Cameroon separatists kidnapped 100 people ahead of vote: HRW

Separatists in Cameroon's English-speaking regions kidnapped more than 100 people and torched property in the runup to elections last weekend, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.

State security forces also committed "further abuses" in the two troubled regions, the watchdog said.

"Separatist leaders should issue clear instructions to their fighters to end their crimes against civilians," HRW's Central Africa director, Lewis Mudge, said in a statement.

"The government of Cameroon should ensure that its security forces put civilians first, by stopping their violations, prioritizing civilian protection, and holding abusers accountable."
"Between January 17 and 20, 2020, security forces carried out a military operation in Bali, Northwest Region, destroying over 50 homes and killing several civilians, including two men with intellectual disabilities."