Mapping organized crime and violence in Cameroon | ISS Africa

Cameroon faces significant challenges linked to organized crime, armed conflict and violent extremism. It faces terrorism from Boko Haram and its factions in the Far North, separatism in the North-West and South-West, incursions by Central African rebels in the East and rural and cross-border banditry in several regions. In all areas concerned, the presence of organized and transnational criminal networks contributes to the exacerbation of conflicts and the perpetuation of violence. This report focuses on the dynamics, actors and security issues linked to organized crime and violence in Cameroon. It describes dominant and emerging trends in organized crime and violence, with a focus on regions affected by armed conflict and violent extremism.

About the authors

Raoul Sumo Tayo is a senior researcher on Central Africa at the Observatory of Organized Crime and Violence in Central Africa. He was previously a principal investigator for the ENACT project based in Yaoundé, Cameroon, within the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), which he joined in June 2024. He has also worked for the Small Arms Survey, the Center for Peace Studies and Research, Security and Integration (CERPSI), the University of Maroua and the Center for Strategic Studies and Innovations of Yaoundé. He studied sociology at the University of Liège and the history of international relations at the University of Yaoundé I, where he obtained his doctorate.

Aïcha Pemboura is a researcher at the ISS Observatory of Organized Crime and Violence in Central Africa, based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She has collaborated with renowned structures such as the United States Institute of Peace, the Boutros-Boutros Ghali Observatory, the College of Advanced Studies in Security and Defense in Kinshasa and the Alioune Blondin Beye Peacekeeping School in Bamako. His research focuses on public security policies, peacekeeping and violent extremism. She holds a doctorate in political science.