The government of Cameroon announced on Tuesday that soldiers killed nine civilians, including an 18-month-old daughter. Authorities described the event as a “clearly unreasonable” and “hurried” response to a confrontation in the country’s restive English-speaking region.
Four soldiers were hunting for a missing colleague in the town of Missong in Northwest Cameroon on June 1st when they came upon a group of furious people, whom the Defense Ministry described as “mad.”
A conflict has been tearing apart Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions since 2017. Both the military and secessionist insurgents have been accused of crimes against humanity.
The first victims of war are civilians caught in the crossfire. According to the International Crisis Group, more than 6,000 people have died as a result of the conflict.
