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Some 437,000 people have fled the fighting, according to the United Nations which claimed Tuesday $ 184 million (163 million euros) to help the displaced. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP / File)
At least 170 civilians have been killed since October in fighting between separatists and government forces in western Cameroon, Human Rights Watch said.
"Government forces in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon have killed dozens of civilians, used blind force and burned down hundreds of homes in the past six months," said the human rights group.
The group based its findings on interviews with 140 victims, family members and witnesses between December and March, he added.
"Since October, at least 170 civilians have been killed in more than 220 incidents (according to reports in the media and Human Rights Watch research)," the daily said.
Thirty-three other members of the security forces were killed during operations between October and February, the paper said.
"Given the ongoing clashes and the difficulty of collecting information in remote areas, the number of civilian deaths is probably higher," the text adds.
HRW did not explicitly blame the government forces for the 170 deaths of civilians.
Armed separatists attacked and kidnapped dozens of people during the same period, killing at least two men.
The government sent a letter to HRW denying the "abuses" of the army described in the report, the group said.
The conflict erupted in October 2017 when English-speaking separatists launched an armed campaign.
The International Crisis Group said that the number of deaths since the start of the fighting raises 500 deaths for civilians and more than 200 for members of the security forces.
Anglophones, who make up about one-fifth of Cameroon's population of 24 million, have been irritated for years by perceived discrimination in education, law and economic opportunities in the hands of the French-speaking majority.
The Anglophone movement has been radicalized in 2017 as the authorities refused to claim greater autonomy for the northwestern and southwestern regions.
On October 1 of this year, the separatists declared the creation of the "Republic of Ambazonia" in both regions, named after the local bay of Ambas. The declaration has not been internationally recognized.
"The Cameroonian authorities have an obligation to legally respond and protect the rights of people during periods of violence," said Lewis Mudge, HRW director in Central Africa. "The government's brutal response to civilians is counterproductive and may trigger more violence."
Some 437,000 people have fled the fighting, according to the United Nations which claimed Tuesday $ 184 million (163 million euros) to help the displaced.
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