Police and the military in Cameroon have shot dead at least seven Anglophone people as member of the community continue protesting for independence from the majority Francophone nation.

The unrest took place Sunday on the anniversary of Anglophone Cameroon’s independence from Britain in the country’s English-speaking regions.

Five prisoners were killed in the jail where they were being held in the town of Kumbo. Donatus Njong Fonyuy, mayor of the town said a fire erupted in the jail and soldiers shot dead five prisoners at around 6 a.m. (0500 GMT).

“We don’t know what caused the fire in the prison … But five prisoners were killed by soldiers. Two were wounded by bullets and are at the hospital,” said the official, adding that two civilians were also injured in the incident.

Reports said soldiers shot dead a demonstrator in the same town after he attempted to raise the blue and white flag of the Ambazonia separatist movement in the local chief’s palace. Two demonstrators who had raised the flag were also shot and wounded around midday.

Security forces attempted to block pro-independence marchers from entering the city of Buea, a major hub of protests. Witnesses said one protester was killed in the clashes on the edge of the city.

A similar protest was held in Bamenda where young men brandishing improvised secessionist flags clashed with security forces. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters trying to march on the regional governor’s office. There was no account of casualties in Bamenda.

Security was high in Buea and Bamenda as military helicopters circled overhead and businesses remained shuttered for the entire day. Troops from the Cameroonian army’s Rapid Intervention Brigade, a unit known for its fight against the militants of Nigeria-based Boko Haram group, were also deployed in the two cities. There were also reports of gunfire although it was not clear whether they targeted the protesters or were only fired in the air.

In anticipation of the protests in English-speaking regions, authorities had ordered Cameroon’s border with Nigeria closed for the weekend. All gatherings of more than four people had been banned and movement between different parts of the region had been forbidden.

Police and the military have yet to comment on the shootings that led to deaths Sunday. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said security forces were taking restraint in dealing with the fresh bout of violence.

“We won’t use violence unless there is major cause. There are numerous risks, even terrorist risks. We’re keeping calm,” said the source.

The months-long protests are viewed as a sign of increasing dissatisfaction with President Paul Biya’s 35-year rule.

Biya said the acts of violence, “regardless of their source and their perpetrators”, were deplorable.

“Let me make this very clear: it is not forbidden to voice any concerns in the Republic. However, nothing great can be achieved by using verbal excesses, street violence, and defying authority,” the president wrote on his official Facebook account.

Cameroon, a former German colony under the name of Kamerun, was divided between the allied French and British victors at the end of World

The great day finally arrives. It has been a very long night. Many people have not known a good night’s sleep. All across, the worlds have been calling for peace. Leaders across the globe are advising Cameroonians not to walk that path, but Anglophones are hell-bent on walking away.

Akere Muna delivered a keynote address, calling for peace. He clearly has the interest of our nation at heart. But don’t expect much in terms of communication. Internet connection across Southern Cameroons went down yesterday.
The disconnection was gradual and it was final in the night. This is a government strategy to prevent mass communication. However, If you are around Missellele, in the south west region, then you are connected thanks to the littoral communication mast. It’s still too early in the two Anglophone regions.

As promised, 9am will surely usher in a new nation. The preparations have been very carefully coordinated. It’s hard to understand that a whole people are following instructions from people who are thousands of miles away.

However, some areas have already started seeing violence. The Kumbo central prison in Bui Division is up in flames as reported by some. Tombel is back in the news. Mutengene is seeing large crowds at the famous roundabout.

Disturbances are being reported there and in Mamfe, determined youths are defying orders and making sure their voices are heard.

Cameroon will never be the same again. For the moment, Tiko, Buea and Limbe are calm. Call family and friends to make sure everybody is ok. Cameroon is at the crossroads. It’s disturbing to see this happen in this once-upon-a-time oasis of peace. Free at last!! A new nation is born!! The Republic of Southern Cameroons

Eleven people were killed in a series of overnight shootings in a Cape Town township, police said Saturday, including four victims shot dead when gunmen opened fire in a bar.

Extra police officers were deployed to the Philipi district of Cape Town, a city that suffers from regular gang violence and armed clashes between rival criminal groups.

