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In a tragic and intolerable act of violence, separatist rebels launched an overnight assault on the village of Egbekaw in western Cameroon, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 people, including women and children, according to government officials. The region has been embroiled in a violent conflict between rebels and government forces for the past seven years.
Cameroon's anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions have been engulfed in turmoil since separatists declared independence in 2017. This declaration followed decades of grievances stemming from perceived discrimination by the francophone majority.
The brutal attack unfolded in the dead of night, with "terrorists" using firearms and traditional weapons to strike fear into the hearts of the village's residents, according to Viang Mekala, the prefect of the Manyu department. "There are about 20 dead and seven seriously wounded, a dozen houses burnt," Mekala reported.
President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon with an iron grip for 41 years, has resisted calls for greater autonomy and has responded with a crackdown, intensifying the ongoing conflict. The International Crisis Group has reported that the conflict has resulted in more than 6,000 casualties and forced over a million people to flee their homes.
The timing of the attack, which occurred at 4:00 am, has raised suspicions that it may be connected to the anniversary of President Biya assuming power on November 6, 1982, highlighting the ongoing volatility in the region and the urgent need for a resolution to the protracted conflict.
