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11, October 2024
Kidnappings doubled in Southern Cameroons in 2023 0
In 2023, nearly 450 ransom kidnappings were recorded in the English-speaking regions of North-West and South-West Cameroon, both deeply affected by the ongoing crisis. This figure is more than double that of 2022, when around 200 kidnappings were documented. These statistics come from a report published in September 2024 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled). The report reveals that in 2018, approximately 40 kidnappings were registered, followed by a slight drop in 2019. However, since 2020, the number of abductions has steadily increased, peaking in 2023.
Analysts from these organizations attribute this rise to a reduction in financial support from the diaspora to separatist fighters. Deprived of this backing, armed groups have turned to ransom kidnappings to fund their operations. ” In response to the reduced international financial support, separatist groups increasingly kidnap civilians to fund their operations,” the report states.
The document also notes that at the start of armed conflicts in 2017, more than 89% of attacks targeting civilians were attributed to government forces. However, separatists have gradually intensified their attacks on civilians, reaching nearly 48% of political violence in 2020. “This elevation in civilian targeting, including a steep rise in abductions and kidnapping for ransom in 2022 and 2023, further compounded the waning support from both the diaspora and local civilians,” the study highlights.
In addition to the loss of external support due to the kidnappings, separatists have also seen their popularity dwindle among local populations. “Although effective from a fundraising perspective, the abductions diminished support from local populations and many diaspora supporters,” the report specifies.
Regarding kidnapping targets, separatists primarily choose individuals who are “politically influential, wealthy, or both.” They also abduct ordinary people, though ransom amounts depend on the victim’s profile, wealth, and vulnerability to abduction. Additionally, members of the security forces and the military remain prime targets for the separatists.
Source: Sbbc