Gunmen suspected to be separatists in Cameroon's troubled northwest have carried out a deadly attack, resulting in the tragic deaths of 10 individuals, including a just-married couple.

Suspected separatist gunmen carried out an attack in Bamenda, Cameroon's troubled northwest, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals, including a recently married couple. The couple, known as Mr. Simplice Longtsi Tsomene and Mme Tanga Helene Raissa, had legalized their union two months ago after being together for several years. They owned a phone shop in Bamenda and resided in Abangoh with their children and other family members. The attackers, arriving in vehicles, arrived at a busy junction on the evening of July 16, 2023. They forced people to the ground, accusing them of failing to support local separatists, and proceeded to open fire. Some complied with their demands, while others fled.

The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), the primary separatist group in the English-speaking region, which has been engaged in a protest against perceived marginalization by the predominantly French-speaking government since 2017, denied responsibility for the incident. The regional governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, confirmed the massacre and initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, referring to them as "terrorists."

According to a witness, individuals wearing military uniforms arrived in two vehicles at Nacho Junction, a location housing restaurants, bars, and shops, at approximately 7:30 pm. They indiscriminately shot at people before fleeing the scene. A spokesperson for the ADF, Lucas Asu, raised the possibility that the attack could be a revenge killing, suggesting that the assailants may have disguised themselves as separatist fighters.

The conflict in Cameroon's English-speaking regions originated from longstanding disparities between the French and English academic, legal, and administrative systems. Protests and riots erupted in 2016 due to perceived political and economic marginalization, which were met with violent suppression, leading to a full-fledged conflict. The death toll in Anglophone Cameroon has surpassed 6,000. Amnesty International recently criticized government troops, militias, and separatists for committing various human rights violations, including killings, rapes, torture, and the destruction of homes, in the country's English-speaking regions.