Cameroonian President Paul Biya has declared Saturday to be a day of national mourning in honour of the victims of a fatal attack at a school in the country’s Southwest region.
Last week, attackers armed with guns and machetes killed at least eight children during a raid on a school in Kumba, according to the United Nations. The attack, described as one of the worst in the region to date, also left at least twelve others injured.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack which drew widespread condemnation from local and international leaders.
“Saturday, October 31 2020, is declared a day of national mourning in memory of the victims of the attack, on 24 October 2020, of the Mother Francisca International bilingual Academy school complex in Fiango, Kumba, meme Division,” a decree signed by Biya read in part.
“The national flag shall be flown at half-mast all day long throughout the national territory,” it added.
Cameroon has been plagued by protests and violence since 2016 as residents in English-speaking regions claim they have been marginalized for several years by the central government and the French-speaking majority.
The two English-speaking regions, Southwest and Northwest provinces, became the epicentre of the conflict involving separatist militants who have targeted the army and demanded the closure of local government offices and schools.
Over time, the movement became more radicalised and separatists renamed the regions the Republic of Ambazonia, which has never been recognised internationally.
The conflict has claimed more than 3,000 lives and forced over 700,000 people to flee their homes since 2017.
