September 23//-The Anglophones in the predominently French-speaking country say they feel like second class citizens. Now some say equality isn’t enough – they want independence.
Thousands of English speakers in the predominantly French speaking Cameroon took to the streets Friday to demand more rights amid calls for secession.
The two Anglophone regions in the west of the country, where the protests took place, account for 15 percent, or 3.6 million of the country’s 24 million inhabitants.
They have long-standing complaints about political and economic discrimination that reignited late last year when lawyers and teachers called for reforms. Police killed six protesters and arrested hundreds more during the initial demonstrations.
Subsequently the government shut down the internet in the region for four months at the start of the year. The move crippled businesses and was condemned internationally.
The latest protests were the largest and most widespread in months, and came a day after a bomb blast wounded three policemen in the Northwest Region capital of Bamenda.
DW TV
