Cameroonian Ambush Minister, "The Assailants Killed"

The country's new president, Paul Biya, who ordered a crackdown in the troubled region, announced Friday that he would bid for a seventh consecutive term.

Journalist Gregoire Djarmaila, who writes for the state-run Cameroon Tribune, was injured by shards of glbad, said that Attack had taken place while Beti Assomo was heading for a military visit. Seven kilometers from Kumba town

The convoy included about 30 vehicles, including an armored vehicle carrying the minister and six generals, he said.

half way, "and our vehicles were riddled with fire from homes abandoned because of the war," said Djarmaila

. The military escort fought back, allowing the convoy to reach the military post. [19659006] "But as soon as we left the station we were attacked again, this time they seemed more numerous and determined … (they fired) on all the vehicles in the convoy."

Djarmaila said that "our good luck was that they were using homemade shotguns" rather than military weapons.

Separatist Campaign

The ambush took place at the heart of an armed campaign to secure the independence of the North West regions and the United States. Southwest, a predominantly English-speaking part of the region. The State of West Africa Francophone

Years of resentment with regard to the discrimination perceived by the French-speaking majority have fueled demands to return to the federal structure of the country in 2016.

Biya has adopted a hard line excluding concessions While the situation was polarized, the English-speaking activists made a symbolic declaration of independence on October 1st.

They named Buea, the main city in the Southwest region near Kumba, as the capital of their so-called independence. te, Ambazonia.

Government repression followed, plunging the two regions into almost daily acts of violence and retribution that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Twin Crisis

Meanwhile, on Friday, a non-governmental organization, the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, said that 20 civilians had been killed by the government. Cameroonian army in two regions of northwestern English. 19659006] Fifteen civilians, including a teacher and seven family members, including his wife and three children, were killed Thursday in Batibo, said the group in a statement posted on social networks

.

The violence coincided with bloody cross-border incursions into northern Cameroon by Nigerian jihadists from Boko Haram.

The violence coincided with bloody cross-border incursions into northern Cameroon. 19659006] The two crises overshadowed a presidential election scheduled for October 7, a fact that Biya, who has been head of state for 35 years, seemed to recognize in his announcement on Twitter. 59006] "I will be your candidate for the next presidential election," he said, adding that he was "aware of the challenges we face together for an even more united, stable and prosperous Cameroon".

The main opposition, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), has already nominated its candidate, Joshua Osih.

Akere Muna, lawyer and former vice president of Transparency International, and Maurice Kamto, head of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC)

The presence of a large Anglophone minority in Cameroon dates back to colonial period.

The former German colony was divided between Britain and France after the First World War.

The French colony gained independence in 1960, becoming Cameroon. The following year, the British Southern Cameroons were merged, giving birth to the North West and South West regions.

According to a government report last month, English-speaking separatists have killed 74 soldiers and seven policemen since the end of 2017, when more than 100 civilians have died "in the last 12 months".

The balance sheet has risen sharply since then. Since the beginning of this week alone, at least three police officers, including a superintendent, have been killed and fights have broken out for several hours in Buea itself.

The UN says 160,000 people were internally displaced and 20,000 sought refuge in neighboring Nigeria.