Cameroon: concern remains keen in Bamenda after gunfire between army and separatists

Bamenda, one of the most important English-speaking cities in Cameroon.

AFP / Reinnier KAZE

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3 min

In Cameroon, the situation is still very tense in Bamenda, in the English-speaking North West region, where violent exchanges of fire between the army and separatist fighters were reported in the middle of the week.

The civilian population is in a grip.

Such a level of violence in this area had not been observed since the end of 2019.

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If the violence has dropped a notch, sporadic shootings were still reported, this Saturday, September 5 in several neighborhoods of Bamenda, in the Cameroonian English-speaking province of the North-West.

Elsewhere,

after four days suspended by fear, a

few businesses timidly began to reopen.

Everywhere, concern remains strong, especially since the decision of the prefectural authorities to ban the circulation of motorcycles, including for traders, from Monday, September 7.

This decision was announced Friday, at the end of a Security Council, on the grounds that the separatists use this means of transport to carry out their lightning attacks, including the one which cost the life of a police inspector, Tuesday 1st. September.

A "

barbaric

 "

act 

, indignant the spokesman of the government.

Fear of retaliation

In addition to the economic impact of such a ban on a population already severely affected, what worries civil society is the reaction of the separatists.

They announced, in return, a driving ban for " 

any vehicle

 ", which raises fears of reprisals against anyone who defies this decision, as has been the case in the past.

This Saturday, some roadblocks held by the separatists were already reported on the Boyo-Bamenda axis.

They must stop using civilians to wage their war

 ", indignant Joseph Ayeah Chongsi, director of the NGO Center for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy (Chrapa).

Like many in Bamenda, he castigates both the violence of the separatists and the methods of the security forces, which he accuses, in their pursuit, of " 

blindly attacking the unarmed civilian populations

 ".

No independent assessment of this week's clashes on civilians is available at this time.

► See also:

Cameroon: the civilians of Bamenda victims of the fighting between separatists and the police

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Cameroon: civilians in Bamenda victims of fighting between separatists and security forces