The Silent Crisis Of Cameroon’s Ransom-Fueled War
Photo of the Buea National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee for ex-fighters of Boko Haram and armed groups in the North-West and South-West Regions, from their archives, used with permission By Cynthia Ebot Takang What began in 2016 as a social uprising in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions has degenerated into a profitable business: Armed groups now sustain the Anglophone crisis through a brutal system of kidnappings, extorting at least USD 7,884,000 (FCFA 4.5 billion) from civilians in 2023 alone. It all started as a plea for financial support. A phone call from an unknown number, asking those who hailed from Cameroon’s English-speaking regions to contribute to a struggle for liberation from marginalization. That plea has curdled into a threat. The “struggle” has today transformed into a full-blown business. The “War Generals” are now the executives of this enterprise. Kidnapping is their business strategy. Ransom payments and levies are their profit. Fam...
