Cameroon Sentences Three Soldiers for 2020 Civilian Killings. Yaoundé, Cameroon — A military court in Yaoundé has sentenced three soldiers to prison for their involvement in the killing of 21 civilians during unrest in Cameroon’s English-speaking northwest in February 2020, according to victims’lawyers. “Sergeant Baba Guida was sentenced to eight years’imprisonment.
Gendarme Haranga Gilbert was sentenced to 10 years’imprisonment. Corporal Sanding Sanding was sentenced to five years’imprisonment, “the lawyers stated.
The incident, which occurred during a military operation in the North — West region, was marked by government troops and ethnic Fulani militia raiding the village of Ngarbuh.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the soldiers set fire to five houses and carried out looting and assaults on residents. Thirteen of the victims were children, and one was a pregnant woman.
The government initially denied any deliberate participation by its troops in the violence.
However, it later opened a legal case, leading to the rare conviction of military personnel.
The conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions has been ongoing for almost a decade, following attempts to secede from the rest of the country.
Since the conflict began, at least 6,000 civilians have been killed by government forces and separatist fighters, according to HRW. Further details are expected as the situation develops.
