Nguetchewe attack

The Nguetchewe attack occurred on 2 August 2020 in Nguetchewe, a village in Far North Region, Cameroon.[1] At least 18 people were killed and another 7 were injured in the grenade attack by Boko Haram.[1]

Nguetchewe attack
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
Location of Far North Region in Cameroon
LocationNguetchewe, Far North Region, Cameroon, Cameroon
Date2 August 2020
TargetIDP camp
WeaponsGrenade
Deaths18
Injured7
PerpetratorsBoko Haram suspected

Background

Since 2014, Boko Haram has launched regular attacks throughout northeastern Nigeria and neighboring regions, typically aimed with stealing livestock and food. The group, which formed in 2009, has had an armed campaign in the northeastern regions of Nigeria that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and displacement of millions.[1] According to the UN Refugee Agency, violence committed by Boko Haram has affected some 26 million people in the Lake Chad region and displaced 2.6 million others.[2]

Attack

An attack by Boko Haram occurred in the early hours of August 2, 2020, at a IDP camp in the village of Nguetchewe, Far North Region, Cameroon.[3] According to district mayor Medjeweh Boukar, "the assailants in the early hours of Sunday threw a grenade into a group of sleeping people inside the camp." The camp, which housed 800 people at the time of the attack, had been a relative calm for the past few weeks.[1] "They [Boko Haram] took advantage of their knowledge of the terrain to bypass surveillance points and the positions of the security forces. They surprised us," said local mayor Mahamat Chetima Abba. The attack occurred in Mozogo district, near the Nigerian-Cameroon border in the Far North region.[1] Following the attack, some of the wounded were evacuated to nearby Mokolo district hospital while some 1,500 people, including terrified residents of the hosting village, have fled to the nearby town of Mozogo for safety.[3]

Reactions

The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, strongly condemned the attack and deployed an emergency mission to the area. The mission assessed the situation and evaluated the protection and health needs of those affected.[3]

References
  1. "Suspected Boko Haram militants kill 16 in northern Cameroon". August 2, 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
  2. "Cameroon: 18 civilians killed in Boko Haram attack".
  3. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "UNHCR outraged by attack on camp hosting displaced people in Cameroon, at least 18 people killed". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
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