Kumba school massacre

No one claimed responsibility for the attack.^[2] Local authorities blamed Ambazonian separatists,^[8] while the Cameroonian government and separatist movements accused each other. The Cameroonian government said that around 10 separatist fighters had carried out the massacre,^[5] singling out "General Transporter" as the attack's leading figure.^[9] The Ambazonia Governing Council quickly claimed to possess evidence that the Cameroonian Army was responsible, while the Interim Government of Ambazonia drew parallels to the Ngarbuh massacre.^[10] Cameroonian Communication Minister Rene Sadi strongly denied that the Cameroonian Army had been involved.^[6]

Separatists have a history of attacking schools, which some of them regarded as legitimate targets because the French language is taught as a mandatory subject.^[11] While students have been abducted and mistreated numerous times throughout the Anglophone Crisis, and several teachers have been killed, the attack on Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy was the first school massacre to take place during the war.

The attack was condemned by United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore. Matthias Z. Naab, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon, stated that he was "shocked and outraged by the killing of innocent school children which were attending school to get an education". The World Health Organization offered medical supplies to hospitals in the area.^[12][13]

On October 28, Cameroon's president Paul Biya declared that October 31 would be a day of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast all day.^[14]

On October 29, Cameroon claimed that the army had identified and killed the separatist commander who was responsible for the massacre, a man known as "Wonke".^[15] A month later, a suspected gunman known as "Commander Zabra" was arrested by the police.^[16]

After several months in court, four people were sentenced to death by the Buea Military Tribunal for their roles in the massacre on September 7, 2021.^[17]