The Battle of Batibo occurred on March 3, 2018, when Ambazonian separatists attacked Cameroonian troops on the Bamenda-Batibo Highway, Batibo Subdivision. At the time, it was reportedly the deadliest clash between Cameroonian and Ambazonian forces to date.

Battle

While circumstances of the battle remain unclear, reports claimed that separatist forces ambushed Cameroonian soldiers who were celebrating the recent recapture of most villages in the

Batibo Batibo is a name that refers to a town and a subdivision in Cameroon, Africa. It is located along the Trans-African Highway, 27 miles west of Bamenda and about 100 miles east of Nigeria. Batibo is the economic, social, political and cultural heart ...

Subdivision.3 Villages Razed In Batibo, 4 Deserted After Bloody Attack *Collateral Casualties Overwhelmed Local Administrators
Cameroon Postline, Mar 9, 2018. Accessed Sep 1, 2018. While the number of casualties on both sides remained unclear, information circulating on social media claimed that 70 Cameroonian soldiers and "hundreds" of separatists died in the battle. These casualty figures far eclipse the official figures at the time. Two months after the battle, Cameroon admitted to having lost at least 44 soldiers and policemen since the start of the armed conflict,Cameroon-unfolding catastrophe’ evidence of human rights violations and crimes against humanity
, Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), Jun 3, 2019. of whom at least 22 had died between February and May.'We are in a war': Cameroon unrest confronted by army offensive
Eyewitness News, Feb 8, 2018. Accessed Jul 23, 2019.

Aftermath

The Mayor of Batibo, Frederick Tanjoh, stated that while casualties were high - people on the ground claimed to have seen a military truck transporting a truckload of corpses - no information had been issued by the authorities. Following the battle, mass arrests took place in villages across the Batibo Subdivision. The villages of Gurissen and Kwana in Upper Bafang, Tinto were burned down by unknown perpetrators, while the villages of Korgwe, Effa, Koroko, Ambo and Angie were completely abandoned. In total, over 4,000 people fled their homes following the battle, including Fons who abandoned their palaces.

References

Battles in 2018 2018 in Cameroon Anglophone Crisis Military history of Cameroon Battles involving Cameroon {{DEFAULTSORT:Batibo, Battle of