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Soldiers from the Cameroonian army patrol the streets of Buea, the capital city of the predominantly English-speaking province of Sud-Ouest. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP / File)
The United Nations on Tuesday called for $ 184 million (163 million euros) to help more than 400,000 people displaced by the separatist conflict in western Cameroon.
"The violent clashes in Cameroon between armed military and armed separatists in the last 13 months have forced thousands of people, including from the other side of the border with Nigeria, to move forcibly," he said. United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in a statement.
"The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and there are fears that more people will be displaced in the coming months."
The UN estimates that 437,000 people have been displaced in Cameroon itself, while more than 35,000 have crossed the border into Nigeria – a number that is expected to increase as fighting continues.
Of the estimated aid needs, $ 35.4 million is urgently needed, "for life-saving vital badistance," UNHCR said.
The northwestern and southwestern regions of Cameroon are under an armed campaign launched by English-speaking separatists in October 2017.
At least 500 civilians and more than 200 members of the security forces have died in clashes, attacks and government repression, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said.
About one-fifth of Cameroon's population of 24 million is English-speaking.
Their presence dates back to the colonial era.
After the First World War, Germany ceded Kamerun, its main West African colony, which was later taken over by Great Britain and France.
France is allocated most of the territory which became independent in 1960.
A year later, the British colony also gained independence. Some of the English-speaking regions chose to join the newly formed Nigeria, while others chose to join the Federation of Cameroon.
Anglophones have offended for years of perceived discrimination in education, law and economic opportunities in the hands of the French-speaking majority.
In 2017, when the authorities refused to demand greater autonomy for the northwestern and southwestern regions, the Anglophone movement became more radical.
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.
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