Soldiers kill eight during Cameroon's Anglophone 'independence' protests

More interesting articles here :
1. Generation Enggelmundus
2. NATURAL HOME REMEDIES SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE
3. TUTORIAL TESTING SOFTWARE

Soldiers shot dead at to the lowest degree 8 people as well as wounded others inwards Cameroon's restless English-speaking regions on Lord's Day during protests past times activists calling for its independence from the bulk Francophone nation, an official as well as witnesses said.

The demonstrations - timed to accept identify on the anniversary of Anglophone Cameroon's independence from United Kingdom - came every bit a months-old movement against perceived marginalisation past times the Francophone-dominated authorities gathered pace.

The protests, which began belatedly concluding year, receive got function a lightning rod for opposition to President Paul Biya's 35-year rule.

Donatus Njong Fonyuy, mayor of the town of Kumbo, said 5 prisoners were killed at to a greater extent than or less half dozen a.m. (0500 GMT) later the jail where they were beingness held caught fire.

"We don't know what caused the burn downward inwards the prison theatre ... But 5 prisoners were killed past times soldiers. Two were wounded past times bullets as well as are at the hospital," he told Reuters, adding that some other 2 civilians were too injured.

In other incidents inwards Kumbo, soldiers shot as well as killed a demonstrator as well as wounded 2 others who had raised the blueish as well as white flag of the Ambazonia separatist movement inwards the town. Another adult woman was killed within her home, Fonyuy said, without giving farther details.

Police as well as regular army officials were non instantly available to comment on the shootings.

"We won't purpose violence unless at that spot is major cause. There are numerous risks, fifty-fifty terrorist risks. We're keeping calm," a safety source, who declined to locomote identified because he was non authorised to verbalise to journalists, said before inwards the day.

Writing on his official Facebook account, President Biya condemned the violence.

"Let me build this real clear: it is non forbidden to vox whatsoever concerns inwards the Republic. However, null cracking tin privy locomote achieved past times using verbal excesses, street violence, as well as defying authority," he said.

Cameroon's dissever has its roots inwards the destination of World War One, when the League of Nations divided the quondam High German colony of Kamerun betwixt the allied French as well as British victors.

"OUR GREATEST NIGHTMARE”

Authorities had banned all gatherings of to a greater extent than than 4 people, ordered jitney stations, eateries as well as shops to closed as well as forbade movement betwixt dissimilar parts of the English-speaking regions ahead of the protests. The authorities too ordered Cameroon's border alongside Nigeria closed for the weekend.

Access to pop social media as well as messaging apps, including Facebook, Twitter as well as WhatsApp, was disrupted from Friday.

Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary on Lord's Day threatened to closed whatsoever media outlets giving a vox to separatists, proverb they "must non encourage those who advocate division, who desire to destroy as well as destabilise our country”.

Businesses were shuttered inwards the regions' master copy cities, Buea as well as Bamenda, where military machine helicopters circled overhead. The safety deployment included troops from the Cameroonian army's Rapid Intervention Brigade, a unit of measurement that typically fights Islamist Boko Haram militants inwards the country's north.

One protester was killed on the border of Buea every bit safety forces attempted to block pro-independence marchers from entering the city, iii witnesses said.

Hundreds yet slipped through the countryside to teach to a greater extent than or less the blockade as well as into the city, where safety forces used teargas to seek to halt them from marching on the regional governor's office.

A Reuters witness too heard gunfire, though it was non clear whether the shots were targeting protesters or beingness fired inwards the air.

"The military, which is supposed to protect lives as well as property, has turned into our greatest nightmare," said ane Buea resident, who asked non to locomote identified out of fearfulness of reprisal.

In Bamenda, where a bomb ready on blamed on separatists wounded iii policemen concluding week, immature men brandishing improvised secessionist flags clashed alongside safety forces who attempted to disperse them alongside teargas.

Thousands of authorities supporters meanwhile marched inwards Douala, Cameroon's master copy port urban gist as well as its commercial hub, voicing their opposition to calls for independence or to a greater extent than autonomy for the Anglophone regions.

"We are hither ... to decline sectarianism, to condemn all kinds of hate, all forms of violence carried out nether whatsoever pretext whatsoever," Justice Minister Laurent Esso told the pro-government crowd.

Reuters

Sumber http://www.adeolafayehun.com/