There had been a long-standing territorial dispute between the villages of Ballin and Mavass, inhabited by the Mesaka and Oliti ethnic groups, respectively.

[1] A spokesperson from the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon said that peace talks were being organized, but that representatives from neither of the communities agreed to attend.

[2] According to local sources, the massacre was preceded by the killing of Oliti men who had set up control posts in Ballin a few days prior.

According to the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon, a number died before they reached a Nigerian hospital.

[6] The Presbyterian Church of Cameroon reported that the Akwaya massacre was actually related to a land dispute between Ballin and the neighbouring village of Mavass.