The European Union has called
on Cameroon to ensure its security forces use "proportional force" in
the country's restive English-speaking west.
"Resorting to violence cannot be a
means of achieving political ends," said EU foreign affairs spokesperson
Catherine Ray in a statement Wednesday.
"It remains crucial for the security forces to be proportionate in their use of force while carrying out their duties."
Dozens of people have been killed
since October in a violent crackdown on protests against the mainly
French-speaking government.
Many English-speakers have accused the Francophone majority of discrimination and that has fuelled a separatist movement.
Police say 22 police and soldiers have
been killed in the violence but officials in the capital Yaounde have
not released figures for the number of separatist or civilian losses.
"Fresh acts of violence in the
(anglophone) northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon have caused the
death of at least three members of the security forces and a number of
civilians," the EU statement said.
"Such acts are unacceptable and must
be punished. The same applies to any excessive use of violence against
civilians. The perpetrators must be brought to justice in accordance
with the law."
The EU called for "sincere and
constructive dialogue" and for all sides to refrain from "any act that
might exacerbate tensions or incite violence".
Cameroon's southwest and northwest
regions are home to an anglophone minority that accounts for about a
fifth of the country's population.
In October, separatists declared the
two regions as the self-proclaimed republic of "Ambazonia", prompting a
crackdown by the government.
The spiralling violence has prompted an estimated 30,000 Cameroonians to flee to neighbouring Nigeria.
The United States on Tuesday called on
Cameroon to respect the rights of 47 English-speaking separatists who
have been extradited from Nigeria.
Cameroon has called them "terrorists" and said they will "answer for their crimes”.
AFP
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