Far North: Intercommunal conflict kills 2, leaves at least 17 injured
Synthia Lateu
The provisional toll from intercommunal clashes between the Moussy and Massa communities in Gobo Subdivision of the Far North Region stands at 2 deaths and 17 injured. Tensions have been escalating since Friday, December 6, 2024.
Local sources indicate that the conflict originated from a cattle theft in Moussy, with traces of the stolen animals reportedly leading to Massa village. Heated discussions among community members escalated into violent clashes that continued into the morning hours of Saturday. Forces of law and order were deployed to the area to restore calm.
A gendarme from the Gobo gendarmerie sustained serious injuries during the operation and was urgently evacuated to Yagoua. An official statement from the administrative authorities in the subdivision is still awaited.
Such clashes are not unusual in the Far North, where the causes of conflict are reportedly rooted in a tumultuous local history that continues to fuel frustrations. Access to resources and control of traditional powers further drives these disputes. In 2021, a clash between fishermen and herders in Logone-Birni and Kousséri, located in the Logone-et-Chari division, resulted in at least 22 deaths and over 30,000 displaced persons.
