Cameroon: an army incursion kills 8, including a civilian, in the English-speaking area
Cameroonian army soldiers on duty in Bamenda (illustrative image) AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Cameroon, violence in English-speaking majority regions between the government army and separatist groups continues.
This Monday, April 25, an army incursion killed 8 people in Guzang, in the North-West region, about fifty km from the regional capital Bamenda.
This village is in an area known to be controlled by armed movements.
The soldiers reportedly entered the area and killed 7 armed elements and 1 civilian.
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According to an observer, several armed movements operate in this area and have set up checkpoints.
“
We are along the highway that goes to Nigeria.
Separatists often plant homemade bombs there to target military convoys
,” he said.
The army would have chosen to attack at night.
"
Soldiers sometimes favor night operations so as not to be spotted by the population who could warn the secessionists
", confides an observer.
According to several sources, the soldiers would have arrived in Guzang around 2:00 am on board a dozen trucks, and would have been guided by an informant.
"Extra-judicial executions with complete impunity
"
Capo Daniel, an exiled cadre from the Ambazonian Defense Forces, explains that the village is controlled by a local armed group, which has a cooperation agreement with the ADF.
"
This site was not well defended, with few and poorly equipped fighters
," he said.
According to him, the army captured separatists, took them to the market before killing them.
The soldiers also allegedly neutralized elements installed in a neighboring house.
“
The government continues to openly use extra-judicial executions with total impunity
,” Capo Daniel believes.
Contacted, the Cameroonian authorities did not react officially.
The separatist leader promises to continue the fight.
Even if the defense agreement signed a few days ago between Cameroon and Russia worries him.
“
The Russians do not hesitate to fire into the crowd and commit abuses in Africa.
If they come, it will only make the situation worse
,” he concludes.
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