Turkey on Monday condemned a deadly attack on a private school in southwestern Cameroon.

“We are saddened by the news that many children lost their lives and were injured in an attack on a private school in the city of Kumba in Cameroon on 24 October 2020,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn this heinous attack on the innocent children. We extend our sincere condolences to the friendly and brotherly people and Government of Cameroon and wish a speedy recovery to the injured children,” the statement added.

At least seven people died and 12 were injured on Saturday in an attack by gunmen with machetes in a classroom in southwestern Cameroon.

The Central African country has been marred by protests and violence since 2016, with residents in English-speaking regions saying they have been marginalized for decades by the central government and the French-speaking majority.

They are calling for independence or a federal state.

Violence in the Anglophone regions over the last three years has claimed an estimated 3,000 lives and caused the displacement of over 730,000 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch.

In June, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said for a second year running Cameroon topped the list as the most neglected crisis on the planet.

Source: Anadolu Agency