(CNN)He's one of world football's best-known names -- and now Samuel Eto'o is using that fame to draw attention to the ongoing crisis that "everyone stops talking about."
The former Barcelona and Chelsea star has set up theYellow Whistleblower FC foundation to raise funds and awareness to help people fleeing Nigeria and Cameroon amid a rising tide of attacks from Boko Haram militants.
Earlier this month, Oxfam revealed that more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes in Nigeria alone, while Cameroon -- to which many have escaped -- is an increasing target for cross-border terror attacks.
Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and abductions in its campaign to impose its strict version of Sharia law.
Charlie Hebdo
Former Cameroon captain Eto'o, who retired from international football last year, told CNN it was time the world stepped up its response to an ongoing catastrophe.
The 34-year-old urged leaders and the media to react as they did to the terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris in January.
"It is important for us to talk about it -- if we don't do it, who will?" said the four-time African player of the year.
"We all tried to offer our support (after Charlie Hebdo). We saw African head of states coming to Paris to offer their support to France.
"Why, when it comes to Africa -- when it comes to our continent -- don't we do anything? Maybe because the media are not doing what they should do.
"When it comes to Charlie Hebdo, we talk about it. The media were right: It was important to talk about that. However when it comes to Boko Haram, we need to wait for the most horrific things to happen for the media to say a word.
"After that, everybody stops talking about it. It is like nothing ever happened.
"I think journalists should have denounced this situation. We saw what happened in France. We were very sad about this. We were asking ourselves, 'How can this happen? How can they succeed? How can these people take away lives of happy people who had families and friends?'"
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