Highway robberies resurface in northern Cameroon

70 military weapons, 2,500 ammunition and 349 heads of cattle were recovered by the Cameroonian army from a recent highway robbery in the localities of Mbaiboum, Madingring, Touboro and Tchollire (North), APA can report from security sources on Friday.

15 search operations conducted under "Operation Emergence 4" combing the area bordering Nigeria, also contributed to neutralizing thirty heavily armed members of a gang, who are not linked to the Islamist sect Boko Haram, whose insurgents are active in the extreme north of the country.

The successful operation was hailed by the Governor of the northern region, John Abate Edii, who thanked the local populations, vigilantes and other local leaders for their involvement in the campaign.

Starting in the 2000s, highway robberies have been rife, essentially targeting transit vehicles and merchandise convoys, heading to or coming from Chad and the Central African Republic.

Well organized, the bands of thugs would not hesitate to kill truck drivers and steal their goods and properties.

The resurgence of the phenomenon in the now considered pacified north might be explained by the crusade against Boko Haram with the presence of the Cameroonian army in the Far North in the last three years.