Community Safety Mechanisms in the Anglophone Armed Conflict: Lessons from Tole-Bwiyuku and Mile 16 Bolifamba in the South West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

In the face of persistent insecurity and the erosion of formal state protection, communities caught in the Anglophone armed conflict in Cameroon have had no choice but to adopt self-survival strategies as a means to navigate the high insecurity and stay safe. This research examines the community-driven safety mechanisms adopted by civilians to navigate the Anglophone armed conflict, with a specific focus on the rural community of Tole-Bwiyuku and the peri-urban settlement of Mile 16 Bolifamba in the South West Region of Cameroon. Anchored in the Community Resilience Theory, the research challenges the perception of conflict-affected populations as passive victims, thereby highlighting their roles as active agents in their own protection. With a qualitative research approach and a comparative case study design, data were collected through ten (10) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), two (02) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) of eight (08) members per group, and direct field observations. The findings reveal five core safety strategies: unarmed civilian self-protection, informal early-warning and information-sharing systems, collective negotiation with armed actors, mobility and routine adaptation, and the formation of community watch (vigilante) groups. The study demonstrates that while Tole-Bwiyuku prioritized agricultural continuity and Mile 16 focused on navigating transit-related volatility, both communities leveraged social cohesion, local legitimacy, and traditional institutions to mitigate violence in the absence of state protection. These findings offer critical insights for peacebuilders and humanitarian actors, suggesting that resilience-based interventions should be rooted in existing grassroots networks to enhance civilian security and social continuity in fragile contexts.