Cameroon schools closed down after Boko Haram raids from Nigeria

They have already terrorised towns and forced hundreds of schools in Nigeria to close down. Now Boko Haram raids into neighbouring Cameroon have seen 69 schools closed, damaged or open only intermittently.

Official says the schools affected are mostly primaries in the Far North Region.聽Ibrahim Koulagna, deputy-prefect of the Mayo-Sava department, said: 国产视频淏oko Haram attacks on villages and schools have forced students and teachers to flee. There are many displaced families in the region. This displaced population is now occupying other localities.

国产视频淓ducation has been targeted by these attacks because Boko Haram has often left messages warning school authorities in the region.国产视频�

Police and border posts have also been targets as the Islamist group continues to attack northern Cameroon, according to the United Nations news service IRIN.

Many teachers have left the region. An official of the Ministry of Basic Education told IRIN:聽国产视频淚n 2014, more than 200 trained teachers did not take up their posts in these localities and many seek transfer to other places due to insecurity.国产视频�

Christophe Barbah, a school master in Kolofata area in the Far North Region, added: 国产视频淚 am the only government teacher left here on a regular basis. Because of my status as the head teacher, I cannot leave my post.

国产视频淲e have resorted to seeking assistance from some educated young men and women in the communities to teach the children. But we have to motivate them with money if we want to keep them committed to the work. This is not always possible because most parents in this region are very poor and can barely afford food for the children to stay in school.国产视频�

While many rural schools have not reopened since the new school year began in September, others in large towns are packed out with the children of displaced families who have fled the violence.

In Nigeria国产视频檚 northeastern Yobe state, all schools were closed in the wake of the deadly suicide bombing of the Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School in Potiskum, which killed at least 47 last month.聽The attack came just after the Nigerian government said the first 2400 students had been enrolled in the country国产视频檚 Safe Schools Initiative.

Boko Haram was responsible for the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok 国产视频� 219 of whom are still missing. Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict 国产视频� an international network of human rights and humanitarian non-government organisations 国产视频� says more than three million children have had their lives disrupted by the Nigerian conflict.

Read Global Youth Ambassador Philip Obaji Jr国产视频檚 amazing account of a trip to Boko Haram国产视频檚 first ever camp in Nigeria.