Cameroon admits army’s role in civilian killings

Cameroon’s government has admitted that its soldiers killed 13 civilians - including 10 children - during an attack in the unstable northwest of the country in February. 

In a statement broadcast on Tuesday, the presidency confirmed that three soldiers, along with members of a vigilante militia group, stormed a separatist rebel base in Ntumbo, killing three women and ten children.

Officials had initially denied reports of the killings, filed by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which alleged that 21 civilians were killed, including 13 children and a pregnant woman. The rights group blamed the attack on 10 troops from an elite army unit, backed by “at least 30 armed Fulani” militiamen. 

The government had denied that the army was involved but President Paul Biya conceded to international pressure and ordered an investigation. 

President Biya has since ordered the arrest of the sergeant who led the attack. 

Armed separatist groups began to emerge in Cameroon in 2017, following a government crackdown on protests by english-speaking professionals. The demonstrators were demanding more equal linguistic status in the majority french-speaking country. 

Unrest has been centred in the north-west of the country, where the majority of the population speak English because of colonial-era ties to Britain. Separatists have declared the area an independent state called Ambazonia, but President Biya has labelled the groups “terrorists”. 

Over 3,000 people have died since the fighting began and at least 70,000 people have been displaced from their homes. 

Photo: Getty Images