12 Mar 2018 | 09:38 PM UTC
Cameroon: Separatists allegedly threaten to kill regional official
Anglophone separatists allegedly release video on March 10 threatening to execute abducted regional official if government does not confirm jailed leaders are alive
Event
The Ambazonian Defense Forces, a group of Anglophone separatist organizations, allegedly released a video on social media on Saturday, March 10, threatening to execute an abducted regional official. In the video, the kidnapped official - Aaron Abinbom - called on the government to provide proof-of-life videos for 47 jailed separatist leaders, and warned that if the government does not comply within 48 hours, he may be killed. The authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the video. If Abinbom is executed, a significant increase in military operations against the separatists is likely in the Southwest and Northwest regions.
Context
Abinbom, a regional delegate on social affairs for the Northwest region, was abducted in the town of Batibo in late February. Tensions between the English-speaking community and the national authorities in the Northwest and Southwest regions remain high following a wave of violence in recent weeks and months. On February 24, suspected separatist militants killed one police officer and injured three soldiers during violent clashes in Nyen (Northwest Region).
Simmering resentment dating back to the period of independence has resurfaced within the minority English-speaking community in Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest regions in recent years. The period since November 2016 has been marked by the closure of all English-speaking schools, strikes, unrest, and sporadic violence. Tensions between English- and French-speaking communities have escalated considerably since October 2017, when secessionists unilaterally proclaimed independence in the region.
Advice
Individuals in the Southwest and Northwest regions are advised to closely monitor the situation, obey all instructions issued by the local authorities (particularly curfews), and avoid protests or large gatherings due to the risk of associated violence.
On a separate note, some Western governments advise against travel to the Far North region as well as other areas bordering Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic; travel to these areas should only be considered with appropriate security protocols in place.
