The Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) has urged communities, government authorities, civil society, religious leaders, and armed groups to embrace non-violent solutions as Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict approaches its 10th year.
The appeal was made on Thursday, July 30, 2026, during a multi-stakeholder reflection workshop on curbing violence and reinforcing peacebuilding initiatives, held at the Auditorium of the North West Regional Assembly in Bamenda.
The event brought together government officials, traditional rulers, faith leaders, civil society organizations, youth representatives, and media practitioners to assess the humanitarian and security impact of the conflict and explore practical pathways towards sustainable peace.
Speaking on behalf of the North West Governor, the Secretary General at the Governor's Office, Saidouna Ali, said the prolonged conflict had transformed a once peaceful and economically vibrant region into one marked by fear, displacement, and hardship.
He said years of armed violence had devastated communities, disrupted businesses, weakened education and healthcare systems, and forced many investors and residents to flee. While acknowledging the heavy human and economic toll of the crisis, he urged those carrying weapons illegally to abandon violence and pursue dialogue and peaceful engagement instead.
The government official also highlighted measures taken since 2016, including educational and judicial reforms, the Major National Dialogue, social cohesion initiatives, youth empowerment programs, and the rehabilitation of former combatants through the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program. He called on the media to amplify messages promoting peace and reconciliation across affected communities.
Presenting COMINSUD's assessment of the conflict, Board Chair Chambi Julie described the North West and South West crisis as one of the world's "forgotten crises," citing the European Union's assessment of limited international humanitarian attention.
She said the organization's 2025 monitoring documented hundreds of conflict-related incidents, including killings, kidnappings, disappearances, attacks using improvised explosive devices, gender-based violence, and continued disruptions to education.
According to the COMINSUD Board Chair, school enrollment remains significantly below pre-conflict levels, while many schools are yet to resume full operations. The organization warned that armed violence, criminality, and community tensions continue to undermine recovery across the region.
COMINSUD Coordinator Fon Nsoh stressed that community-based peacebuilding offers one of the most effective ways to reduce violence. He said churches, local communities and public institutions must work together to identify vulnerable young people, discourage illegal arms possession and create opportunities that reduce frustration and hopelessness among youths.
He also appealed to separatist leaders and members of the diaspora to reconsider strategies centered on armed confrontation, arguing that continued fighting only prolongs suffering for civilians while offering little prospect of resolving the crisis.
"We propose community-based solutions," he said, adding that young people need support, employment opportunities, and guidance rather than blame. He called for greater investment in non-violent engagement inspired by historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., insisting that dialogue remains the most sustainable path to lasting peace.
COMINSUD said its Civil Peace Service program seeks to mobilize government institutions, councils, religious organizations, civil society groups, schools, and the media to promote inclusion, tolerance, and non-violence. The organization hopes the initiative will strengthen social cohesion, empower young people, reduce community violence, and encourage collective action towards rebuilding the North West Region after nearly a decade of conflict.
The one-day workshop had three panel discussions, which brought to both panellists and participants to reflect on better ways of ending the violence, drugs and substance abuse and the employment of youths.
@Laarry Times
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