10 killed, 20 injured, scores displaced in renewed Northern Cameroonian crisis

Cameroonian authorities say clashes between ranchers and fishers have left at least ten people dead and scores wounded at Oloumsa, Northern Cameroon, thus forcing hundreds to flee into neighboring Chad.

The deadly clashes is caused by water scarcity, a perennial challenge the Cameroon Government have has been unable to address for years. This led to a bloody conflict between cattle ranchers and fishers in Ouloumsa on Monday.

Cameroon Government officials in Logone and Chari, an administrative unit across Cameroon’s northern border with Chad, said at least ten people were killed, more than twenty wounded, while another ten were left with life threatening injuries.

A Community leader in Logone and Chari, Mr Math Mazra told newsmen he is pleading with the population of Logone and Chari to stop the bloodshed and attacks on civilians who are not directly or indirectly responsible for the fresh fisher/cattle rancher conflicts.

“The conflict between cattle ranchers and fishers should not be allowed to degenerate into an armed dispute between Mousgoum and Arab Choua communities”, he said.

He also said that Mousgoum and Arab Choua Community leaders have asked the authorites to be more proactive so as nip the regular occurrences in the bud, once and for all.

In August, a similar mayhem, in the same areas led to the death of more than thirty people, seventy seriously injured while more than ten thousand others became internally displaced. A large number eloped to the neighbouring Chad.

The Seat of Government in Yaounde has acknowledged the attack. Armed Troops have since been deployed to the areas. President Paul Biya has also sent a delegation to negotiate an end to the crisis.

Cattle breeders accuse fishers of digging holes on farmlands. They say they lose livestock in those holes. The fishers say they dig the holes to conserve water and lure their catch.

Midjiyawa Bakari, Governor of Cameroon’s Far North region where Logone and Chari is located says the Government would soon put an end to the perennial crisis.

Government has been adviced to help the locals with infrastructure to ensure the Cattle ranchers do not graze their herds in areas reserved for fishing activities.

Bakari says Cameroon will give subsidies to fishers to create community fishponds and educate cattle ranchers to practice new methods that reduce land destruction, which will ultimately mean creating more ranches, instead of moving their herds in all directions.