Troops deployed to stop separatist demo

Cameroonian troops on Tuesday stopped a demonstration organised by the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) to mark the "independence anniversary" of the English speaking Northwest and Southwest Provinces. Sources told IRIN the government deployed troops in the towns of Tiko, Mutenguene, Limbe, Buea (southwest) and Kumbo, Bamenda (northwest). In the northwest, the prefect of Mezam, Bernard Bilai Okalia published an announcement forbidding any demonstration in his territory from 10 September to 3 October. Some SCNC leaders were arrested on the eve of 1 October, including Chief Ayamba, Nfor Ngala Nfor (vice-president) and Albert Mukong (advisor) and Otun Ayangbang regional representative of the movement in Mamfe (southwest). A similar demonstration called last year was heavily repressed in scuffles that left three people dead and many wounded. In December 1999, the group had attempted to seize the national radio station in Buea, 300 km southwest of Yaounde and declare independence. In June, the SCNC called on people in the two provinces to boycott municipal and legislative elections slated for 23 June. The provinces, it added, would organise their "own elections at the right time" while those who voted on 23 June would be considered "traitors". Led by Frederick Ebong, SCNC started in the mid 1990's to advocate the separation of the two provinces from the rest of Cameroon, saying it wants a new state called the republic of Southern Cameroon. Cameroon was a UN trustee territory administered by France and Britain. In 1961, the northern region of British-administered Cameroon voted to become part of Nigeria during a UN-supervised referendum. The southern region opted to join French-speaking Cameroon which was called the Republic of Cameroon. The two regions subsequently merged and became the Federal Republic of Cameroon. However in 1972, the county became a unitary state and was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon. In 1984 the official name was changed again to the Republic of Cameroon.