Cameroon Military Court Sentences 3 Soldiers for Civilian Massacre

A Cameroonian military court’s sentencing of three soldiers for the 14 February 2020 killings in Ngarbuh marks an uncommon instance of legal accountability for abuses against civilians. The prison terms, ranging from five to 10 years, follow convictions for murder, arson, and destruction tied to a raid in the country’s conflict-affected Northwest Anglophone region.

Human rights groups and victims’ lawyers welcomed the verdicts as symbolically significant but sharply criticized the length of the sentences and the absence of prosecutions targeting senior officers.

Rare Military Accountability

The crimes date back six years, when soldiers, supported by a local militia of ethnic Fulanis, stormed Ngarbuh. At least 21 civilians were killed, according to case findings cited by lawyers and advocacy groups.

Human Rights Watch documented that the victims included 13 children and said homes were burned and residents beaten.

Military courts in Cameroon seldom convict personnel for crimes against civilians, making the ruling a notable departure from established patterns. Proceedings in the case were postponed multiple times during the 6 year trial.

Sentencing Dispute Emerges

Victims’ representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the penalties. "The sentence was so mild, I even qualify it as friendly because we are talking of a massacre," Sother Menkem, one of the victims’ lawyers, told the BBC.

He argued that under Cameroonian law, the minimum sentence for felonies such as murder and arson is 10 years, adding: "I expected at least 30 years' imprisonment or more because [the soldiers] instilled much fear on the inhabitants of that area."

The court also rejected demands for compensation, a decision decried by another lawyer, Richard Tamfu.

Chain Of Command Questions

Human Rights Watch and legal representatives maintained that the soldiers acted under instructions from superiors. They criticized the fact that no senior military officer was prosecuted.

Defense lawyers for the soldiers countered that their clients were carrying out assigned duties.

The government’s response to the 2020 events evolved over time: authorities initially denied responsibility but later acknowledged atrocities following international pressure and the findings of an investigation ordered by President Paul Biya.

Conflict Context And Toll

Cameroon’s separatist conflict in its two English-speaking regions has persisted for nearly 10 years, beginning in 2017.

Human rights groups have accused both state forces and rebel fighters of widespread abuses.

The United Nations estimates the conflict has killed at least 6,000 people and displaced more than 500,000.

A survivor who lost relatives in the Ngarbuh attack told the BBC he needed time to process the ruling and said he had relocated from the region for safety.