Cameroonians flee anticipated military offensive on secessionists

Hundreds of Cameroonians are fleeing villages in the restive Anglophone regions into main towns and neighbouring Nigeria, local media in the country are reporting.

The movements come almost a week after President Paul Biya declared war on secessionists violence on security forces, which action led to the death of four soldiers and two policemen last week.

According to the BBC, people flooding Bamenda, capital of the northwestern region, said they were fleeing an anticipated military offensive.

Upsurge of violence in Cameroon's anglophone crisis worries U.N. https://t.co/zsH9fpFY3U

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This is a new wave of migration given that a number of people had already fled last month into Nigeria’s Cross River State, the United Nations refugee agency and the Nigerian government confirmed.

The armed wing of the separatists, the Ambazonia Defense Forces, have stressed that they will continue attacks on security officers who they consider to be “occupying” their homeland.

They have so far claimed responsibility for the death of 10 security officers mostly manning road blocks in the region. People in the predominantly English – speaking region have since last year protested marginalization by the French majority Cameroon.

An planned October 1, 2017 independence declaration was clamped upon by security forces leading to deaths. A number of people were also injured whiles scores have since been detained.

There has been international calls for the government to commence dialogue with leaders of the region. President Biya hinted at talks which have yet to be concretized. The government has issued international arrest warrants for a number of the Anglophone leaders.