Dozens killed in clashes over land in Cameroon

At least 30 people including women and children were killed during clashes over land between neighbouring communities in Cameroon's South West region, local authorities said on Monday.

A spokesman for the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon said the fight between the Oliti and Messaga Ekol groups in Akwaya area was very violent.

The church released pictures that showed bodies lying on the ground.

The violence started when attackers stormed a funeral ceremony in the village of Bakinjaw on Saturday and continued on Sunday, according to the communication officer of Akwaya district, Okumo Angwa .

He added that people were burnt in their homes while others were beheaded in the attack.

A Member of Parliament, Aka Martin Tyoga, told the BBC that the attackers promised to return in two days.

He said that investigations into the killings would take time as the area was remote.

The South West and North West regions of Cameroon are caught up in a separatist conflict that has already claimed more than 6,000 lives, according to the International Crisis Group.

On Monday, a Human Rights Watch report said separatist fighters have killed at least seven people and carried out scores of kidnappings since January.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: BBC