Armed men identified by witnesses as separatist fighters attacked Kembong village in the Manyu division, South-West region, yesterday September 26. Father Elvis Bangsi and three teachers from the Catholic mission were killed in the attack. Several people were also wounded during the attack, reports the Cameroon News Agency.

Witnesses quoted by journalists in the region report that the attackers identified themselves as separatists who had come to ensure that classes would not resume. According to other reports, the same village was attacked on Monday, September 25, and around ten people were been kidnapped. The separatists are reportedly demanding a ransom of XAF50 million for their release.

In the North-West and South-West regions, which have been grappling with a separatist conflict since 2017, armed militias have instituted a “lockdown,” (since September 5) to prevent the resumption of classes in the said regions. 

L.A.