Cameroonian forces killed four Boko Haram militants during a nighttime raid in the volatile Far North region, military officials confirmed Monday, marking a tactical win in a broader struggle to curb the group’s resurgence.
The operation, launched Sunday in Walassa near the Nigerian border, targeted fighters accused of orchestrating a spate of recent kidnappings that left civilians dead. Troops seized weapons and scattered wounded insurgents, according to a senior military official who spoke anonymously, underscoring the fragile security gains in an area plagued by cross-border raids.
The offensive comes as Boko Haram intensifies attacks in Cameroon’s Far North, abducting over 20 people in separate incidents last week—a grim pattern echoing the group’s 2014 incursion into the region. While the raid disrupts militant operations temporarily, analysts warn such victories remain tenuous without addressing root causes like porous borders and chronic underdevelopment. “These strikes are necessary but reactive,” said Nkemdilim Iheanachor, a Sahel security specialist. “Boko Haram regenerates quickly, exploiting local grievances and weak governance.”
Cameroon’s military, stretched thin across the Lake Chad Basin, faces mounting pressure as militants adapt tactics. Despite regional cooperation through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which includes Nigeria and Chad, civilian casualties and displacement continue to rise. Over 320,000 people have fled the Far North this year alone, per UN data, as villages endure reprisal attacks.
The Walassa operation signals Yaoundé’s resolve to project strength ahead of elections, but experts caution that kinetic action alone can’t dismantle the insurgency. With Boko Haram splintering into factions aligned with Islamic State, the path to stability hinges on blending military pressure with grassroots reconciliation—a balance Cameroon has yet to strike. For now, communities brace for the next wave of violence, knowing each raid buys time, not peace.
