Cameroon clashes leave 22 people dead as English-speaking separatists push for greater independence
Violence between insurgents and government forces has occurred almost daily in the region since a political crisis escalated in late 2016
Twenty-two people have been killed in clashes with the army in Cameroon, an opposition MP said on Saturday, in the latest violence to hit the restive northwest, where separatists from the English-speaking minority are fighting for greater autonomy.
The identity of those killed was not immediately clear, with the army describing them as “terrorists” and villagers saying they were criminals.
The clashes come after the US ambassador to Cameroon accused government forces earlier this month of carrying out targeted killings and other abuses in the fight against the independence-seeking militants.
“Twenty-two people were killed Friday in Menka during a confrontation … [between the army and] a group of people that were presented as criminals,” said Nji Tumasang, a member of the English-speaking opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) in Santa, the area in which the town of Menka is located.
Violence between insurgents and government forces has occurred almost daily in the region since a political crisis escalated in late 2016.
An army official confirmed the incident, speaking of “several neutralised terrorists”.