Photo : Al Jazeera
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Al Jazeera
IN BRIEF
By Jerry Franklin
Cameroon: Armed rebels kill two civilians
On 6 October, BBC reported that the armed separatists in Cameroon's English-speaking region executed two people suspected of spying for the army. An official claimed that investigations were ongoing in the northwest hamlet of Guzang. Since 2017, separatists have been engaged in conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon against the Francophone-dominated government. Over 800,000 individuals have been displaced due to the fighting. Rights organizations have denounced separatists and government forces for burning down houses and schools, raping women, and carrying out violent crimes. (“Cameroon rebels kill civilians accused of spying,” BBC, 6 October 2023)
Kenya: Security forces deployed in Ethiopia following deadly clashes
On 6 October, BBC reported that Kenya had dispatched several specialised security forces to control the rising communal conflicts in the western town of Sondu, Ethiopia. Seven people have died and several more have been forced to flee their homes due to the clashes that erupted on 4 October. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki stated: “Lives have been lost, property destroyed and civil order grossly undermined during the past two days.” (“Kenya deploys police units after deadly ethnic clashes,” BBC, 6 October 2023)
Ethiopia: US reboots food assistance to asylum seekers
On 6 October, the US declared that it would resume providing food aid for refugees in Ethiopia after a five-month halt due to the pillaging of food aid. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) stated that the decision to restart assistance came after the strengthened improvements to the refugee food assistance program, including increased program monitoring, reinforced commodities tracking, and enhanced registration procedures by the Ethiopian government. Additionally, USAID stated that Ethiopia has delegated control over the distribution and storage of food supplies. The restart of aid would benefit hundreds of thousands of refugees residing in Ethiopia, most of whom are from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea. Since the aid was halted, at least 1,400 people in the region have died from starvation in the Tigray region. (“US resumes food aid to refugees in Ethiopia,” BBC, 6 October 2023)