Security forces in Cameroon’s Northwest are searching for attackers after a raid on a teacher training centre in Wum left a police officer dead and five teachers abducted, regional governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique told AFP. The assault highlights a decade-long conflict in the country’s Anglophone regions, where separatist groups and government forces have clashed since 2016. The United Nations estimates at least 6,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands displaced amid ongoing violence and school disruptions.
Gunmen Kill Police Officer, Abduct Five Teachers in Cameroon’s Northwest — Authorities Search for Attackers
[Al Jazeera]
Security forces in Cameroon’s Northwest Region are searching for attackers after gunmen raided a teacher training centre in Wum on Tuesday, killing a police officer and abducting five teachers, regional governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique told AFP.
"The armed individuals unleashed a hail of bullets on him, killing him instantly, and took five teachers with them to an unknown location," Lafrique said.
The raid took place on Tuesday morning in Wum, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Bamenda. A police officer at the scene attempted to intervene but was shot dead, and the assailants fled with five staff members.
Context
The Northwest and Southwest regions are Cameroon's two Anglophone areas, where separatist groups and government forces have clashed for roughly a decade. Local separatist leaders recently announced a lockdown intended to disrupt the school year, heightening risks to students and teachers.
Protests by teachers and lawyers over perceived francophone encroachment in the education and legal systems were met with a violent government crackdown in late 2016. An armed conflict escalated in 2017, and civilians have since faced extortion, kidnappings for ransom and other abuses.
According to the United Nations, at least 6,000 people have been killed since 2016. More than 330,000 people were internally displaced in Cameroon last year, and roughly 100,000 fled across the border to neighbouring Nigeria.
Humanitarian and Security Concerns
The targeted attack on a teacher training centre underscores mounting threats to education and civilian safety in the Anglophone regions. Authorities say security forces are conducting searches to locate the kidnapped teachers and to apprehend those responsible.
Reporting by AFP; further updates are expected as the investigation continues.
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