After a decade of conflict, what remains of the anglophone separatist dream?
As Cameroon marks ten years since the first anglophone protests in October 2016, the debate over who is truly behind the violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions grows louder. In a scathing editorial titled “October 2016 – October 2026: Cameroon’s Unyielding Security Resolve”, Cyrille Atonfack Guemo, Communication Director at the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF), delivers a damning assessment of armed separatist groups. He accuses them of hijacking the initial grievances of the anglophone population for personal gain, warning of the devastating toll on civilians.
From protests to predation: how separatist groups weaponized dissent
The unrest that began with corporatist demands from lawyers and teachers in 2016 quickly spiraled into organized armed rebellion, according to Atonfack Guemo. Far from being a spontaneous uprising, he argues, the movement required years of meticulous planning, including the establishment of support networks, hierarchy structuring, indoctrination, training, and logistical preparation. The use of coordinated armed attacks across distant regions—despite their geographic separation—underscores the depth of this groundwork.
But what began as a fight for rights soon devolved into a brutal campaign of predation. The so-called separatists, Atonfack Guemo contends, never truly sought to liberate the people of the Northwest and Southwest. Instead, they systematically dismantled the very foundations of civil society:
- Economic strangulation: Through extortion, looting, and the destruction of infrastructure, separatists have stripped communities of their livelihoods.
- Education destroyed: Schools burned, teachers targeted, and students denied access to learning—leaving a generation in darkness.
- Healthcare in ruins: Hospitals and clinics systematically attacked, medical personnel murdered, and health services collapsed.
- Social fabric shredded: Families torn apart by displacement, women and girls subjected to gender-based violence, and traditional structures of authority eroded.
Freedom or tyranny? The hollow narrative of separatist leaders
Atonfack Guemo dismantles the separatist movement’s claims with a series of rhetorical questions. If separatists truly sought liberation, why block civilians from accessing food, healthcare, or education? How could they claim to uplift a people while imposing exile, poverty, and terror? The editorial highlights the stark contrast between the separatists’ public narrative and their actions:
- Expatriate enclaves vs. local devastation: While separatist leaders and their families thrive abroad in safe, opulent environments, their supposed constituents suffer in refugee camps.
- Selective violence: Critics advocating for peace—including those calling for disarmament and dialogue—have been systematically silenced through targeted assassinations.
- Economic abandonment: Alleged “patriots” abroad funnel resources into sustaining the conflict rather than rebuilding the regions they claim to represent.
What future awaits Cameroon’s war-torn regions?
The editorial paints a grim picture of the separatist project’s long-term consequences. The Northwest and Southwest, once thriving agricultural and commercial hubs, now face irreversible decline. The destruction of farms, markets, and transport routes has crippled local economies, while the exodus of professionals—teachers, doctors, farmers—has left communities hollowed out. Atonfack Guemo warns that the longer the conflict persists, the more difficult recovery will become. Yet he strikes an optimistic note, arguing that the days of the separatist charade are numbered. The resilience of Cameroonians, he suggests, will ultimately prevail over the greed and hypocrisy of those who claim to fight for freedom.
Can Cameroon reclaim its lost regions?
The path forward, according to Atonfack Guemo, hinges on three pillars:
- Restoring security: Demobilizing armed groups and dismantling their networks to end the cycle of violence.
- Rebuilding institutions: Reopening schools, restoring healthcare facilities, and rehabilitating economic activity to regain public trust.
- Uniting behind dialogue: Prioritizing constitutional solutions over armed confrontation to address grievances and prevent further bloodshed.
The editorial closes with a rallying cry: “Let us remain vigilant, let us stay patriotic, let us finally love Cameroon—and its people.” Atonfack Guemo’s words serve as both a warning and a challenge: to recognize the separatist project for what it truly is—a vehicle for exploitation masquerading as liberation—and to reclaim the future of the Northwest and Southwest from those who have betrayed its people.
