Cameroon: British Missionary and Assistant Kidnapped in Separatist-Hit Northwest

Edition : Widad wahbi

An 83-year-old British missionary and his assistant were abducted last Tuesday by an armed group in Cameroon’s conflict-ridden Northwest region, where separatist unrest continues to fuel instability, the Catholic Mill Hill Missionaries confirmed in a statement.

“On the morning of April 1st, Brother Huub Welters MHM and his assistant, Henry Kang, were traveling from Bamenda to Ilung to build classrooms for underprivileged children when their journey was violently interrupted in a town called Bambui,” the statement said. It was published Wednesday evening on the website of the London-based Mill Hill Missionaries.

The community confirmed that both individuals were abducted by unidentified armed men, adding that “at this time, no one knows where they are.” The mission also expressed particular concern for Brother Welters’ fragile health condition.

A local NGO, African Conscience, reached by AFP, suggested that separatist fighters may be behind the abduction and noted that “authorities within the archdiocese are working on efforts to secure their release.”

“We pray, we plead. We wait… Perhaps they will be freed soon. May they return safely to those who love them,” the Mill Hill Mission added, noting that Henry Kang is married and the father of a family.

The incident highlights the ongoing security challenges in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, where separatist violence has displaced thousands and led to frequent clashes between armed groups and state forces.