Alleged ringleaders of violence taken in for questioning as part of the demands in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon
Alleged ringleaders of violence taken in for questioning as part of the demands in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon
(Business in Cameroon) - The Minister of Communication (Mincom), Issa Tchiroma, signed on 19 January 2017, a communiqué which states that, as part of the legal investigation opened to provide accountability for the abuses which led to human and material losses in the North-West and South-West regions since October 2016, a certain number of individuals, including Fontem Aforteka’a Neba and Nkongho Félix Agbor Balla, were arrested and taken into custody. And others are wanted for the same reasons.
The Mincom reminds that these arrests come in a context where, despite the dialogue started by the government to seek solutions to the demands made by English-speaking teachers and lawyers in the two regions, “extremists called for city-wide shutdowns and organised acts of violence in this context and on other occasions”. “They also launched attacks against security forces and public buildings. Some claimed to be part of the ‘Southern Cameroon National Council’ (SSNC) and the ‘Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium’ (CACSC), organisations operating illegally and whose invalidity was certified by a decree from the Minister of Regional Administration and Decentralisation [René Emmanuel Sadi], while their activities were strictly banned”, writes Issa Tchiroma.
Issa Tchiroma writes that the concerned individuals will benefit from all the legal guarantees for a fair trial. “The government is determined to set up all the necessary means for the peace, public security, national unity and territorial sovereignty to be protected. The government asks all pupils, students, teachers and other economic players to peacefully proceed with their regular activities”, concludes the government members.
As a reminder, since 11 October 2016, English-speaking lawyers, teachers and students started a strike because they estimate that they are marginalised by the French-speaking majority. The movement engulfed all social classes in the North-West and South-West regions who now demand a return to federalism or secession through protests which led to acts of violence and civil disobedience.
No Comment to " Alleged ringleaders of violence taken in for questioning as part of the demands in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon "