2, January 2019
Biya Vows to ‘Neutralize’ Ambazonian fighters 0
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya said he will instruct the army to “neutralize the separatist groups” in the central African nation’s English-speaking regions if they refuse to participate in the government’s disarmament program.
“If my appeal to warmongers to lay down their weapons remains unheeded, the defense and security forces will be instructed to neutralize them,” Biya said in his New Year’s address to the nation broadcast on state TV CRTV on Monday. “I am very sensitive to their worries about their safety and their aspirations for a return to calm and normal social life.”
The conflict has left at least 400 people dead since it began two years ago. Biya started his seventh term in office last month with a call to the separatist groups to end the bloody insurgency while promising greater autonomy for the Anglophone Southwestern and Northwestern regions.
The only country in Africa with both English and French as official languages, Cameroon was split after World War I into a French-run zone and a smaller British-controlled area. They were unified in 1961, but the English-speaking minority, about a fifth of the population, has complained of marginalization for decades.
Source: Bloomberg.com
2, January 2019
Southern Cameroons Crisis: Governor Lele LAfrique convoy attacked by Amba fighters 0
The convoy of the Governor of the North West region came under attack late last night as he was returning from church service, security sources have said.
At least one soldier was injured in the course of the attack but security forces succeeded to ferry the Governor safely home.
Sources say Adolphe Lele LAfrique’s convoy was attacked at 19h15 local time as he was returning from the Catholic Church Mulang where he had just attended cross over service.
Over 20 Ambazonia separatist fighters had erected barricades on the road which prompted a shootout before they retreated to their hideouts.
Police Inspector Fossi Frankline was the only member of the security forces injured in the course of the attack while it is difficult to determine if there were casualties on the part of the armed separatists.
Journal du Cameroun