On the occasion of the International Day for Protecting Education from Attack, the Cameroon Human Rights Commission paints a grim picture of education protection and calls for resilience.
Is Cameroonian schooling surviving or collapsing under attacks? This is the question posed by UNESCO for this 7th International Day for Protecting Education from Attack, and the Cameroon Human Rights Commission (Cdhc) answers it bluntly: the picture is bleak and the situation demands resilience.
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Indeed, according to the Commission’s findings, schools are still targeted by attacks in three regions of Cameroon. It “regrets the persistence of attacks and abuses perpetrated by non-state armed groups as well as terrorist groups” against students, teachers, and school infrastructure. The most affected regions remain the same: Far North, Northwest, and Southwest. The latest major attack occurred at the Normal School for General Education Teachers in Wum, Menchum department, Northwest region, on September 8, 2026, resulting in one death: a police commissioner, and five teachers kidnapped, according to the governor of the Northwest region.
Education, the Cdhc reminds, is not a mere service. It is a “global public good” and an “inalienable constitutional right” according to UNESCO, essential to human dignity.
The shocking figure: 77 million in ransom
The Commission highlights what it calls the “economy of terror” affecting schools. Between September 10, 2025, and September 8, 2026, the Cdhc documented at least four kidnapping episodes; nine education staff members affected; more than 77 million FCFA in ransoms demanded. A terror business directly targeting those who keep schools standing. Yet Cameroon is under international commitments obliging it to protect and promote education. However, these commitments are struggling to be respected.
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As an illustration, of the 220 recommendations accepted by Cameroon during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in March 2024, six specifically concern the protection of education from attacks. The Cdhc says it has already forwarded them to ministries and civil society but is concerned about the “slowness” in implementing UN resolution 2601 which protects schools from attacks during wartime.
The strong recommendations of the CDHC
The Commission does not stop at the observation. It directly calls on certain actors, foremost among them the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (Cnddr). It asks it to strengthen information and awareness among armed groups to accelerate disarmament and reintegration. To the secessionist armed groups and Boko Haram, the commission demands an immediate cessation of all hostilities against teachers, students, and defense forces, to stop destroying schools, to lay down arms without delay, and to join CNDDR centers to benefit from resocialization and training programs.
By choosing the theme “The resilience of human communities,” the UN and the CDHC want to highlight one thing: despite the attacks, communities continue to fight for education to survive.
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