Hundreds of women in Cameroon on Friday staged a protest, against abuses committed during fighting between the government forces and Anglophone separatists.
The women are calling for an end to instances of rape endured by their daughters and the killings of civilians. The protesters gathered in a stadium in Bamenda city hoping their cry for peace would be heard.
Separatists in Anglophone Cameroon have been fighting government forces for months now as they push for independence from Cameroon.
Thousands of civilians have been caught up in the cross fire. That has resulted in casualties with some 200,000 people fleeing their homes.
Many of them have fled into Nigeria as refugees due to the conflict. The International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank says at least 120 civilians and 43 security forces have been killed since the end of 2016.
The women who staged the protest have called for an urgent dialogue for peace. They are unhappy the conflict has prevented them from going to the market without fear.
Anglophones in Cameroon make up about a fifth of the country’s population of 22 million. But they complain of marginalisation in the hands of the French-speaking majority.
There are concerns upcoming elections in October could be disrupted by violence after 85-year-old President Paul Biya vowed to crash the separatists fighting for independence.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
