Far North Region

Thirteen civilians, eight of them children, died Friday when a woman suicide bomber blew herself up in an attack on a village in northern Cameroon by Boko Haram jihadists, a traditional chief and a police officer told AFP.

Cameroonian official said Friday he had found evidence that, as widely suspected, Boko Haram militants have been establishing close ties in Cameroonian political and business circles. The revelation came after Cameroon’s military arrested a former lawmaker for allegedly supplying cattle to the Nigerian terrorist group.

"We were sitting in a bar that evening when about 60 people burst in," says Appolin Tchanga, a 43-year-old house painter.

At least 50 people, mostly fishermen, have been killed in raids by Boko Haram terrorists on Lake Chad in late December. The militants had disguised as traders and attacked the fishermen.

Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed at least 50 people on an island on Lake Chad, bordering Cameroon and Chad, a local official told the BBC.

The Lake Chad Basin (LCB) Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development have agreed to remain committed to joint efforts towards fostering sustainable development across the regions through promoting dialogue and cross-border cooperation.