Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor, widely known as Agbor Balla, a prominent Cameroonian human rights lawyer and the founder and president of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), has issued a strong and emotional condemnation of the killing of more than fourteen Mbororo civilians in Gidado/Mbandfrung, Ndu Sub-Division, in the North West Region of Cameroon.
In a statement released following reports from the area, Agbor Balla described the incident as a “brutal massacre” and expressed “profound shock and sorrow” over the loss of lives within the Mbororo community, a pastoralist minority that has long faced marginalization and vulnerability in conflict zones.
According to the human rights advocate, the victims included children as young as two years old, women, and elderly persons, all of whom were unarmed civilians. “These were families who posed no threat to anyone,” he said, stressing that the deliberate targeting of such individuals is “morally indefensible” and constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
ABS Wednesday January 14, 2026.While calling for a formal investigation to establish individual responsibility, Agbor Balla noted that information emerging from the field suggests the attack bears the hallmarks of armed separatist fighters operating in the area. If confirmed, he warned, this would represent yet another serious breach of the laws of war by non-state armed actors involved in Cameroon’s protracted Anglophone conflict.
“Regardless of the perpetrators, no cause, no grievance, and no political objective can ever justify the slaughter of civilians,” Agbor Balla declared. “Violence against non-combatants is a crime. Retaliation against communities is a crime. Collective punishment is a crime.”
Speaking in his capacity as a lawyer and human rights defender, Agbor Balla condemned the killings “in the strongest possible terms” and issued a series of urgent calls: for a credible, independent, and transparent investigation into the massacre; for the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible, regardless of affiliation; and for the immediate protection of vulnerable civilian communities, particularly minority groups increasingly exposed to targeted violence.
He also appealed directly to all armed actors involved in the Anglophone crisis to respect the most basic principles of humanity. “Civilians must never be targets. Children must never be casualties. Communities must never become battlegrounds,” he said.
Agbor Balla concluded his statement by extending condolences to the bereaved families and the wider Mbororo community. “Your pain is shared. Your dignity must be defended,” he said, emphasizing that justice for the victims is not optional but a legal and moral obligation. “Cameroon cannot find peace on the graves of innocent citizens,” he warned, underscoring the broader implications of continued violence against civilians for the country’s future.
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