Tunisians abducted by gunmen in SW Cameroon: Govt

By Adel al-Thabeti

TUNIS

Two Tunisian nationals have been abducted in Cameroon by an armed group, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry announced Monday.

According to a ministry statement, the Tunisians had been working on a road project in southwestern Cameroon when they were abducted by gunmen.

The ministry provided no further details but said it had drawn up a “crisis committee” to follow developments.

According to the ministry statement, Tunisian and Cameroonian authorities are working in “close coordination” with a view to securing the release of the abductees.

As of Monday afternoon, no group had claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.

While the incident occurred in southwestern Cameroon, some observers believe it could be linked to an ongoing crisis facing the country’s Anglophone community in the country’s northwest.

According to local media reports, Cameroon’s English-speaking minority is facing what it describes as “discrimination and marginalization” in a country where French is the predominant language.

Last November, mounting tension led to large demonstrations in the northwestern region in which some protesters reportedly called for autonomy from the central government in Yaounde.