Every 1 October, Cameroon marks the anniversary of the 1961 reunification that joined the former French colony with Southern Cameroons, then under British administration. For many anglophone Cameroonians, however, that union remains contested. It was on this same date in 2017 that separatists in the North-West and South-West regions declared the independence of Ambazonia, turning a historical commemoration into a flashpoint that has shaped the country’s trajectory ever since.
A decade of tension distilled into a single day
This year, separatist groups called a ‘ghost town’ operation across several towns in the North-West and South-West (NOSO). The authorities, anticipating unrest, deployed security forces in a wide dragnet. By midday, no major incident had been reported. Yet daily life in the main urban centres had slowed to a crawl, with residents choosing to remain indoors on a date loaded with symbolism.
In Bamenda, the North-West’s largest city, an area resident described going out for a morning run through nearly empty streets before returning home for the rest of the day. Tanks and numerous military patrols were visible at junctions, a presence some locals described as a deterrent. A similar mood prevailed in Buea, the South-West’s main city, and in neighbouring towns, where people also stayed home.
Social media becomes a stage for reflection
On platforms such as TikTok, panels displaying the blue-and-white colours claimed by separatists hosted lively discussions about the decade of crisis that has marked both anglophone regions. The conversations reflected a growing desire among some to take stock of what has been lost.
In a reflection shared on 1 October, Khongor Félix Agbor, a lawyer and former detainee linked to the anglophone crisis, remembered ‘the families who have buried loved ones, the displaced, the children whose schooling was interrupted, all those living in fear, and the detainees of the anglophone crisis.’
According to several NGOs, the conflict has left more than 6,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced over ten years.
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