In a 45-second video that appeared on social media on October 19, 2022, Father Jingwa, one of nine people abducted last month, updated their health and asked Bishop Aloysius Fondong Abangalo to do it. everything possible” to secure their release.
PRIOR NEWS:
Five priests, a nun and two parishioners were arrested by English-speaking separatist rebels in Cameroon after burning down the Marian church in Nchang village, Bamenda province, on September 16.
"We are shocked and appalled when we learn of the burning of the church and the arrest of priests, nuns and parishioners," said a statement from the Cameroon bishops' conference. Such an incident has never occurred and as far as we know, no reason has been given for such abominable behavior against the house of God and the messengers of God.”
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but often such acts of sabotage are carried out by separatist forces, and often they demand ransom for their lives, or to negotiate with commanders. their.
Cameroon has a majority French-speaking population, but there is also an English-speaking minority in the northwest and southwest, which has been fighting for five years to separate this region from Cameroon to become an independent country. The whole country of Cameroon has been ruled by President Paul Biya, 89 years old with an iron fist since 40 years (1982). He ordered the suppression of the separatists.
English-speaking people complain that they are stigmatized and disadvantaged. Violence caused by conflicts between the Cameroonian government army and separatist forces has so far left more than 6,000 people dead and one million displaced, according to the international crisis group (International Crisis). Group, Catholic). And according to the United Nations, both sides have had abuses, including crimes against civilians. Last week, six people were killed in an attack on a bus in western Cameroon.