UN flags rights abuses

The UN Committee against Torture has asked Cameroon to stop its troops from committing 'atrocities' in its fight against Boko Haram jihadists. It also expressed concern over sweeping arrests in the francophone West African country's English-speaking regions, demanding an investigation into the deaths of at least 17 people killed in 1 October clashes between the security forces and protesters seeking a separate state. A report on the News24 site notes that it said more than 500 people were arrested and it criticised Yaounde for not responding to several demands seeking information on those still being held.

Residents fleeing English-speaking regions have accused government forces of killing, raping and harassing them. They claim soldiers manning checkpoints are like 'hungry lions on the loose'. A report on the EWN site notes that the action against anglophone activists in Cameroon, some of whom called for the establishment of a separate state, follows President Paul Biya declaring war on secessionists. Government has ordered thousands of villagers to leave their homes in the anglophone southwest region as it deploys troops to root out armed separatists.