The North West and South West regions of Cameroon have suffered a bloody conflict between anglophone separatists and the state for years. English speakers make up a majority of the regions' populations in predominantly French-speaking Cameroon, which President Paul Biya has ruled with an iron fist since 1982.Anglophone resentment at perceived discrimination snowballed into the declaration of an independent state in 2017—the "Federal Republic of Ambazonia"—an entity that is not recognized internationally. Biya, 89, has resisted calls for more autonomy in the regions and responded with a crackdown on the separatists.The violence has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced around a million people, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. International monitors and the United Nations say both sides have committed abuses, including crimes against civilians. Last week, six people were killed in an attack on a bus in the country's western region. — Agence France-Presse
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