The silent crisis of Cameroon’s ransom-fueled war

November 7, 2025

What began in 2016 as peaceful protests by Cameroon's English-speaking minority over language and legal marginalization has devolved into a profitable kidnapping industry run by separatist armed groups. These fighters, originally seeking independence for a state called "Ambazonia," now systematically abduct civilians and extort ransoms that are reinvested into weapons, drugs, and sustaining the conflict itself. In 2023 alone, armed groups extracted approximately $7.

Who is affected

Civilians in Cameroon's English-speaking North-West and South-West regions
Families of kidnapping victims, including Audrey Shiynyuy (whose father was killed after ransom payment)
Journalist Fred Vubem Toh (kidnapped and escaped)
Principal Godwin Benyella and his son (targeted in multiple incidents)
Teachers, school principals, and farmers
Tunisian construction workers (kidnapped on Kumba-Bakassi road)
Over 1.1 million displaced people
6,000+ people killed in the conflict as of 2024
Former combatants: 373 men, 111 women, and 75 children in North West Region; 651 men, 30 women, and 23 children in South West Region

What action is being taken

The National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee (NDDRC) is processing ex-combatants through reintegration programs in Bamenda and Buea centres
Former fighter Okha Naseri Clovis is working as a peace activist with My Kontri People Dem (MKPD), completing his Bachelor's degree, and encouraging communities to unite and resist armed groups
Governors of both regions are implementing efforts to protect civilians (as reported in media)

Why it matters

This conflict demonstrates how ideological struggles can be corrupted into pure criminal enterprises, creating a self-sustaining war economy where kidnapping generates revenue that finances further violence. The ransom payments create severe market distortions, force families to liquidate productive assets like land, and generate intergenerational poverty while providing armed groups with reliable income streams that make peace economically disadvantageous. This situation reflects a dangerous global pattern seen in Nigeria, Mali, and Haiti, where profitable conflicts resist resolution, and represents a humanitarian crisis affecting over a million displaced people with minimal international attention or intervention.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices