Boko Haram stands out as a major challenge facing Cameroon’s polls

Ahmed Adel

The German news portal Deutsche Welle released a report on November 15, revealing the challenges facing Cameroon ahead of the country’s municipal and parliamentary elections, which are due in February 2020.

The terrorist group Boko Haram, which has been active in the north of the country, is Cameroon’s top challenge.

Cameroon’s last parliamentary elections were held in 2013. The polls were supposed to be held in October 2018. Finally, the polls are scheduled to be held in February 2020.

The Deutsche Welle report highlighted the country’s major challenge, which is Boko Haram. The terrorist group has been active in the north of Cameroon, where around 10% of the population lives.

Researcher Amira Abdel Halim, an expert on African affairs, said that Cameroon’s security forces have worked to combat the expansion of Boko Haram near the Lake Chad region.

“Cameroon’s authorities also have monitored mosques and preachers to prevent the terrorists from taking over the places of worship,” Abdel Halim told THE REFERENCE.

“Cameroon is working with regional and international powers to prevent Boko Haram from seizing more territories around Lake of Chad,” she said, adding that cooperation has been going on with the United States since former president Barack Obama.