On an afternoon in early April, the stands of the small soccer stadium here slowly fill with fans dressed in the blue and white jerseys of the home team, PWD Bamenda.

Vendors balancing trays of chips and bottled drinks on their heads weave between the red plastic seats as the two teams warm up on the pitch.

There is nothing remarkable about the scene and, for the people here, that’s exactly what makes it extraordinary. For the last decade, daily life in this part of Cameroon has been warped by a brutal conflict between the country’s government and a militia fighting for an independent state for Cameroon’s English-speaking minority.…