Former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Peter Nagy Jr. has condemned the killing of school four children and teacher in Ekondo-Titi Ndian Division of South West Region.
“Killing of school children and teacher in SW Cameroon is barbaric - pure and simple; no excuses - no "what about..." Such activities have nothing to do with a struggle for freedom just barbarism. Educators and children are out of bounds, period!” Tibor Nagy emphasised.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs of the United States Tibor Peter Nagy Jr.
Meanwhile the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA, says students aged 12, 16 and 17 and a French language teacher were killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked Government Bilingual High School, GBHS, Ekondo-Titi.
According to CHRDA, in a statement on Wednesday that several others were wounded in the attack in Ekondo Titi. It identified the slain students as being aged 12, 16 and 17 and the fourth victim as a French language teacher.
“CHRDA stronger condemns this attack on school children and teachers,” the group said in a statement, while calling for the government to take measures to “impartially and effectively investigate the incident”.
“Take all necessary measures to put an end to the Anglophone Crisis by a truthful and inclusive dialogue,” the statement added.
The more than four-year-old Anglophone conflict began when government forces used deadly force to suppress peaceful protests by lawyers and teachers against perceived marginalisation by the country’s majority Francophone government. In response, dozens of armed separatist groups then formed to fight for an independent nation called Ambazonia.
Some 4,000 people have so far been killed in the conflict, with more than 700,000 people forced to flee their homes.
Rights groups have accused both separatists and government security forces of committing abuses.
Parents in tears
The Divisional Officer for Ekondo-Titi Abeloa Timothe said the incident occurred on Wednesday November 24, 2021 at about 7:50am leaving four dead, three students and a French teacher with other injured who are receiving treatment at Limbe Regional Hospital, and Ekondo-Titi.
He however expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the victims and assumed the education family and Stakeholders that all major will be taken to reinstate calm in the Division.
The Mayor of Ekondo-Titi Kenneth Nanji, also confirmed the attack on the school without providing a death toll.
Worsening violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions has been taking an increasingly heavy toll on civilians, with renewed attacks against schools documented in recent months.
Schools have been a main point of attack since the beginning of the conflict when separatists called for a boycott on education to draw attention to the increased use of French in the classroom and reliance on monolingual French-speaking teachers.
At press time, no camp has claim responsibility responsibility of the attack.
KNews much more than News! Your trusted online News agency Limbe, Cameroon. To be informed with the right information is our priority. Contact KNews on WhatsApp (+237)651252410.
Comments