At least seven people have been kidnapped by gunmen in Cameroon’s North region, a local official confirmed on Thursday.

They were abducted on Wednesday in Touboro subdivision of the region, an official in the region who asked not to be named told Chinese news portal Xinhua by phone.

Touboro shares a boundary with the Central African Republic.

More than 430 people, mostly poor villagers, have been kidnapped by gunmen in the locality in the last 10 months, according to security reports released last month by local police.

In October, residents held protest demonstrations to demand an end to the rampant abductions in the locality.

Source: Xinhuanet