Cameroon’s Far North Faces Boko Haram Threat as Insurgents Seek Stronger Foothold
Cameroon’s Far North region faces a growing threat as Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) pushes toward Mayo‑Sava, risking a loss of territorial control, greater exposure of border corridors and fresh population displacement. The insurgents rely on Cameroonian fighters who are often local youths known to their families and communities, giving residents a unique ability to identify those carrying out attacks. Experts argue that a targeted defection programme—offering financial incentives, vocational training and strong involvement of host communities—could persuade these fighters to abandon the militants, mirroring Nigeria’s Operation Sulhu, which has prompted senior Boko Haram commanders to leave the group and weakened its operations. Currently Cameroon’s disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme struggles because it lacks incentives for surrender, does not focus on Boko Haram leaders and gives limited roles to affected‑community stakeholders. Analysts note that Nigerian commanders dominate the leadership of both ISWAP and Boko Haram, controlling finances and supplies, and often prioritise their own interests over Cameroonian front‑line leaders, a dynamic that could encourage the latter to surrender if pressured. By concentrating military and intelligence efforts on a few key Cameroonian leaders in the Far North, the link between the insurgents’ periphery in Cameroon and their core strongholds in Borno, north‑east Nigeria, could be severed. Preventing Boko Haram from granting Cameroonians greater responsibility would also curb the expansion of terrorist networks and reduce the likelihood of further attacks in northern Cameroon.