Cameroon/Agricultural recovery in Mayo Tsanaga: hope revives with UNDP support

In the Mayo Tsanaga department of Cameroon's Far North region, a glimmer of hope is returning to the farmers of Tourou and Mozogo, hard hit by the violence of the Boko Haram sect.

Thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 90 tricycles accompanied by seeds and agricultural inputs have been distributed to local communities. This support, as part of the Lake Chad Basin Regional Stabilization Facility project for the Cameroon area, is a real relief for the beneficiaries. They are also calling on the Cameroon government to step up security to ensure that the materials received are not lost, expressing the hope that they will be able to return to their respective localities.

Since the beginning of 2023, the Far North region of Cameroon has seen an upsurge in the activities of Boko Haram jihadists, compared with the previous year. These extremists are making sporadic incursions, using more discreet tactics to reoccupy their former positions. This worrying situation is due to a number of factors, including a policy of non-violence towards civilians, high levels of criminality, massive cattle rustling and the commissioning of arms, narcotics and medicines.

The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has become Boko Haram's preferred modus operandi since the beginning of the year. The departments of Mayo-Tsanaga, Mayo-Sava and Logone-et-Chari are the hardest hit by these attacks. April was particularly marked by a large number of displaced persons following a coordinated attack by the non-state armed group (Gane) in the Mayo Moskota district.

According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 2,300 people were forced to move to other localities for fear of further attacks. Since January 2023, the Mayo-Tsanaga department has recorded the internal displacement of over 8,000 people. Despite the efforts of humanitarian partners, needs remain high and humanitarian access is limited due to insecurity and poor road conditions.

Source: actucameroun.com