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Dozens of people, including students, were reportedly abducted from a school in western Cameroon.
At least 79 people were kidnapped in Bamenda, capital of the North West region, according to anonymous government and military sources, quoted by news agencies.
They were kidnapped Monday by armed gunmen, sources told the BBC.
The northwestern and southwestern regions of Cameroon have been hit by a separatist rebellion in recent years.
The militias, who were demanding secession from the two English-speaking regions, called for a boycott of the school.
But no group said they proceeded with the kidnapping.
- Africa Live: more information about this and other African stories
- The English-speaking rebels of Cameroon
Separatist rebellion
The militias, wishing to create a new state in Ambazonia, began appearing in 2017 after a crackdown on demonstrations against mass demonstrations by security forces led by lawyers and teachers. northwest and southwest.
The government has been accused of strongly supporting people trained in the French legal and educational tradition to occupy key positions and marginalize the English-speaking minority in Cameroon, which represents about 20% of the population.
President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982, was recently re-elected for a seventh term with over 70% of the vote.
Opposition parties allege that the vote was rigged, but legal attempts to reverse the result failed.
