2 killed as armed fighters launch attacks over a land dispute in Cameroon

Residents of Kedjom Ketinguh (also known as Babanki Tungo) in Cameroon’s North West Region have accused villagers from neighbouring Bambui of killing Asenkain Andrew amid a long-running land conflict in Tubah Subdivision.

Andrew was killed at Abongphen, an area that Kedjom Ketinguh residents claim belongs to their community. A graphic video circulating online, reviewed by local media but deemed too disturbing to publish, shows his body after the incident. Community members identified him as a Kedjom Ketinguh resident and blamed people from Bambui for the attack. Exact details of when and how the killing occurred remain unclear and require independent investigation.

The dispute centres on competing claims to Abongphen. Kedjom Ketinguh residents question Bambui’s asserted rights to the land, arguing that Bambui’s recognised boundary is with Bambili. They are demanding official maps, survey records or administrative decisions that would justify any claim extending into their territory.

Tensions had already turned violent before Andrew’s death. On Monday, 14 September 2026, a confrontation erupted after Kedjom Ketinguh residents went to Abongphen. A young man was struck with a machete and suffered a serious hand injury; he was treated at Bamenda Regional Hospital. The following day, members of the Kedjom Ketinguh community marched to the office of Tubah Divisional Officer Massango Metougue Narcisse to raise their concerns. Bambui market was closed and residents from both sides were summoned to the office.

In videos and statements, Kedjom Ketinguh residents have accused the Divisional Officer of instigating and inflaming the conflict. Officials note that the DO’s office was aware of the dispute prior to the killing. Community members had already presented complaints after the 14 September violence. Regional authorities are being urged to order an independent probe into the violence and the handling of the dispute by local administrators.

Separately, a man and his wife are reportedly being held in administrative detention at the Tubah Gendarmerie Brigade in connection with the conflict. Residents claim the man was assaulted by people from Bambui before his detention and has been denied medical treatment despite needing hospital care. The legal basis for the couple’s detention and the reason medical attention has reportedly been withheld have not been publicly explained.

Local voices stress that the death, earlier injuries and risk of further reprisals require more than community meetings. They are calling for a clear determination of who killed Asenkain Andrew, investigation of the preceding violence, transparency over the detained couple’s status, and accountability for decisions taken by administrative authorities since the dispute escalated.