Gunmen whose identities remain unknown have conducted a brutal attack resulting in the tragic loss of nine lives, including a recently married couple, in the city of Bamenda, Cameroon. The victims, Simplice Lontsi Tsomene, 37, and his wife Hélène Raisa Tanga, 25, were loving parents to three children and operated a phone shop.
Authorities believe that separatist rebels are responsible for the attack, which occurred at a busy junction. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants arrived in unmarked vehicles and immediately ordered people to lie down. The gunmen accused the victims of being "black legs," implying that they were collaborating with the government or not adhering to the separatists' directives.
The conflict between rebels seeking the establishment of a separate country called Ambazonia for Cameroon's English-speaking regions and the government has been ongoing since 2017, with Bamenda being a prominent hotspot. Just one day prior to this incident, troops had attacked a residence in the Nacho neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of five young men.
The situation in the region is rapidly deteriorating, marked by severe human rights abuses and atrocities. Amnesty International recently released a report detailing alleged murders and rapes committed by both sides in the Anglophone armed conflict, urging the government to launch investigations.
Although no specific group has claimed responsibility for these killings, some separatist Ambazonia leaders in the diaspora have been encouraging their fighters to mercilessly target individuals they label as "black legs."
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