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| Emmanuel-Macron, French President |
France condemned on Friday attacks by
suspected English-speaking separatists in Cameroon that killed three
gendarmes, but urged the Cameroonian government to engage in dialogue
to stop an escalation in violence.
The separatists allegedgdly killed the
gendarmes on Thursday.
They took up arms over the past year in
an attempt to create a nation they call Ambazonia. The insurgency
represents the gravest challenge yet to the 35-year rule of
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya.
France, which has significant business
interests in its former colony and relies on it to fight against
Islamist militants, has been careful not to overly criticize the
government’s handling of the crisis.
“France condemns the new killings of
law enforcement officials that took place on Thursday in Cameroon,”
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Muhll told reporters in a daily
briefing after three gendarmes were killed in separate clashes on
Thursday in towns in the North West Region.
She said only dialogue would enable a
peaceful response to the concerns of all sides and ensure the unity
and integrity of the country.
“This is a message we are also
passing on to the Cameroonian authorities, in close consultation with
our European and international partners,” the spokeswoman added.
Violence has flared in the past week,
with armed separatist factions clashing against Cameroon security
forces in several towns and villages in the two English-speaking
regions after Nigeria deported the leader of the self-declared state
and 46 others.
The UN refugee agency condemned the
handing over of the 47 people, saying most of them had submitted
asylum claims and their forced return was in violation of
international refugee law.
No fewer than 43,000 Cameroonians have
fled as refugees to Nigeria to escape the government crackdown on the
separatists, say local aid officials.
The majority are in Nigeria’s Cross
River, which borders southwest Cameroon.
*Agency report
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