The United Nations announced on Thursday that 32 people have been killed and 74 others injured in far northern Cameroon due to clashes that erupted last week between fishermen and herders, resulting in the burning of entire villages—a rare conflict between these two ethnic groups in the region. Local authorities had previously reported last week an initial toll of 12 people killed and 48 injured in those clashes.
On Thursday, the UN Refugee Agency stated in a release that "a total of 19 villages were burned" during the clashes that occurred in the Logone-Birni area near the border with Chad, which "resulted in 32 deaths and 74 injuries." The clashes broke out between herders from the Arab Chawa tribe and fishermen from the Mousgoum ethnic group over disputes regarding fishery resources and agricultural land.
According to the United Nations, "the most serious similar event recorded previously occurred in 2019, which led to the death of one person." The UN statement explained that "in Cameroon, local authorities in the far north are working to restore calm and provide assistance to the victims." For his part, Midjiyawa Bakari, Governor of the Far North region, expressed regret that the clashes "erupted over a trivial reason," noting that "an incident between two individuals" escalated into confrontations between the two ethnic groups.
A local official in the Logone-Birni area informed AFP that the violence included attacks with machetes, knives, and arrows. The clashes forced 11,000 people from both sides to cross the nearby border seeking safe refuge in neighboring Chad. Iris Blum, deputy representative of the UN Refugee Agency in Chad, told AFP that "85% of these refugees are women and children." In addition to these refugees, about 7,300 people have been displaced within Cameroon.
The United Nations warned that these "new arrivals in Chad are in urgent need of shelter, especially during this rainy season." The statement added that "many of them are sleeping under trees, while others have found refuge in schools or with host families." The UN emphasized that the needs of these refugees for "food and water remain urgent."
Violent ethnic clashes are rare in Cameroon, unlike the situation in neighboring countries, particularly Chad, where at least 22 people were killed on August 7 in clashes between farmers and herding communities.
