Amchide is a town in
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...
, on the border with
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. It abuts the Nigerian town of
Banki, with streets and even houses straddling the border.
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In 2014, the town was the site of fighting between
Boko Haram
Boko Haram, officially known as ''Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād'' ( ar, جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد, lit=Group of the People of Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad), is an Islamic terrorist organization ...
and the Cameroonian military, leading some residents to flee the area.
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]
In February, 2014, the Nigerian military sent troops to Amchide to close the border, in an effort to prevent Boko Haram attacks. Cameroonian troops also patrolled the town.
The impact of closing the border on Amchide merchants has been described as "devastating", and the price of fuel and transport has become unaffordable in much of Northern Cameroon.
In October 2014, Boko Haram fighters with
armoured support entered Amchide and
Limani, another border town, killing at least 30 civilians. The
Cameroonian Army
The Cameroon Armed Forces (french: Forces armées camerounaises (FAC)) are the military of the Republic of Cameroon. The armed forces number 40,000 personnel in ground, air, and naval forces. There are approximately 40,000 troops in the army acr ...
reported 107 Boko Haram members were killed in the fighting that ensued.
On 28 December 2014, Cameroonian troops repelled four simultaneous Boko Haram raids into the towns of Amchide,
Makari, Limani,
Guirvidig
Guirvidig is a town in the Mayo-Danay Department of the Far North Region of Cameroon.
A dialect of the Muskum language, Muzuk (Mousgoum de Guirvidig), is spoken in the town.
In 2014, Guirvidig was the site of fighting between Boko Haram and th ...
,
Waza and
Achigachia, all located in Cameroon's Far North region.
See also
*
December 2014 Cameroon clashes
The December 2014 Cameroon clashes were a number of incidents that occurred between 28–29 December 2014 in variety of locations in Cameroon's Far North Region. The event included attacks on civilians and military positions carried out by Niger ...
*
Refugees in Cameroon
References
{{Coord, 11, 14, 41, N, 14, 8, 38, E, type:city, display=title
Populated places in Far North Region (Cameroon)
Cameroon–Nigeria border