Skip to main content

At least 2 police killed in flashpoint Cameroon city of Buea

At least three policemen, including a superintendent, have been killed in fighting between English-speaking separatists and security forces in western Cameroon, local sources said Tuesday.

The violence, which continued on Tuesday, marks a bloody escalation in a campaign to gain independence for two English-speaking regions from the rest of the French-speaking country.

A local official in Buea, the capital of Southwest Region, said, “two police were killed yesterday [Monday] on the southern part of the city by terrorists.”

A policeman was also kidnapped “and we have no news of him,” the source said.

A hospital source gave a higher toll, saying five police and a civilian had died on Monday, and another civilian had been wounded.

On Sunday, a police superintendent in Kumba, a town on the main road out of Buea towards Mamfe, was “slain in cold blood by armed men suspected to be anglophone secessionists,” the official said.

“He was having a drink at home when they killed him,” the source said. The report was confirmed by a local resident.

Separatists in the English-speaking Southwest and Northwest Regions want to break free of the rest of the country, after long protesting at perceived neglect by Cameroon’s francophone rulers.

The campaign began in 2016 with demands for greater autonomy, but radicalised as the authorities refused to make concessions.

After the separatists issued a symbolic declaration of independence last October 1, the authorities responded with a crackdown, and acts of violence and arson attacks on schools are now almost daily occurrences.

According to a government report last month, separatists had killed 74 soldiers and seven police since late 2017 while more than 100 civilians had died “over the past 12 months”.


The United Nations says 160,000 people have been internally displaced and 20,000 have sought refuge in neighboring Nigeria.

Violence continued on Tuesday in the wake of President Paul Biya’s announcement on Monday before of a presidential election nationwide on October 7.

Biya, at 85 Africa’s longest-serving president, has not made his intentions known. But the main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), traditionally associated with the anglophone regions, has designated a candidate, Joshua Osih.

The presence of a large English-speaking minority in Cameroon originates in the colonial period.

The former German colony was divided between Britain and France after World War I.

The French colony gained independence in 1960, becoming Cameroon. The following year, the British-ruled Southern Cameroons were amalgamated into it, giving rise to the Northwest and Southwest regions.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Portugal wins the Euro 2016 after a Strong Battle with France

A stunning 25-yard strike from Eder gave Portugal victory over France in Extra Time of the Euro 2016 Final. The Lille striker’s first goal in a competitive match dealt a massive blow to home hopes of a third Euro championship crown. Portugal closed ranks after Ronaldo was forced out with a knee injury in the first half at the Stade de France. Pierre-Andre Gignac almost won the match for France with one of the last kicks of the game in normal time but his effort came off the post. Rui Patricio was worked hard throughout and pulled off some stunning saves to ensure the 90 minutes ended goalless. Match Summary First Half                               0 - 0 25'             IN       Quaresma R.            OUT       Ronaldo C. 34...

Court remands UNIOSUN student in Jail for stabbing colleague to death

Four students of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State were on Friday remanded in prison by a magistrates’ court sitting in Osogbo, for allegedly belonging to a secret cult, and also for illegally being in possession of firearms. The suspects were: Olabanji Michael,23, Adewusi Michael,23, Oyinbo Kehinde,21 and Afolabi Yusuf,23. The prosecutor, Elisha Olusegun educated the court that all the blamed people planned among themselves on the 29th of August, 2017 to submit crime to mind guns and individuals from mystery clique (Black Axe Secret Cult Confraternity). According to the prosecutor, the accused persons posed a serious threat to the public through the possession of cache of firearms in the academic community. He said the offences committed was punishable under section 516, 64(a)(b) of the criminal code cap 34 vol.II, Laws of Osun State, Nigeria, 2002 and Section 3 and 4 and punishable under section 27(1)b(I) of the Firearms Act Cap F.28, Laws of Federation of Nig...

President Buhari asks Water Resources Minister to produce flood-prevention plan

The President asks the minister to produce the plan within 90 days. President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu to develop a ‘Comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disaster’ in the country. The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Adamu Garba made this known on Monday, October 24, 2022, via his official Twitter handle. This is coming weeks after flooding has destroyed homes and farmlands in many states and communities across the country. The flooding which affected many communities in Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, and many other states in the North has reportedly claimed over 600 lives. Flood renders hundreds of people homeless in Kogi State. (Punch) According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), about 2,504, 095 persons were affected by the flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the last two months. However, in a bid to address the situation, the president asked the Minister of Water resources ...