Six people were killed in an attack on a bus in the troubled western region of Cameroon, the government said Wednesday, an area hit by bloody conflict between anglophone separatists and the state.

Government minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the attack on the bus was carried out by a group of "heavily-armed terrorists" on Tuesday in Fako in the English-speaking southwest of the country.

He said the "cruel and barbaric terrorist attack left six dead, including one woman...and five men" as well as eight wounded.

"The government of the Republic condemns in the strongest terms this cowardly and despicable attack perpetrated against innocent civilians," he added.

The North West and South West regions have suffered a bloody conflict between anglophone separatists and the state for five years.

English speakers make up a majority of the regions' populations in predominantly French-speaking Cameroon, which President Paul Biya has ruled with an iron fist since 1982.

In 2017, anglophone resentment at perceived discrimination snowballed into the declaration of an independent state -- the "Federal Republic of Ambazonia," an entity that is not recognised internationally.

Biya, 89, has resisted calls for more autonomy in the regions and responded with a crackdown on the separatists.

The violence has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced around a million people, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

International monitors and the United Nations say both sides have committed abuses, including crimes against civilians.

Last month, rebels attacked an army post in the village of Kengwo in the West Region on Sunday morning, killing a soldier, a police officer and a motorcyclist.

In the same month Human Rights Watch said troops had "summarily killed" at least 10 people in a crackdown on anglophone separatists, as well as looting health facilities, burning homes and detaining dozens of people.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

UN warns famine 'at the door' in Somalia
Nairobi (AFP) Sept 5, 2022
The United Nations warned Monday that Somalia was on the brink of famine for the second time in just over a decade, and that time was running out to save lives in the drought-stricken country. "Famine is at the door and we are receiving a final warning," visiting UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told a press conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu. "The unprecedented failure of four consecutive rainy seasons, decades of conflict, mass displacement, severe economic issues are pushing m ... read more