An increase in killings of women in Cameroon spurs protests and demands for better laws

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Geraldine Achiah, an elementary school teacher in her 30s, died barely two months into her marriage in September. Her relatives allege her husband beat her over a marital dispute and demand justice in what they say is a gender-based crime.

Her only child, Courage Abombi, 18, fondly remembers her support for his dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer. “My mom died an unexpected and painful death,” said Abombi, who had to take a university entrance exam a day after his mother’s burial.

Achiah, who died in September, is one of nearly 70 women who were killed in Cameroon this year for reasons related to their gender, the Ministry of Women's Affairs says. That's up from government estimates of at least 50 in 2023 and 67 in 2024. The rise in such killings has sparked protests and calls for government action as many of the killings remain unsolved while others go unreported.

Manfred Amambua, Achiah’s husband, has denied killing his wife, the police said. He has been charged with murder and is in jail awaiting trial.

Femicide — the killing of women and girls for gender-related reasons — in Cameroon is mostly driven by economic dependence, unequal control over family property and lack of adequate laws in what's widely viewed as a patriarchal society, activists say. The crisis reflects a global pattern with an estimated 50,000 women and girls killed by intimate partners or relatives in 2024, U.N. data shows.

Femicide cases in Cameroon have reached a “cruel” and “alarming” proportion, Women’s Affairs Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa recently told the state broadcaster as she promised more action from the government.

“The current economic situation in the country is not helping matters. With limited resources, many women tend to endure violence in their marriages, hoping that their men will change, which is not usually the case,” she added.

At the root of the crisis is inadequate laws to punish offenders and a poor judicial system, activists say. While Cameroon’s Penal Code recognizes crimes such as rape, it does not have explicit laws or provisions on femicide, leaving judges to rely on general laws on harmful acts.

It is a common trend across many African countries where femicide is addressed through general homicide laws rather than expressly defining it as a distinct offense, although some have taken limited legal or policy steps that acknowledge femicide.

The Cameroonian government is working on a new bill that would establish femicide as a standalone criminal offense while also strengthening broader protections against gender-based violence. For rights groups and activists, that is only one of several hurdles to stop the killings.

Cases can be delayed with different tactics, including intimidation, corruption and procedural mistakes that can reduce charges or even lead to acquittals, said Carole Grace Mbarga, a Cameroonian rights activist.

“When investigations drag on, evidence deteriorates, witnesses lose confidence, and families become discouraged,” she said.

Even when convictions in such cases happen, the punishments are usually light and short of expectations, such as in 2025, when a man who pleaded guilty to killing his wife was handed a suspended five-year sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA francs ($90).

Family and friends recently gathered in Yaounde for the burial of Achiah, who had just married her husband in July.

Her relatives are grappling with the loss and told the AP they’re not only worried about justice for her, but also for other victims of femicide.

“I pray that justice will follow its due course and that her killer will face the law,” Abombi said.

The AP obtained hospital records that noted Achiah had “several bruises on her face and lips” before she died.

Ndzana Bienvenu, an officer involved in investigating the case, said police gathered other evidence including phone footage of her and her husband after the alleged beating, as well as blood-stained bedsheet.

“We want justice for our daughter who died a violent death. This was a teacher who imparted knowledge on thousands of young Cameroonians,” said Regina Ngukum, Achiah’s cousin.

Anti-femicide protests have been held in major cities in the country, including Douala and Yaounde, with thousands demanding more action from the government.

The proposed law against femicide is expected to be submitted to parliament for consideration in November. But in addition to the law, systemic barriers and support for victims should also be addressed, said Laura Sen, one of the protest organizers.

For many Cameroonian women who face violence at home, they often have to contend with hardship and stigma, especially when they already have children.

In the case of Achiah, her child said he is praying for justice for her death and “that her killer will face the law.”

“She keeps appearing to me in a dream, consoling me not to despair and that she is still with me,” he said.

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Information pamphlets distributed by the organization Sourires de Femmes are displayed during a sit-in campaign against women killing in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Friday, Sept, 18, 2026 (AP Photo/Angel Ngwe)

Mbatiabuh Regina Ngakum, sister of murdered woman Achiah Geraldine, is comforted as she grieves outside a mortuary chapel in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Angel Ngwe)

Cousin of domestic violence victim Achiah Geraldine sits on the floor beside her portraits and the casket during a wake inside a community hall in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Angel Ngwe)

A portrait of a Achiah Geraldine, a woman who was murdered, stands framed by the floral arrangements at the foot of her casket inside a mortuary chapel in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Angel Ngwe)

Anushuni Courage Abombi,left, the 18-year-old son of Achiah Geraldine, a woman who was murdered, is comforted by relatives outside a mortuary chapel in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Angel Ngwe)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Large swaths of California are expected to see fire weather starting Thursday and thousands of people could lose power as utilities try not to spark wildfires during hot and windy conditions expected to last through Saturday.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has faced criticism for her city's response to deadly fires in 2025, said she's directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department has also requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services, she said.

“It’s a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Dry, warm and gusty northeast winds known as Santa Anas, which blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, are expected, with the strongest winds forecast for Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.

The winds are expected to reach 20 to 40 mph (32 to 64 kph), with gusts from 50 to 70 mph (80 to 113 kph), in the San Gabriel mountains in Los Angeles County and the Santa Susana mountains, which are mostly in Ventura County, Schoenfeld said. Elevated, though brief, critical fire weather conditions are also forecast for portions of the Santa Lucia mountains in San Luis Obispo County.

Dangerous conditions began earlier in Northern California, with some communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills experiencing strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity starting Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said.

The service issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of central and Northern California starting Thursday and lasting through Friday morning, saying that any fires would spread rapidly. Such warnings are issued when weather conditions create an increased risk of wildfires.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company had notified 88,000 customers in 29 counties that it may need to proactively turn power off to reduce the risk of winds toppling over energized power lines that could start a fire. The planned shutoffs had started for some customers by Wednesday night.

The potential interruption in service to customers from the Central Coast to the upper corners of the Sierra Nevada could last through Saturday afternoon, the company said.

In Southern California, the Red Flag Warning for the mountainous areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties will be in effect from Thursday morning through Friday night.

“We are augmenting our staffing, positioning our people and pre-deploying equipment ahead of this weather so we are ready before the first call comes in," Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore said. “We are asking residents to do their part, too. Clear the streets, have a plan and stay informed.”

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire — fanned by Santa Ana winds — ripped through a hillside Los Angeles neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views. Another fire that burned at the same time in the city of Altadena, in Los Angeles County, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses.

Schoenfeld said the Santa Ana winds are not going to be as strong as during those fires, when they were gusting 60 to 100 mph (96 to 160 kph).

Authorities determined the Palisades Fire was a carryover fire from the Lachman Fire. The Eaton Fire was caused by sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison, officials said.

Southern California Edison’s online dashboard on Wednesday showed it was considering public safety shutoffs that could affect 245,000 customers in Kern, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. Most of those customers — 124,000 — are in Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles.

FILE - Residences leveled by a wildfire in Paradise, Calif., are seen on Nov. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - Water is dropped by helicopter on the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent, File)

FILE - The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

FILE - Flags fly under heavy winds before sunset as a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rises over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File)