Meria
Elder Lister
A massacre in an anglophone region of Cameroon left 22 villagers dead including 14 children, the UN humanitarian coordination agency OCHA said Sunday.
Armed men carried out the killings on Friday in the Northwest region, James Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest provinces, home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority where separatists have been fighting the central government for three years.
“Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children,” Nunan said, adding that 14 children — including nine under age five — were among the dead.
Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA’s office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country’s large English-speaking minority.
Separatists in the regions have been fighting the central government for three years.
The Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon, one of the country’s two main opposition parties, issued a statement saying: “The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defense forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes.”
A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused “state defense forces” of carrying out the killings.
An army official contacted by AFP early Sunday denied the allegations, saying simply: “False.” No other official response was immediately available.
Armed men carried out the killings on Friday in the Northwest region, James Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest provinces, home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority where separatists have been fighting the central government for three years.
“Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children,” Nunan said, adding that 14 children — including nine under age five — were among the dead.
Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA’s office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country’s large English-speaking minority.
Separatists in the regions have been fighting the central government for three years.
The Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon, one of the country’s two main opposition parties, issued a statement saying: “The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defense forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes.”
A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused “state defense forces” of carrying out the killings.
An army official contacted by AFP early Sunday denied the allegations, saying simply: “False.” No other official response was immediately available.
