Cameroon Attack: 15 Dead in ISWAP Violence

At least 15 people lost their lives during a dawn raid that occurred in the Cameroonian village of Madegoua, located in the Far North region. As Reuters reports, the armed attack happened around 2 a.m. on Thursday, September 17. The information was provided by a member of local vigilantes and an administrator.

The raiders took away men from their homes and murdered them while they were tied. The number of people who died during the attack initially stood at 13. However, two other victims later lost their lives in a hospital located in Makary due to injuries sustained from the raid.

What Happened in Madegoua?

This attack happened in Madegoua, a village located near Makary in the Logone-et-Chari department of Cameroon. This region is close to the borders of the country with Nigeria and Chad and is part of the larger Lake Chad security belt.

As per the locals, the attackers came during the night and attacked the people within their houses. The people who died in the attack were reportedly buried on Thursday, but as per Reuters, it could not confirm this through the video footage that shows the burial of these people.

There are also concerns regarding people who could be missing as a result of the attack.

Who Was Behind This Attack?

No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting.

The attack, according to a security analyst quoted by Reuters, was conducted by members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) that operates in the Lake Chad basin. However, the residents linked this attack to the Boko Haram militants.

This is significant because there are several armed factions and groups that exist within the Lake Chad basin. The current information does not prove the involvement of ISWAP in the attack, but only alleges it.

There was also a possibility raised by some villagers that the attack may have occurred due to a previous warning from militants asking the villagers to leave their homes, as it may have been because of its strategic position close to Makary. This is only one of the allegations made by the villagers.

Why the Lake Chad Basin Is Still Vulnerable

The Far North region of Cameroon has experienced several attacks from Boko Haram and its associated groups operating in the Lake Chad basin.

The porous nature of borders and difficult terrain in the area allow such armed groups to move through national borders, while remote areas are difficult to provide protection to. As per previous analysis carried out by the Institute for Security Studies, isolated villages and poorly protected security posts can become targets of ISWAP and other militant groups.

Cameroon is also part of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which is a military organization in the region that consists of Lake Chad countries.

Meaning of the Attack in Northern Cameroon

The massacre at Madegoua shows that civilians continue to be vulnerable despite the military operations being undertaken regionally.

To the people living in Cameroon’s Far North, insecurity goes beyond the threat to their personal lives but extends to freedom of movement, market and livelihood access.

This event follows an already existing trend of militant activity in Lake Chad, where factions of Boko Haram and ISWAP continue their operations despite the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign.