6 teachers kidnapped, police officer killed in Cameroon attack
A police commissioner was killed and six teachers were abducted after suspected separatist fighters attacked a government convoy in Cameroon’s restive North-West Region on Tuesday.
The attack happened in Wum, in the Menchum Division, as the convoy was travelling through the area.
The police officer, identified as Commissioner Mbah Tobie Damase, was accompanying Menchum’s Senior Divisional Officer, Abdoulahi Aliou, who was on a visit to schools ahead of the new academic year.
The attackers reportedly ambushed the convoy and opened fire, killing the police commissioner and abducting six teachers who were travelling with or were encountered by the convoy.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the safety of teachers and government officials in the North-West, one of the regions at the centre of Cameroon’s long-running separatist conflict.
The North-West and South-West regions have been affected by armed conflict since 2016, when separatist groups took up arms in pursuit of an independent state for Cameroon’s English-speaking regions.
Schools have repeatedly been affected by the conflict, with teachers, students and education facilities targeted in attacks and abductions. The latest incident comes as authorities prepare for the new school year.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the latest attack, while details about the whereabouts of the abducted teachers remain unclear.
Tags:
Share:
Related Post
