YAOUNDE, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least five civilians held hostage by armed separatists in Cameroon’s restive English-speaking region of Northwest have been killed, Quetong Anderson Kongueh, senior officer of Ngoketunjia division has said.
Four hostages including the deputy mayor of Babessi council, Chefor Oscar were killed by armed separatists after the military dismantled their camp.
The newly elected mayor of Mbengwi council, Ndangsa Kenedy Akam, who was kidnapped 15 days ago, was also killed by separatists early Thursday.
“Today, it’s crystal clear that the war of liberation so far is directed to the local population. The population need to form vigilante groups and collaborate with government forces to free themselves,” Kongueh said.
Meanwhile, troops have rescued five girls held hostage by gunmen in the country’s West region, according to Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.
The girls, between the ages of 17 and 20, were kidnapped last Saturday after armed separatists attacked security stations in West regional town of Galim, killing four civilians and four government forces.
Nji did not say if casualties were recorded during the rescue mission.
According to security reports, separatists in the troubled Anglophone region of Northwest that shares boundary with the French-speaking West region, crossed the border and carried out the attack.
It was the first bloody attack carried out by separatists in French-speaking part of the country since separatists started clashing with government forces in 2017 in an attempt to establish an independent nation in the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.
Armed separatists want to secede from largely French-speaking Cameroon and create an independent nation in the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.
They have been clashing with government forces since 2017. — NNN-AGENCIES