News24
20 Aug 2019, 19:11 GMT+10
A military court in Cameroon has handed down life sentences to the head of the country's anglophone separatist movement, Julius Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, and nine of his followers, lawyers said.
The 10 were convicted of charges including "terrorism and secession", government lawyer Martin Luther Achet told AFP news agency on Tuesday.
Ayuk Tabe was the first self-proclaimed president of "Ambazonia", a breakaway state declared in October 2017 in two English-speaking regions of the central African country.
The government responded with a military crackdown.
Attacks by both sides have left hundreds dead and forced nearly 500 000 people from their homes, according to independent monitors.
190725110520286
English-speakers account for about a fifth of the 24 million people in Cameroon, where the French-speaking are in majority.
Anglophones are mainly concentrated in two western areas, the Northwest Region and the Southwest Region, that were incorporated into the French-speaking state after the colonial era in Africa wound down six decades ago.
Anglophones have chafed for years at perceived discrimination in education, law and economic opportunities at the hands of the francophone majority.
But the government has rejected demands for autonomy and dispatched thousands of troops to the region after the "Republic of Ambazonia" - an entity not recognised internationally - was proclaimed in October 2017.
Ayuk Tabe, who is part of the political branch of the separatist group that supports dialogue with Cameroon's President Paul Biya, was arrested in January last year with 46 other separatists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
They were then handed over to Cameroon, a move ruled illegal by a Nigerian court in March this year.
In May, Ayuk Tabe said he was willing to take part in talks with the government, provided they took place abroad and the government released all the people detained since the start of the anglophone crisis.
Last month, the Human Rights Watch accused the security forces of committing "brazen crimes" against the citizens, including unlawful killings and use of excessive force.
GET THE NEWS at your fingertips and download the News24 app for Android here now. Get it for your iPhone here.
Get a daily dose of Madagascar Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Madagascar Sun.
More InformationDoha [Qatar], May 25 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, who is leading an all-party delegation,...
Kinshasa [Congo], May 25 (ANI): All-party parliamentary delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde paid floral tribute to Mahatma...
Former colonial powers are still draining wealth, but this can end if the continent unites and nurtures partnerships built on respect,...
Former colonial powers are still draining wealth, but this can end if the continent unites and nurtures partnerships built on respect,...
RT Presents a Project Featuring Descendants of Mandela, Lumumba, and Nasser RT presents a project about the leaders of Africa's anti-colonial...
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 25 (ANI): In a momentous development for Indian cricket, Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said this week that it will require airlines to reduce the number of flights...
GAZA - The home of a doctor working in the emergency room at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza was struck by Israel Air...
ORLANDO, Florida: For years, Universal Orlando played second fiddle to Disney's sprawling empire in Central Florida. Now, with the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Transportation Department is expected to say that fuel economy rules created under President Joe Biden went...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York and a top candidate for...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump re-ignited his trade war on Friday with an extraordinary attack on the European Union...