Late Friday, Boko Haram Islamist insurgents reportedly attacked a Chinese-owned camp in Cameroon. Chinese news agency Xinhua reported ten Chinese nationals unaccounted for and one injured. According to CNN, a Cameroonian soldier was killed during the attack.
The attack took place in the town of Waza. The northern Cameroon town is just a few miles from the Nigerian border, where Boko Haram recently kidnapped almost 300 schoolgirls. The area is in close proximity to the Sambisa forest, a location that remains a stronghold for the Islamist terrorist group.
It is believed Boko Haram attacked on the grounds of Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction firm. In 2012, Sinohydro accrued $20 billion in revenue.
The town’s local government confirmed the attack but has yet to release further details. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Lu Quinjiang echoed the local official sentiments but had no further information to report to the media.
US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman confirmed the Boko Haram assault on the Chinese facility. “Cameroon just suffered its own Boko Haram attack at a Chinese company last night,” said Sherman.
News of the most recent attack comes on the heels of a gathering by Western African nations Saturday, where they vowed “total war” against Boko Haram. The African states, along with representatives from the US, UK, and France, agreed upon a “global and regional” attack plan to thwart the advances of the militant Islamist insurgents.
Boko Haram is no stranger to northern Cameroon. Just last month, the group attacked a local police headquarters in the area, killing two people.
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