In a tragic outbreak of violence in northern Cameroon, three people were killed and a dozen more injured due to clashes over cattle theft, local authorities reported on Monday.
The deadly conflict erupted in the Gobo district, located in the Far North region, which borders both Nigeria and Chad. Regional Governor Bakari Midjiyawa confirmed that houses were burned, and shops looted during the violence.
The violence is believed to have been triggered by ongoing cattle thefts between two ethnic communities. Midjiyawa stated that police were quickly deployed to restore order, with all local activities, including agriculture, livestock farming, fishing, and education, coming to a halt.
A witness described the killing of a Massa cattle buyer on the road, who had been attempting to purchase goats when the attack occurred. Tensions between the Massa and Moussey people, who have coexisted for centuries, have escalated into violent conflict in recent days.
Governor Midjiyawa reflected on the long history of peaceful relations between the two groups, emphasizing that the true enemy was poverty. “Rather than waging war, we must fight poverty,” he said in a press briefing.
While clashes between ethnic groups are rare in Cameroon, they have been more common in neighboring countries, particularly in Chad and Nigeria. In those regions, tensions often flare between farmers and semi-nomadic herders.
Ethnic Clashes Claim Three Lives in Northern Cameroon
Cameroon’s Far North region also faces the added challenge of cross-border attacks from northeastern Nigeria, further complicating the security situation.