Three Cameroonian soldiers have been sentenced to prison for their role in the killing of at least 21 civilians in the country’s troubled Anglophone region.
The jail terms range from 5 to 10 years per person, with a militia member also receiving a sentence for murder, arson, and destruction.
The convictions stem from a 2020 attack in the Northwest region, where soldiers and a local militia raided the village of Ngarbuh, killing civilians, including 13 children.
Human Rights Watch and lawyers for the victims criticize the sentences as “insignificant” and argue that senior military officers should be held accountable.
The conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions has lasted nearly a decade, with separatist fighters and state forces accused of widespread abuses.
The UN estimates the conflict has killed at least 6,000 people and displaced over half a million others.
