions/resolutions?id=473; “Press Statement on Letter of Concern Issued on the
Human Rights Issues Arising from the Violent Crisis in the Republic of Cameroon,” African Commission on Human andPeoples' Rights, November 1, 2019, https://www.achpr.org/pressrelease/detail?id=457.
44“France/Cameroon: Macron to meet Biya amid human rights violations and increased repression,” Human Rights
Watch, July 22, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/07/22/france/cameroon-macron-meet-biya-amid-human-rightsviolations-and-increased.
45
For example, in February 2020, the UN Special Representatives for Children and Armed Conflict, Sexual Violence inConflict, Violence against Children, and the Prevention of Genocide issued a joint statement deploring the continued
reports of human rights abuses committed against civilians and calling for enhanced protection of civilians in theSouthwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon (“UN Officials Call for Enhanced Protection of Civilians Facing
Escalating Violence in Cameroon,” UN, February 21, 2020,
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/LiveRecovery%20save%20of%20UN%20Joint%20Statement_%2
0Cameroon_20200221_ENG..pdf). See also Ravina Shamdasani, “Press Briefing Notes on Cameroon,” OHCHR, October27, 2020, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2020/10/press-briefing-notes-cameroon; Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein,“High Commissioner's Global Update of Human Rights Concerns,” OHCHR, March 7, 2018,https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2018/03/high-commissioners-global-update-human-rights-concerns.
46
Emmanuel Igunza, “Top UN Adviser Calls for Cameroon Investigation,” BBC, October 1, 2018,https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa45685684?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5bb1cb9ffa05a40681d07d6f%26Top+UN+adviser+calls+for+Cameroon+investigation%262018-1001T10%3A24%3A25%2B00%3A00&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn%3Aasset%3Ae3536a09-c181-4462-986a377e2a39f25f&pinned_post_asset_id=5bb1cb9ffa05a40681d07d6f&pinned_post_type=share.
47“40th Human Rights Council Joint Statement on Cameroon,” UN Human Rights Council, March 21, 2019,https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/40th-hrc-joint-statement-cameroon.pdf
48
Cherith Norman Chalet, “Remarks at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on the Humanitarian Crisis in
Cameroon,” UN, May 13, 2019, https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-arria-formula-meeting-onthe-humanitarian-crisis-in-cameroon/.
49“Consolidated table of OHCHR recommendations and responses received from Cameroon following an OHCHR
technical mission to the country in September 2019,” OHCHR, November 2021,
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-06/Cameroon%20%20Consolidated%20table%20November%202021.pdf. In March 2022, then High Commissioner Bachelet reiterated herconcerns about violence against civilians in Cameroon and called for greater efforts to implement the recommendations
from the technical mission. Michelle Bachelet, “Annual Report and Oral Update by the High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the activities of her Office and recent human rights developments,” March 7, 2022,
https://www.ohchr.org/en/speeches/2022/03/global-update-bachelet-urges-inclusion-combat-sharply-escalating-miseryand-fear.
50“UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issues findings on Cameroon, Estonia, Kazakhstan andLuxembourg,” UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, April 29, 2022,
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/04/un-committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-issues-findingscameroon.
51“US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa,” The White House, August 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2022/08/U.S.-Strategy-Toward-Sub-Saharan-Africa-FINAL.pdf.
52“U.S. Relations with Cameroon,” US State Department, November 7, 2022, https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-withcameroon/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20and%20Cameroon%20signed%20a%20Bilateral%20Investment%20Tr
eaty,totaling%20%24249%20million%20in%202021.
53“US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa,” 6.
54“Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) - Cameroon,” US Department of State, April 4, 2022, 8, https://www.state.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2022/06/ICS_AF_Cameroon_Public.pdf.
55“US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa,” 5.
“US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa,” 5; “Cameroon Signs Russian Military Deal,” Africanews, April 21, 2022;
https://www.africanews.com/2022/04/21/cameroon-signs-russian-military-deal/; R. Maxwell Bone, “China and
Cameroon's Evolving Political and Military Cooperation,” The Diplomat, October 24, 2020,
https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/china-and-cameroons-evolving-political-and-military-cooperation/.
57“U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit,” State Department, accessed January 6, 2023, https://www.state.gov/africasummit/.
58
This commitment was most recently stated in the 2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to
Atrocities. “2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities,” US Department of State, July
56

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15, 2022, https://www.state.gov/2022-united-states-strategy-to-anticipate-prevent-and-respond-toatrocities/#:~:text=Atrocity%20prevention%20saves%20lives%20and,assisting%20in%20recovery%20from%20atrocities
59
Franck Foute, “Cameroon: Anglophone Secessionists Split on Swiss Mediation,” The Africa Report, July 15, 2019,https://www.theafricareport.com/15341/cameroon-english-secessionists-split-on-swiss-mediation/.
60
Moki Edwin Kindzeka, “Cameroon Denies Canada’s Mediation with Separatists,” January 24, 2023, Voice of America
News, https://www.voanews.com/a/cameroon-denies-canada-s-mediation-with-separatists-/6931795.html.
