The attack took place in Bali Nyonga when gunmen, believed to be separatist fighters, stormed a bar near the Ntafoang roundabout and opened fire on patrons.
The Attack
"The attackers took everyone by surprise and started shooting indiscriminately. A well-known local businessman called Lexus was killed, and they kept shooting, injuring two other people as they tried to escape. It was really terrifying," a resident who was at the bar told Xinhua by phone.
The deceased victim has been identified locally as Lexus, a prominent businessman in the area. One of the injured, identified as Kumalo, is currently receiving treatment at a health facility, while the identity of the third victim has not yet been established.
The gunmen also set fire to a public building—the roof of the Bali tribune, a structure that had been recently renovated and contributed to the beauty of the Ntafoang roundabout area—before fleeing the scene.
Local police confirmed that additional troops have been deployed to the area to restore security, and an investigation is expected to be conducted to determine the full circumstances of the incident.
A Pattern of Violence
This shooting occurred as Bali Nyonga was experiencing a period of relative calm, raising new concerns about security in the region. Bar shootings have become increasingly common in Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where separatists have been clashing with government forces since 2017 seeking to establish an independent state in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
The violence is part of a broader pattern of escalating attacks. In June, at least four people were shot dead in a similar bar shooting in the Noni locality, where gunmen killed two women and two soldiers who were drinking in the bar. Just last month, suspected separatist fighters shot and killed two students in Bambui and two Cameroonian soldiers were killed in a separatist ambush in the Belo locality.
The Broader Conflict
Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have been gripped by an armed separatist conflict since 2017, when anglophone militants declared an independent state in the two regions, triggering a crackdown by authorities. The spiral of fighting has claimed more than 6,000 lives and prompted more than one million people to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).
Separatists have targeted police, soldiers, officials and schools, which they deem to be symbols of the state, often carrying out kidnappings for ransom. Civilians have suffered abuses committed by both sides, according to international NGOs and the United Nations.
As security operations continue, the government has called on local populations to collaborate with security forces to track down the perpetrators. No group has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday's shooting and authorities have not yet issued an official statement.
