Dozens of women have been kidnapped and several others injured by separatists in Cameroon’s volatile northwestern region, according to officials.
The abductions took place in the village of Big Babanki, near the border with Nigeria, as the women allegedly protested against a curfew and imposed taxes imposed by the separatist group.
“On Saturday morning, around 30 women were kidnapped by separatists – we have yet to locate them,” stated an army colonel in an interview with the AFP news agency.
Local media reports suggest that the number of missing women could be even higher, possibly reaching up to 50.
The separatists, heavily armed rebels known for frequently kidnapping civilians, are said to have “severely tortured” some of the abducted women, often resorting to ransom demands.
Capo Daniel, a leader among the separatists, told the Associated Press that the women were being punished for allowing themselves to be “manipulated” by the Cameroonian government.
The military has responded by deploying troops in an effort to secure the release of the kidnapped women.
Since 2017, Cameroon has been grappling with a conflict sparked by English-speaking separatists, resulting in widespread violence.
According to the Crisis Group, the protracted conflict has claimed the lives of over 6,000 individuals and displaced more than a million people, leaving the nation in a state of upheaval.
