At least six students aged 9 to 12 were killed and several others injured in a massacre committed at a school in Kumba, in the English-speaking region of the southwestern area on Saturday, October 24, according to the report, which was communicated in the evening. by the Cameroonian Prime Minister.
It was a school day like any other in this private college located in the heart of the city of Kumba. When unidentified armed men suddenly at the end of the morning went ashore. They have reportedly opened fire on several students in a rage that released carnage before disappearing so mysteriously when they arrived. Behind them, lifeless bodies, wounded, blood, tears, horror, reports our correspondent in Yaoundé, Polycarp Essomba.
The prime minister spoke on Saturday night about a death toll of six among students. The UN lists eight dead. “At least eight children were killed by gunfire and machetes. Twelve others were injured and taken to local hospitals, “said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Cameroon in a statement.
Emotion wave
The first images of this massacre did not take long to circulate on social networks and brought with them a river of resentment, which has rarely been observed, for almost four years that this conflict has lasted in the English-speaking zone. Politicians of all stripes, NGOs, artists, ordinary citizens, often with the same questions: who can be so crazy as to open fire on innocent children? For what reason? How far do we have to push the horror? Most unanswered questions.
The city of Kumba is draped in the veil of sorrow as the whole country struggles to contain its pain and emotions.
“Absolute horror”
René Sadi, government spokesman, condemns “with the greatest energy the authors of this unpleasant, cowardly and heinous act committed against innocent young people”. He accuses “the secessionist rebels” of being behind the attack and announces that an investigation has been launched. Ditto for Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, on Twitter, who organized an emergency meeting after the attack.
Opposition leader Maurice Kamto spoke of “absolute horror”. “How many more deaths will it take to find a political solution to bring peace to NOSO (Northwest and Southwest, the two English-speaking regions)?” He answered.
Numerous civil society voices are calling for an independent investigation to determine whether they are separatist fighters or military personnel, and to open a political dialogue to resolve the conflict. This is the case with Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, CEO of Redhac, the network of human rights defenders in Central Africa.
Maximilienne Ngo Mbe
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