Cameroon's army launched a "special operation" against anglophone separatists on Wednesday in Bamenda, the capital of the English-speaking Northwest region, bringing the city to a halt.

The country's Northwest and Southwest regions have been gripped by conflict since separatists declared independence in 2017 after decades of grievances at perceived discrimination by the francophone majority.

After the recent murder of a police inspector in Bamenda, the army said in a statement Tuesday that "defence and security forces have engaged in a special operation to secure the city".

Called "Clean Bamenda", it is the first time the federal government has launched such a military operation in the city.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Bamenda markets and streets were deserted Wednesday.

A Bamenda resident said he had "not been able to leave the house all morning because in his neighbourhood even small businesses had shut their doors.

"I didn't see anyone going to the fields, to the market or to the office," he added.

Another resident said that they had witnessed an army raid.

Bamenda's mayor restricted the movement of motorcycle taxis on Saturday.

Local media reported a rumour that in response to the move, separatist forces had warned Bamenda residents not to drive.

No part of the separatist movement has said they called for a "dead city" protest, a method it has previously used to bring cities to a standstill.

Lawyer Nicodemus Amungwa told AFP that his client Julius Sisiku Ayuk Tabe -- the imprisoned main separatist leader and self-proclaimed president of the anglophone breakaway state of "Ambazonia" -- had not given "any order for a dead city or restricted circulation".

The army said the Bamenda operation was in response to "various attacks perpetrated by terrorists such as theft and looting, robberies of banks and shops, and the assassinations of civilians and personnel of the defence forces".

Tensions were heightened on Friday when the authorities said "secessionist terrorists" were responsible for the killing of a police inspector shot while patrolling the city's streets on September 1.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Niger soldiers executed dozens of civilians, probe says
Niamey (AFP) Sept 5, 2020
Soldiers in Niger executed dozens of civilians during the counterinsurgency campaign against jihadists in the country's troubled Tillaberi region earlier this year, a probe into the deaths reported. The West African nation has suffered years of conflict with Islamic militants operating in the vast and inhospitable Sahel desert, with thousands of soldiers and civilians killed to date. The national armies of Niger and its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have been accused of war crimes in their re ... read more