SUMMARY
Comités locaux de vigiliance, or local vigilance committees, were groups of civilian volunteers in Cameroon's northern regions which aided the government of Cameroon against Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (Boko Haram) and the Islamic State, West Africa province. These groups emerged in 2014 in response to increasing attacks by jihadist groups in the north of Cameroon, formed either at the behest of local government and security forces or at the initiative of the communities themselves.
The vigilance committees were composed of civilian volunteers from their respective local communities. Using their knowledge of their local areas, they served to provide the government with intelligence which neither they nor jihadist groups had access to. They were not an official part of the security apparatus, but their formation was encouraged by the government and they were continuously praised and supported by both the regional and national government. The Cameroonian government provided vigilance committees with flashlights, machetes and binoculars as well as motorbikes. Typically, a vigilance committee member would carry a machete or locally-produced weapon (such as a bow or hunting rifle) for self-defense.
Their main role was to patrol and monitor their local communities, as well as alert security forces to jihadist activities in their areas. However, the role of these vigilance committees gradually grew beyond being a complement to government forces. In larger settlements in the Far North region, the highest number of active vigilantes was reported to have been in the hundreds. They conducted search operations and managed checkpoints, essentially taking on the role of official security forces. Members of vigilance committees were frequently involved in non-state violence against both IS and Boko Haram. On several occasions, they were reported to engage jihadists directly, attempting to apprehend or kill would-be suicide bombers before they activated their IEDs. Due to their exposure as the first line of defense against jihadists, they were also vulnerable to attacks. Vigilantes were killed at outset of raids or while attempting to foil an attack. Aside from killings when on duty, vigilantes were also singled out and killed in their homes in reprisal attacks.
Comités locaux de vigilance have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
