An attack on a camp for Chinese workers in Cameroon's far north has left one Cameroonian soldier dead and 10 Chinese workers missing on Friday. Augustine Fonka Awa, governor of Cameroon's Far North Region, said he believed Boko Haram carried out the attack from their stronghold in Nigeria's Sambisa forest, located across the border, some 20km (12 miles) away.
Friday's fighting began after power to the camp was cut and the attackers commenced a five hour gun battle with guards near the town of Waza. A guard at Waza National Park told Reuters "Some of us decided to hide in the forest with the animals."
One Cameroonian special forces soldier died, and 10 Chinese workers went missing from the camp operated by China's state-run construction firm Sinohydro, and are presumed abducted by the attackers. One Chinese worker was left behind with injuries from two bullet wounds to his shoulder and abdomen. Another two Cameroonian soldiers were also seriously wounded, according to Cameroon state radio.
The attack came a day before Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, met with French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Saturday to discuss improving cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram and other militant groups.
The Nigerian village of Chibok, where over 200 school girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram last month, and the Sambisa forest, where international forces are hunting for them, are across the border from Waza, Cameroon.
