Demonstrators march during a protest against perceived discrimination in favour of the country's francophone majority on September 22, 2017 in Bamenda, the main town in northwest Cameroon and an anglophone hub. Separatists have declared the formation of "Ambazonia". PHOTO | STRINGER | AFP
The political drive for the separatist cause began in 2016 after police broke up demonstrations by English-speaking lawyers and teachers who protested against working in French.
The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC), locally known as "the Consortium", was formed to campaign against what they viewed as discrimination and marginalisation by the francophone majority.
Although it campaigned for federal ties — not secessionism — the campaign met with unyielding opposition from octogenarian President Paul Biya.
LIBREVILLE,
Separatists in Cameroon's restive English-speaking regions have faced a violent crackdown since declaring the creation of "Ambazonia", a self-proclaimed republic independent from the majority French-speaking country.
