Some of the latest refugees from the war against Boko Haram seeking safety in a camp in Nigeria’s north-eastern Adamawa state are telling disturbing stories, claiming that their attackers were not Boko Haram but troops from Cameroon.
“Just in this transit camp, 600-plus people arrived from Cameroon last night and this is the part of the world where there is a high degree of displacement, a lot of violence and a lot of confusion about whether or not people can return to their homes. I think it is very important to listen to the people themselves.” David Miliband, International Rescue Committee
Cameroon’s military has denied that. The government spokesperson said its troops respect human rights but admits that it has carried out operations on several border villages in co-ordination with Nigerian soldiers.
Forces from Nigeria and several of its neighbours have been fighting Boko Haram, and have driven the group from much of the territory it seized last year. But there have been tensions among the partners about who is running the operation, and how far Nigeria’s neighbours can encroach on its territory. Plus the growing concern that innocent civilians are being caught up in the offensive.
