LAGOS, Nigeria — In recent days, independence votes in restive parts of Spain and Iraq have captured the world’s attention, leading to street clashes, angry threats from aggrieved politicians and even heated words from a king.
But long-simmering tensions over separatist movements in West Africa have also sent huge crowds into the streets and led to deadly government crackdowns and fears of more bloodshed.
In Cameroon, 17 people were killed in recent days during protests in English-speaking areas, where some residents have called for splitting off from French-speaking parts of the nation, Amnesty International said.
In Nigeria, a movement in the southeast seeking independence from the rest of the country has also gained steam — 50 years after a civil war over the same issue left one million people dead in one of the region’s deadliest conflicts.
Last month, Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, declared a separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, a terrorist organization and unleashed a military offensive in the region.
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WNU editor: In both countries we have minorities who feel that they are being persecuted by a central government .... and the government's response is to use force when these minorities protest. This type of action never ends well.
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