Cameroon's women protest against violence by rebels, tired burying children

Dozens of women in Cameroon’s English-speaking Southwest have protested against recent violence by suspected rebels.  Women in the town of Buea say they are increasingly victims of the region’s four-year separatist conflict, according to a news report by Cameroon.org.

Almost 70 women wearing dark dresses have marched through the streets of the southwestern town of Buea on Tuesday. Singing songs, they were saying that they are tired of burying their children, husbands, and recently, their sisters.The Cameroon Women's Peace Movement organized a peaceful protest. Its spokesperson Agbor Magdalene says they were outraged by the recent slaughter of a 32-year old woman in the southwestern town of Muyuka on August 11.  

"The women of the southwest express unreserved indignation at this murder which is one too many in the long list of senseless killings perpetrated by suspected separatist fighters."

Magdalene said, "We call on the government to track down the killers of Tumasang Comfort Aferi while inviting the population to give full collaboration to the security forces in their investigations."

Bernard Okalia Bilai, governor of Cameroon’s southwest region where Buea is found, says he is delighted that women are increasingly rising up to denounce violence in spite of threats from separatists. He says the women should help the military to conquer the separatists by denouncing all fighters in their localities.

Bilai said, "I want you to go back to your various villages and quarters to tell the other women to go out and call those whose sons are killing our children, call them to stop it."