Armed fighters have stormed a town in south west Cameroon close to the training base used by the Mali and Gambia teams at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Mali team suspended training prior to their match against Tunisia in nearby Limbe, according to the Cameroon News Agency. Mali were due to play Tunisia in the opening game of Group F at the Afcon, on Wednesday.
Brighton’s Yves Bissouma and Southampton’s Moussa Djenepo both play for Mali and Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri, Arsenal’s Omar Rekik and Nottingham Forest’s Mohamed Drager are part of the Tunisia squad.
Two people were reported to have died following an exchange of gunfire between separatists and government forces at the central market in the town of Buea with five people injured, said local reports.
The west of Cameroon has been racked by an escalating conflict between the local English-speaking population and the government of the largely French-speaking country.
Sportsmail reported last month how the tournament mascot, Mola the Lion, was forced to wear a bullet proof vest and was escorted by heavily armed soldiers when he visited the region to promote the competition.
Armoured vehicles and heavily manned army checkpoints have been prominent in the town in recent weeks, with security checks on entry points to nearby Limbe.
Africa Cup of Nations mascot, Mola the Lion, has worn a bullet-proof vest while touring western regions of Cameroon to promote the tournament because of widespread conflict
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma is an important member of the Mali squad
‘The Malian team has suspended training and left the Molyko stadium,’ the Cameroon News Agency, reported today.
The match went ahead as planned at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium, where Mali won 1-0 in a controversial match in which the referee blew early for full-time.
Separatists, who have objected to Cameroon hosting games in the west of the country – an area they call Ambazonia – have threatened violence. They have claimed responsibility for the attacks.
One of the host cities, Limbe, is within the western region and just 13 miles from Buea.
‘Two civilians (men) have been found dead at the Buea Central market following exchanges of gunshots between Ambazonia and government forces,’ the local news agency added.
In a video posted online, armed men can be seen moving through the streets and there appears to be audible gunfire.
Separatists are using posters like this online to threaten football authorities and countries
Blaise Chamango, a human rights worker in Buea, for the organisation, Human is Right, told Sportsmail: ‘There were gun shots this morning around the town. We also got information there was an improvised explosive device at the market. The [separatist] groups and security forces were fighting in the area.
‘The non state groups want to create the impression that nothing should take place in the south west region [of Cameroon during the Afcon].’
The Mauritania national team were seen walking close to their hotel in Limbe before the beginning of the tournament, flanked by soldiers and armed police.
The fighting in Buea comes amid an outbreak of violence coinciding with the opening of the Afcon in Cameroon. In a separate incident, a lawyer and senator, Harry Kemende, was reported to have been shot and killed in the neighbouring North West region.
Six stadiums will host matches at the Afcon in Cameroon. Only one, Limbe, is located within the contested ‘anglophone zone’ but two more, Douala and Bafoussam are on the border
South West and North West regions of Cameroon make up the contested ‘anglophone zone’. The city of Buea (bottom left) has been the scene of much violence, with Limbe less than 13 miles to the south. Just across the border of the South West region is Douala (bottom of the map), which will also host matches. The North West region (centre to top of the map) has also seen extreme violence. Mola the mascot wore a bullet-proof vest while visiting the town of Bamenda. To the south of Bamenda is Bafoussam, another host city at the Afcon
Rebecca Tinsley, a representative of the Cameroon Peace and Justice Group, said the developments during the showpiece tournament were a concern, and described Mr Kemende as a ‘voice of moderation and peace’.
‘It is a sign of what is to come, this is just the beginning,’ said Ms Tinsley, whose group has verified reports in the country. ‘This is the moment the world is looking at Cameroon, we are very concerned.’
‘It has got to lead to the Government of Cameroon to offer a ceasefire and a roadmap towards peace negotiations. If only they would do that the tournament could carry on in peace.’
The conflict, in which armed groups are trying to form a breakaway state, has killed at least 3,000 people and forced nearly one million to flee.
It began with peaceful protests in 2016, but following a heavy-handed response from the Government, an armed conflict developed a year later.
In the last 12 months, human rights groups say 80 explosive devices have been detonated in the region and there have been widespread calls not to stage matches in Limber, part of the contested area, known as the ‘anglophone zone’.
Chris Roberts, an expert in Central Africa and a lecturer at the University of Calgary, said there was a high risk of violence in the western regions of Cameroon during the tournament.
‘There is no way that Afcon goes on for a month without some kind of significant security incident,’ said the global security analyst.
However, it is unclear to Roberts and other analysts whether the separatists will focus on targets around the tournament or take advantage of lower levels of security elsewhere.
Sportsmail has contacted the Cameroon authorities, the Confederation of African Football, which organises the Afcon tournament, and the Mali national team for comment.
