21, May 2018
Southern Cameroons Crisis: National day amidst tension 0
Cameroon on Sunday marked 46th National Day amidst growing tension in English speaking Northwest and Southwest regions.
The day commemorates the 1972 national referendum when Cameroonians voted for a unitary as opposed to the existing federal state.
The government chose May 20 to celebrate former President Ahmadou Ahidjo’s abolishment of the federal system of government.
Activities of the day include speeches by the head of state, and other senior state officials, children all over the country singing and parades or marches around the various cities. The day is presided over by the head of state in Yaoundé and in the regional headquarters by the governor who represents the government.
However, armed separatist were threatening further attacks in the restive regions to frustrate the celebration.
The anglophone Cameroonians were agitating for secession after the predominantly francophone Yaoundé government reneged on a pre-unification deal.
Under the umbrella of the Interim Government, the anglophones have engaged in various violent acts to push their agenda.
Culled from Africa News
21, May 2018
Killings, Kidnappings Mar Cameroon National Day Celebrations 0
As President Paul Biya led National Day celebrations in Yaounde on Sunday, several policemen were killed, soldiers wounded and mayors kidnapped in Cameroon by suspected armed separatists who had warned against celebrating the central African state’s national day in English-speaking regions.
A Nigerian military contingent — part of the Cameroon effort to fight a Boko Haram insurgency — sang before Biya, cabinet ministers, diplomats and thousands of people during the National Day parade in Yaounde.
Nigerian Lieutenant Colonel Mochtar Sani Daroda said the soldiers were invited by Biya to participate as recognition for their fight against the militant group that has left 25,000 people dead and more than 2.6 million displaced in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger.
“The class brigade is the elite brigade that carries out national functions on behalf of the Nigerian army,” Daroda said. “They also provide security of the president and the entire federal capital city [Abuja ] and they have been selected to participate in one of the parade we hold in very high esteem. A very special corps to take part in your [Cameroon] parade.”
But tensions flared in many towns and villages of Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, including Konye, Batibo, Ekona and several villages.
At least two policemen and several people were killed.
In a recording provided by suspected separatists, Mayor Ekuh Simon of Bangem, an English-speaking town in southwest Cameroon, said he was kidnapped with his deputy for distributing uniforms for residents to march in National Day ceremonies. Separatists had called for a boycott of events.
Simon said he is being held by Ambazonia restoration forces.
Ambazonia is what separatist’s call their self-declared republic in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon.
Nobert Ngu says he escaped Saturday from Ekona to Yaounde when armed separatists started shooting to stop people from celebrating National Day.
Ngu said his house was attacked. “Some boys saw my father inside the house, attacked my father. I lost my father because of this crisis,” he added.
Biya’s government had asked people to come out in numbers to celebrate National Day as a sign of unity.
Tensions in Cameroon began in November 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers protested, saying they were frustrated with the dominance of the French language and the marginalization of the Anglophone population.
The crisis intensified early this year when separatist leader Ayuk Tabe was arrested with 48 others in Nigeria and extradited to Cameroon.
International rights groups have condemned the harsh government crackdown on the English speaking regions and indiscriminate arrests of suspects.
Culled from VOA