The figure was mentioned during the celebration of World Education Day which took place last January 24, 2023.

“Since 2017, the education of 700,000 children in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon has been disrupted by separatist insurgents and the military. Separatist leaders have repeatedly ordered the closure of many schools in these two regions, especially on Mondays, which is so far considered a deadly ghost town. Unfortunately, those who suffer the most are the children and young people who pay the highest price by sacrificing their future,” said a statement from the International Crisis Unit Group.

Mediation of Canada?

Three days after Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly announced that her country had obtained the agreement from the Cameroonian government and separatists to help find a way out of the crisis in the North West and South West, the Cameroonian Minister of communication published at the end of the day on Monday, January 23, 2023, a statement to inform public opinion “that it has not entrusted any external country or entity with any role of mediator or facilitator to resolve the crisis in the North-West and South-West Regions”. 

Canada reacted. “We are in touch with the parties and our previous statement still stands. Representatives of the Cameroonian government had attended all previous meetings in Canada that led to the agreement,” said Adrien Blanchard, press secretary to Mélanie Joly, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

It is a conflict that has been going on since 2017 and which has already caused nearly 6,000 victims as well as some 800,000 people displaced by war.