Armed conflict in NW, SW: Crisis group warns could deepen without fresh diplomatic efforts.

In the report released recently, ICG said Cameroon is among the seven peace and security priorities for Africa in 2026, alongside Sudan, Burundi-Rwanda, Ethiopia, Etritrea, Somalia, and South Africa. 

The international organisation stated that the European Union, EU, has influence which it can exploit to push towards a political solution to the conflict. 

It maintained that the EU has wide-ranging partnership with Cameroon, including regular political dialogue and development cooperation programmes, through which it can leverage to cause authorities to solve the crisis.

According to the ICG report, the EU can pressure the government to end the repression of political opponents and seek a settlement to the conflict in the English-speaking Regions.

ICG suggested that European officials could privately signal the possibility of targeted sanctions, including travel bans against individuals responsible for authorising lethal force against peaceful demonstrators.

The Group also recommended the EU should encourage President Paul Biya to reopen negotiations with Anglophone separatists.

The report also points to France as a potential behind-the-scene actor capable of strengthening European diplomatic pressure. 

It claimed that although Paris has traditionally maintained close ties with Yaounde, it did not publicly congratulate Biya, following his re-election.

The organisation further revealed that France may have particular influence because many members of Cameroon’s political and economic elite hold assets in the country.

It additionally urged the United Nations, UN, to take a more active role in addressing the conflict. 

According to the report, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, who has been in contact with Biya for several years, could equally call for a reactivation of dialogue with separatists. The ICG stated that the UN is well placed for discreet diplomacy. 

The report also recommended revisiting a previous mediation attempt. It proposed that the UN scribe could encourage the government to invite Canada to organise another round of talks to broker negotiations.

The international organisation linked its recommendations to the domestic political climate following the presidential election of October 12, 2025. It urged international actors to coordinate efforts to encourage the regime to take steps to prevent the crisis from worsening.

“Cameroon has more than enough challenges without adding election-related violence and instability to the mix. Outside actors should work together to encourage the country’s leadership to make choices that avoid a downward spiral, and move it toward peace, as the country eyes the inevitable transition ahead,” the report reads in part.

Conversely, the IGC also acknowledged the limits of outside influence. It noted that there is no simple or obvious way for external actors to help de-escalate the conflict.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3727 of Tuesday March 10, 2026