Cameroon Revives Vigilante Committees to Bolster Fight Against Boko Haram

Cameroon is moving to revive community vigilante committees in the Far North as part of renewed efforts to strengthen the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.

The decision was discussed Tuesday, September 29, in Maroua during a security meeting chaired by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji and Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo. The meeting brought together administrative authorities and senior defense and security officials to assess the deteriorating security situation in the region.

Beti Assomo emphasized the important role played by vigilante committees in supporting regular security forces, particularly during the early years of the Boko Haram insurgency in Cameroon from 2014. Community members provided local intelligence, alerted security forces to suspicious movements and helped identify insurgents familiar with the communities where they operated.

The government now wants to reactivate the committees, whose activities have weakened in recent months. Consultations are underway with administrative authorities to facilitate their effective relaunch across affected communities.

The renewed emphasis on vigilantes comes as the Far North continues to face attacks linked to Boko Haram, alongside a persistent humanitarian crisis and displacement of civilians.

Authorities say the committees are expected to complement, rather than replace, the work of the military, gendarmerie and police by providing community-level information and early warnings.

Vigilante members have also paid a heavy price during the conflict, with several killed while assisting security forces and defending their communities.

The government is therefore seeking to restore what officials consider an important community-based component of its security response, drawing on the role vigilantes played during the early phase of the Boko Haram insurgency.