A resurgence of tit-for-tat violence between herders and farmers has killed at least 22 people and injured more than 30 others this week in Cameroon’s Far North region, a regional government official said on Thursday, prompting residents to flee to Chad.
“We are in a full-on inter-community conflict,” said the Cameroonian regional official
The mayor of Chad’s capital N’Djamena, Ali Haroun disclosed that hundreds of people fleeing the violence between Arab Shua herders and Mousgoum and Massa farmers have streamed across the border into neighboring Chad
A traditional leader in northern Cameroon narrated that the violence began over access to water.
“The Arab Shua wanted to take their herds to the banks of a river. The Mousgoum and Massa prevented them,” the leader said.
The United Nations refugee agency, which is responding to the crisis, said in a report in November that reduced rainfall in the area has dried up rivers and seasonal ponds that communities depend on, leading to clashes.
Similar violence in August between Shua herders and Mousgoum fishermen killed dozens of people and forced thousands to flee to Chad.
“This problem needs to be resolved quickly because a few months ago, there were already deaths. Today, when there is a problem between two people from different communities, all the communities get involved with weapons,” the leader said.
Chad’s President Mahamat Idris Deby said on Twitter late on Wednesday that over 30,000 Cameroonians had sought refuge in Chad, but did not specify if they were all from the latest wave of violence.
He urged the international community to provide prompt aid to help Chad deal with the situation.