Boko Haram harass far North Region inhabitants

The Nigerian Islamist group, Boko Haram have recently intensified their activities in the far North region of Cameroon, defying the army mobilized to fight against these insurgents. Attacks on police, abductions and murders are becoming rampant in the area. "Boko Haram are always very dangerous" despite the deployment of the army to fight them, says a Cameroonian policeman based in the border town.

The Islamists shot two Cameroonian shepherds on the night of July 10-11 during a raid in the village of Bame in the Kolofata district, less than 10km from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the officer who requested anonymity. "They also stole 200 cattle before turning to Sambissa", in Nigeria, about 30 kilometers away, which according to sources house several camps of insurgents, the officer added. It is in this vast forest that, according to many sources, the 200 or more Nigerian schoolgirls abducted on April 14 by Boko Haram are hosted.

Cameroon, like other countries in the region, recently strengthened its fight against the Nigerian Islamists after international outrage that followed the removal of the adolescent girls. Boko Haram members also attacked, still in the night of 10-11 July, a police brigade at Bomberi, 5 km from Nigeria, wounding a Cameroonian policeman, carrying a weapon, ammunitions and a pickup which was thereafter recovered by Cameroonian soldiers in the Nigerian territory, another Cameroonian police officer remarhed on condition of anonymity.

In addition, the Nigerian armed group kidnapped on Monday, a Cameroonian, a 20 year old male in the village of Balgaram (7 km from Nigeria) after the failure of an attack, foiled by the army with information from the people. Boko Haram also mounted pressure on a traditional chief in Limani, taking way two of his sons before releasing them the next day; this act however was to intimidate their father.

The rapid intervention battalion (BIR), a Cameroonian elite unit, with an agreement with the Nigerian Army recently conducted, a foray at Tarmoa to destroy a camp of Boko Haram. "There is currently a tacit agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon military to share the border for their actions against Boko Haram", he explained, even if Cameroon is officially opposed to the right of pursuit in its territory.

The Cameroonian army, mobilized in the region against the insurgents, killed several in recent weeks. Many people suspected that the organization to collaborate with them, were arrested and transferred to Yaoundé. "Boko Haram is disorganized owing to the combined actions of Cameroonian and Nigerian forces. But its supporter’s still commit abuses in Cameroon," said the officer.

On the contrary, another policeman stated that the insurgents have instead restricted to some extent their movement in the Cameroonian region because "they know very well" the positions of the army.

These Islamists, who have long regarded this border area as a refuge, an area not only conducive for the kidnappings of Westerners, but also for the transit and supply of weapons and explosives, are still terrorizing the populations. "When the night falls, we fear, we do not sleep", said a police officer from the border town.