61
Major National Dialogue, accessed December 21, 2022, https://www.nationaldialogue.cm/.
62
Husted, “Cameroon: Key Issues and U.S. Policy,” 7-8.
63
As the International Crisis Group explains, “A peace process that ignores women’s positions would sideline a vibrantsource of perspectives on the conflict, ignore key constituencies and, in all likelihood, fail to address forms of violence
that particularly affect women. An inclusive peace process, on the other hand, would generate buy-in among women, who
would then help build support in society at large.” (“Rebels, Victims, Peacebuilders: Women in Cameroon’s Anglophone
Conflict,” International Crisis Group, February 23, 2022, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/centralafrica/cameroon/rebels-victims-peacebuilders-women-cameroons-anglophone-conflict.)64
Hundreds of individuals have been detained by the government throughout this conflict. Releasing arbitrarily detained
individuals could be a promising first step towards building trust and peace; “Cameroon: More than a Hundred Detainees
from Anglophone Regions and Opposition Party Languishing in Jail for Speaking Out,” Amnesty International, January
24, 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/01/cameroon-more-than-a-hundred-detainees-from-anglophone/.
65
Relatively strong research evidence—according to the US Holocaust Museum’s “Tools for Atrocity Prevention”
resource—indicates that when there is international support or coordination for the mediation effort and the mediation
implementer has strong leverage, mediation has a greater likelihood of success for helping prevent mass atrocities. For
more information, visit “Tools for Atrocity Prevention,” Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide,https://preventiontools.ushmm.org/mediation.
66“Home - the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations,” The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations, August 14, 2022,
https://coalitionfdn.org/.
67
As president Biya has repeatedly pushed back against western interference and highlighted the need for local solutions,the introduction of a new mediation process hosted and facilitated by African countries may be more effective in getting
the Cameroonian president to the bargaining table. As actors close to the conflict and representing the interests ofcivilians, CSOs working on grassroots peacebuilding should also be included in high-level mediation efforts as they bringa valuable understanding of the different separatist groups and the desires of civilians.
68
This recommendation reflects several factors a majority of experienced targeted sanctions practitioners indicated asassociated with greater effectiveness of targeted sanctions in helping prevent mass atrocities. These factors include (1) thetarget’s exposure to the international system, (2) the commitment of the sanctions implementer, (3) international support
or coordination around the sanctions policy, and (4) clear communication about the sanctions policy. For more
information, see “Using Targeted Sanctions to Help Prevent Mass Atrocities: Results from Interviews with Experienced
Practitioners,” Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, January 2023,
https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/2023_Report_Using-Targeted-Sanctions-to-Help-Prevent-Mass-Atrocities.pdf.
69
One of the main requests the Simon-Skjodt Center has received from CSOs working in Cameroon is for capacity
building support so that they may increase their impact.
70
Some local civil society organizations have produced encouraging results in their attempts to facilitate dialogue andmovement towards peace and meeting the needs of those affected by the conflict (Jess Craig, “In Cameroon's Neglected
Conflict, Local Peace Activists Are Making a Difference,” The New Humanitarian, June 3, 2021,
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2021/6/1/peace-activists-in-cameroon-try-to-end-a-brutal-war). One
expert included in our research shared that a local civil society organization has successfully engaged two strong
proponents of violence, highlighting the dangerous effects of their actions on their community and persuading them toinstead pursue peaceful dialogue. Another women’s group has attempted to begin grassroots peace talks but has faced
backlash from both rebel groups and government leaders.
71
The 2022 US Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent and Respond to Atrocities calls on the Atrocity Prevention Task Force toconduct atrocity risk assessments, and has issued an updated Atrocity Risk Assessment Framework to guide those efforts.
“2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities,” US Department of State, July 15, 2022,
https://www.state.gov/2022-united-states-strategy-to-anticipate-prevent-and-respond-toatrocities/#:~:text=Atrocity%20prevention%20saves%20lives%20and,assisting%20in%20recovery%20from%20atrocities; “U.S. Atrocity Risk Assessment Framework,” US Department of State, December 21, 2022, https://www.state.gov/u-satrocity-risk-assessment-framework/.
72
There are reports of Cameroonians denied asylum in the United States who faced detention, rape, torture, and othermistreatment upon return to Cameroon. (“‘How Can You Throw Us Back?’” Human Rights Watch, August 22, 2022,
SIMON-SKJODT CENTER FOR THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE14https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/02/10/how-can-you-throw-us-back/asylum-seekers-abused-us-and-deported-harmcameroon).
73“Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Cameroon,” US Citizenship and Immigration Services, accessed
December 21, 2022, https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-statusdesignated-country-cameroon; “Secretary Mayorkas Designates Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status for 18
Months,” US Citizenship and Immigration Services, April 15, 2022, https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/newsreleases/secretary-mayorkas-designates-cameroon-for-temporary-protected-status-for-18-months#:~:text=This%20
marks%20the%20first%20time,States%20since%20April%2014%2C%202022.

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