“We have deployed teams comprising specialist detectives, high-risk units and intelligence operatives,” police spokeswoman Novela Potelwa told the News 24 website. “We already executed search operations that are set to continue throughout the day. The police are doing their best to arrest those responsible.”

Tens of thousands of people live in informal shack settlements in Philipi, located in the notoriously crime-ridden Cape Flats area of the city.

Four people were shot dead at an informal “shebeen” bar on Friday evening, with three other bodies found by police nearby. Another four more people were killed elsewhere in the district.

The ruling ANC party condemned the deaths.

“Regardless of the circumstances, these mass murders — related or not — are criminal acts which must be punished using the full might of our law,” party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

“Criminals live amongst our communities, they are harbored by us and until society stands as one against this scourge, it will not be defeated,” it added.

On average, there are 51 murders per day in South Africa, according to official figures released last year.

Crime is seen as a major issue hampering the country’s social cohesion, economic development and international reputation — especially as a tourist destination.

Last week 36 Dutch tourists were robbed on a bus on route to their hotel after landing at Johannesburg airport for a three-week holiday.

(Source: AFP)

The UN Human Rights Council voted Friday to extend the mission of an international probe into atrocities in Burundi, overriding strong pushback from the government accused of crimes against humanity.

The adoption of the European Union resolution to prolong the mandate by a year came a day after the council’s African bloc approved a separate measure to send a team of experts to Burundi that would report their findings to the government.

The controversial African proposal, strongly supported by Burundi’s UN delegation, angered Western delegations and rights groups.

They blasted it as an underhanded attempt to suppress the impact of the UN-backed probe, which has collected evidence of egregious crimes orchestrated by Burundi’s government and security forces.

The EU proposal, which was backed by the United States, passed Friday with 22 votes in favor, 11 against with 14 abstentions.

The African group was split on the EU measure: South Africa and Ghana voted against, while Kenya, Nigeria and Ivory Coast abstained.

With both Burundi resolutions having been approved by the council, the crisis-riddled country is now in the rare circumstance of being subject to two investigations.

In accordance with the African-backed plan, three experts will be “urgently” dispatched to Burundi to study the situation and then “forward” their findings to the judicial authorities, who will assess their validity.

The EU resolution extends the work of the independent Commission of Inquiry, which earlier this month accused the government of crimes against humanity, including executions and torture.

“The Commission can now continue its crucial work to end the abuses and hold perpetrators accountable,” the Geneva director for Human Rights Watch, John Fisher, said in a statement.

“Burundi’s victims deserve no less”, he added.

Burundi plunged into crisis in 2015 after the country’s President Pierre Nkurunziza sought a fiercely contested third term in office.

The violence claimed between 500 and 2,000 lives, according to differing tolls from the UN and civil society groups, while more than 400,000 Burundians have fled abroad.

(Source: AFP)

Authorities in the South West Region of Cameroon have restricted movement of people and vehicles and banned meetings from Friday to Monday. The ban imposed by the Francophone Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai affects the celebration of independence day in the region on October 1.

Among the regulatory measures announced on Thursday are the closure of all borders, bars, night clubs, parks and “prohibition of any public gatherings and assembly of more than four persons in any public location”.

He said the measures are intended to preserve public peace and guarantee security “following persistent threats of destabilization through manipulation by individuals acting from outside the national territory.” This was followed by another ban on restriction imposed by the Senior Divisional Officer of the Manyu Province in the region, Oum II Joseph from Friday to Tuesday.

“All public meetings and manifestations are banned within the entire division with effect from Tuesday 26th September to Tuesday 10th October 2017,” he added. The measures follow last week’s massive demonstrations in several English-speaking towns in the North-West and South-West Regions against the continuous detention of some of the inhabitants of the regions and independence from French Cameroon.

It started in Bamenda last Friday despite a ban on movement of persons imposed the night before by Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique following a bomb attack that injured three police officers. The demonstration spread to Buea in the South-West Region where women led the march with hundreds behind them carrying leaves, tree branches and flags of the Cameroon separatist movement.

It was the same scene in the towns of Fontem, Kumba and Mamfe among others in the same region who are also demanding to be independent from French Cameroon. Tensions are still high ahead of the October 1 independence day celebrations which risk facing demonstrations in the Anglophone regions.

Culled from Africa News