A military court in Cameroon has sentenced three soldiers and a member of a local militia to prison for their role in the killing of at least 21 civilians in 2020.

The men were convicted of murder, arson and destruction of property in connection with the massacre in Ngarbuh village, in the country’s North-West Region.

According to the BBC’s Paul Njie, the attack was one of the rare occasions on which the government acknowledged wrongdoing by its own troops. Authorities had initially denied responsibility but later reversed their position following sustained pressure from the international community.

Lawyers representing the victims expressed disappointment with Thursday’s ruling, which handed the soldiers and their accomplice prison terms ranging from five to 10 years. They argued that the severity of the crimes warranted harsher sentences.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly accused both separatist fighters and state security forces of committing atrocities since conflict erupted in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions in 2017.

–ChannelAfrica-