Cameroon's South West region imposes curfew amid Anglophone crisis

The SouthWest region of Cameroon has imposed a month-long curfew on five out of six divisions / departments according to a release from the office of the governor.

The March 1, 2018 document said the move was important given the exigencies of security, the preservation of peace and the maintenance of law and order.

The affected divisions are Manyu, Meme, Ndian, Lebialem and Kupe-Muanenguba. The only division not under the order is Fako.

The orders were put into four articles as follows:

• That the movement of commercial vehicles and private cars shall, with effect from the date of signature of this order, be prohibited throughout Divisions – South West region from 7 pm in the evening to 6 am in the morning for a period of thirty (30) days renewable.

• That this prohibition shall not be applicable o Ambulances, vehicles of Administrative Authorities and/or Officials of the Forces of the Law and Order carrying out official duties.

• That Senior Divisional Officer, Regional Heads of Defense and Security Forces, Divisional Officers a,d Mayors of the Administrative Units cited above shall be charged, each in their sphere of competence with ensuring the implementation of this order.

• That this order shall be registered and communicated where need be. It was copied to the necessary agencies and signed off by the governor in the region’s capital, Buea.

The curfew order comes barely a week after a similar one was imposed on adjoining North West region. The two – known as the ‘Anglophone regions’ are at the heart of a secessionist attempt to break off from French – majority Cameroon.

Guerilla style attacks by separatists elements have claimed the lives of about twenty-four security officials. People in the region have also fled in their thousands into Nigeria for fear of reprisal attacks from the army.