The Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) has strengthened its military footprint in the conflict-ridden Southwest region with the construction and inauguration of two new military camps on February 7. The new installations are located in Ekona, within the Muyuka district, and Ombe, in the Tiko district, both in Fako Division.

According to the army, these camps are part of efforts to bolster security in an area frequently targeted by armed separatist groups fighting against the Cameroonian military, which remains loyal to the central government in Yaoundé.

These new deployments add to previous reinforcements in the region. In November 2024, the BIR had already set up two camps in Nguti and Alou. Similarly, the elite force has been expanding its security presence in the Northwest region, which faces the same crisis. In May 2024, the BIR established a command post in Bui, a department known as a stronghold of separatist militias. The army has conducted several military offensives in this area, known as “Operation Bui Clean.”

The security crisis in Cameroon’s Southwest and Northwest regions began in 2017 when separatist armed groups launched attacks against defense and security forces, as well as civilians. The deployment of the BIR, the best-trained and best-equipped unit in the Cameroonian military, has so far helped to contain the insurgents.

According to United Nations data, the conflict in the country’s two Anglophone regions has resulted in nearly 6,000 deaths, displaced more than one million people internally, and forced over 35,000 refugees to flee to Nigeria.

Source: Sbbc