At least a hundred individuals were abducted by armed separatists in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon before the legislative and municipal elections of Feb.9, revealed Human Rights Watch (HRW), which accused the soldiers of “new abuses”. “Armed separatists (…) kidnapped over 100 people, burned property, and threatened voters in the run-up to the elections,” the international human rights watchdog said in a report released this Wednesday. English-speaking independent soldiers and armed groups clash in the English-speaking regions of the West. Armed separatists want the independence of English-speaking Cameroon, which they call Ambazonia. “Armed separatists targeted those willing to participate in the legislative and municipal elections, whether as candidates, election officials, activists, or citizens,” HRW stated.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 12, 2020 14:03 UTC