CameroonKey figures
Who is fighting
Government of Cameroon
- Cameroon Armed Forces
- Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR)
- Gendarmerie
- Pro-government militias
Ambazonian separatist militias
- Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF)
- Ambazonia Restoration Forces
- Fako Unity Warriors and other local militias
- Diaspora funding networks (two alleged ADF commanders indicted in the US, 2025)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Cameroon's North West and South West regions were British-administered before joining francophone Cameroon in 1961. Strikes by Anglophone lawyers and teachers in 2016 against marginalisation were met with repression; in 2017 activists declared independence and armed groups such as the Ambazonia Defence Forces took up arms. The war has killed more than 6,500 people and displaced over 600,000, with massacres (Ngarbuh 2020, Kumba school 2020, Egbekaw 2023), village burnings by the army and separatist attacks on schools and civilians.
No unified separatist command exists; dozens of militias operate under self-styled 'generals' and fund themselves through kidnapping and extortion, while the army targets their leaders. A 2019 'Major National Dialogue' granted special status to the regions without ending the war, and internationally mediated talks collapsed. In 2026 the Supreme Court annulled life sentences against ten separatist leaders and ordered a retrial (March), a separatist alliance announced a three-day ceasefire (15-17 April) that was followed by renewed clashes, the army killed several militia commanders ('No Mercy', 'Sagat', 'Jakaban'), and separatists imposed lockdowns from 7 September, killing a senior police officer and abducting teachers in Wum. President Paul Biya, 93, was declared winner of an eighth term in October 2025 amid violent protests.
Recent developments
- 14 September 2026Attack on a bar in Bamenda kills three; seven people abducted in Bangourain the day before. source ↗
- 13 September 2026Separatists fire on a vehicle at Ekona, South West, killing three; soldiers kill one attacker as fighting intensifies during the lockdown. source ↗
- 8 September 2026Armed assailants kill a senior police officer and briefly abduct five teachers in Wum, Menchum division. source ↗
- 12 August 2026Thirteen bus passengers abducted on the Batibo-Mamfe road. source ↗
- 19 July 2026Army kills separatist commander 'Major General Sagat'; separatists kill a business owner in Bali. source ↗
Timeline
- 11 October 2016Anglophone lawyers and teachers strike against marginalisation; protests are repressed.
- 1 October 2017Separatists declare the independence of 'Ambazonia'; armed insurgency follows.
- 30 September 2019Government holds a 'Major National Dialogue'; special status for the regions is adopted without ending the war.
- 14 February 2020Ngarbuh massacre: soldiers and militia kill at least 21 civilians.
- 24 October 2020Kumba school massacre: gunmen kill seven children.
- 6 November 2023Egbekaw massacre: separatists kill at least 20 villagers.
- 5 September 2025Roadside bomb near Malende kills seven soldiers; US indicts two alleged ADF commanders.
- 27 October 2025Paul Biya declared winner of an eighth term; violent protests follow.
- 19 March 2026Supreme Court annuls life sentences against ten separatist leaders and orders a retrial.
- 15 April 2026A separatist alliance observes a three-day ceasefire; clashes resume on 22 April.
- 26 April 2026Military raid on Ndzerem-Nyam, Jakiri, kills 14 fighters and six civilians.
- 7 September 2026Separatists impose a week-long lockdown to disrupt school reopening; a senior police officer is killed in Wum on 8 September.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 6,500 | – | 'Over 6,500 lives' since 2017 (AllAfrica/Jamestown, 2025); earlier Crisis Group and UN estimates of around 6,000 civilians by 2023 are consistent. jamestown.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | – | – | Not published; 2026 incidents include two soldiers killed at Belo (March and June), two at Ikata (March), two at Noni (June) and seven in a September 2025 IED attack at Malende. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | – | – | No aggregate; 2026 incidents include 14 killed at Mbandfung (January), six civilians in a Jakiri raid (April), two students in Bambui (June) and three travellers at Ekona (September). en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | Not recorded. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 77 | – | Sum of explicitly reported deaths January-mid September 2026 from a timeline compilation; excludes unquantified incidents and most unreported rural violence. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | 600,000 | 700,000 | Over 600,000 (AllAfrica, 2025) to ~700,000 (compiled figure) internally displaced. jamestown.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | 63,800 | – | Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria as of March 2021 (Al Jazeera); no newer figure retrieved. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
Intensity classification: A compilation of reported incidents in the North West and South West regions records about 77 deaths between January and mid-September 2026 (separatist fighters, soldiers and civilians), which is an undercount given limited reporting; the conflict has fallen from its 2018-2020 peak but remains above the 25-death threshold..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Cameroon Anglophone crisis (Ambazonian separatist insurgency)?
Government of Cameroon (Cameroon Armed Forces, Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), Gendarmerie, Pro-government militias); against Ambazonian separatist militias (Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), Ambazonia Restoration Forces, Fako Unity Warriors and other local militias), supported by Diaspora funding networks (two alleged ADF commanders indicted in the US, 2025).
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 6,500+ killed as of 14 September 2026. 'Over 6,500 lives' since 2017 (AllAfrica/Jamestown, 2025); earlier Crisis Group and UN estimates of around 6,000 civilians by 2023 are consistent. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Cameroon Anglophone crisis (Ambazonian separatist insurgency) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Separatist militias seeking an independent 'Ambazonia' in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions have fought government forces since 2017 in a fragmented, low-intensity war marked by lockdowns, kidnappings and abuses by both sides. In 2026 the insurgency continued with ambushes on soldiers, military raids on militia hideouts, a brief separatist ceasefire in April, and a week-long lockdown in September to disrupt the school year, while peace talks remain dead.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 9 September 2017, but the underlying conflict dates back to 1961 — 9 years, 1 month ago.
Sources
- Crisis Group — Cameroon crisisgroup.org
- CrisisWatch — September 2026 crisisgroup.org
- Jamestown — Cameroon rattled by twin insurgencies (Nov 2025) jamestown.org
- Wikipedia — Timeline of the Anglophone Crisis (2026) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — Anglophone Crisis en.wikipedia.org
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